1 week to the big day- let’s make some noise!

 

What: #DollarsforScholars is Valencia College Foundation’s end of year campaign.

Why: #DollarsforScholars will make the difference for many students to get the education they’ve always wanted.

When: Starting with #GivingTuesday, a national day of giving, on December 1 through the end of the year.

How: Donate any amount. Take an unselfie.  Spread the word.

 

Meet the class of 2018

Every year Beloit College releases a list that describes the world view of today’s freshman class. I remember the first batches of freshmen that had never known a world without Fed Ex, faxes, email or the Internet. 

Fast forward to 2014. Meet the Class of 2018.

Students heading into their first year of college this year were generally born in 1996.

Among those who have never been alive in their lifetime are Tupac Shakur, JonBenet Ramsey, Carl Sagan, and Tiny Tim.

On Parents’ Weekend, they may want to watch out in case Madonna shows up to see daughter Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon or Sylvester Stallone comes to see daughter Sophia.

For students entering college this fall…

1. During their initial weeks of kindergarten, they were upset by endlessly repeated images of planes blasting into the World Trade Center.

2. Since they binge-watch their favorite TV shows, they might like to binge-watch the video portions of their courses too.

3. Meds have always been an option.

4. When they see wire-rimmed glasses, they think Harry Potter, not John Lennon.

5. “Press pound” on the phone is now translated as “hit hashtag.”

6. Celebrity “selfies” are far cooler than autographs.

7. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart has always been the only news program that really “gets it right.”

8. Hard liquor has always been advertised on television.

9. Ralph Nader has always been running for President of the U.S.

10. They never sat glued to Saturday morning cartoon shows but have been hooked on FOX’s Sunday night “Animation Domination.”

11. The water cooler is no longer the workplace social center; it’s the place to fill your water bottle.

12. In their lifetime, a dozen different actors have portrayed Nelson Mandela on the big and small screen.

13. Women have always attended the Virginia Military Institute and the Citadel.

14. FOX News and MSNBC have always been duking it out for the hearts and minds of American viewers.

15. Pepsi has always refreshed travelers in outer space.

16. Hong Kong has always been part of China.

17. Courts have always been overturning bans on same-sex marriages.

18. Joe Camel has never introduced one of them to smoking.

19. Bosnia and Herzegovina have always been one nation.

20. Citizens have always had a constitutional right to a “dignified and humane death.”

21. Nicotine has always been recognized as an addictive drug requiring FDA oversight.

22. Students have always been able to dance at Baylor.

23. Hello Dolly…cloning has always been a fact, not science fiction.

24. Women have always been dribbling, and occasionally dunking, in the WNBA.

25. Ads for prescription drugs, noting their disturbing side effects, have always flooded the airwaves.

26. Hell has always been associated less with torment and more with nothingness.

27. Whether to embrace fat or spurn it has been a front page debate all their lives.

28. Parents have always been able to rely on a ratings system to judge violence on TV.

29. They never tasted the “texturally enhanced alternative beverage” known as Orbitz.

30. There has always been “TV” designed to be watched exclusively on the web.

31. The Unabomber has always been behind bars.

32. Female referees have always officiated NBA games.

33. There has always been a national database of sex offenders.

34. Chicago, a musical about a celebrity getting away with murder, has always been popular on Broadway.

35. Yet another blessing of digital technology: They have never had to hide their dirty magazines under the bed.

36. U.S. major league baseball teams have always played in Mexico.

37. Bill Gates has always been the richest man in the U.S.

38. Attending schools outside their neighborhoods, they gather with friends on Skype, not in their local park.

39. While the number of Americans living with HIV has always been going up, American deaths from AIDS have always been going down.

40. They have no memory of George Stephanopoulos as a senior White House advisor.

41. The PGA has always offered golfers with disabilities a ride—reluctantly.

42. “African-American Vernacular English” has always been recognized as a distinct language in Oakland.

43. Two-term presidents are routine, but none of them ever won in a landslide.

44. The family has always been able to buy insurance at local banks.

45. One route to pregnancy has always been through frozen eggs.

46. They have probably never used Netscape as their web browser.

47. Everybody has always Loved Raymond.

48. “Salon” has always been an online magazine.

49. The rate of diagnosed diabetes has always been shooting up during their lifetime.

50. Affirmative Action has always been outlawed in California.

51. Boeing has never had any American competition for commercial aircraft.

52. U.S. soldiers have always been vaccinated against anthrax.

53. “Good feedback” means getting 30 likes on your last Facebook post in a single afternoon.

54. Their collection of U.S. quarters has always celebrated the individual states.

55. Since Toys R Us created a toy registry for kids, visits to Santa are just a formality.

Copyright© 2014 Beloit College

calling for alumni class notes for Vitae magazine!

Check out the current edition of the Vitae magazine.

valencia award winning faculty and staff

The video below highlights Valencia Foundation Endowed Chair and National Institute for Staff & Organizational Development (NISOD) award winners. 

Congratulations to each Valencia College Faculty and Staff for above and beyond efforts to support and enhance the student experience at Valencia! 


 

Valencia educators are encouraged to remain current and continually improve discipline knowledge. With these endowed chairs, our faculty are given the opportunity to examine the effectiveness of their teaching, counseling, librarianship and assessment techniques as they influence student learning.

 Congratulations to the following Distinguished Professors and Scholars, who have been awarded a 2011-12 Valencia Foundation Endowed Chair for Learning Leadership:

 Category I

Rachel Allen: Patricia Havill Whalen Chair in Social Sciences
Deidre Holmes DuBois:  Sue Luzadder Chair in Communications
Richard Gair: Abe and Tess Wise Endowed Chair in the Study of the Shoah
Claudia Genovese-Martinez: Lockheed Martin Chair in Mathematics Albert Groccia:  Raymer F. Maguire Jr. Chair in Mathematics
Debra Hollister and Brian Macon: Freeda Louise Foreman Chair in Family Resource Development
Deymond Hoyte:  Bank of America Chair in Business Management
Richard Sansone: University Club of Orlando Chair in Humanities
Brenda Schumpert: Lester N. Mandell Chair in Natural and Physical Sciences
Patricia Smith: Lockheed Martin Chair in Science
Betty Wanielisat:  Chesley G. Magruder Foundation Chair in Allied Health Yasmeen Qadri: Wayne Densch Chair in Geriatrics  

Category II

Colin Archibald:  SunGard Endowed Teaching Chair in Computer Science
Mary Beck:  Maguire Family Teacher Endowed Chair
Ralph Clemente: Walt Disney World Chair in Film Technology
Steven Cunningham: Tupperware Corporation Chair in Community Quality Corinne Fennessy: William C. Demetree Jr. Foundation Chair in Education for Special Needs
Debbie Hall:  Dr. P. Phillips Foundation Chair in Free Enterprise
Kitty Harkleroad: Ira Vinson Henderson Chair in Nursing and Allied Health Jim Inglis:  Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association Chair in Hospitality Management
Ilyse Kusnetz: Dr. P. Phillips Foundation Chair in Education for the Physically Challenged
James May: University Club of Orlando Chair in Advanced Computer Technology
Pierre Pilloud:  Central Florida Restaurant Association Chair in Restaurant and Food Management
Lana Powell:  SunTrust Chair in Economic Development and Business Education
Suzanne Salapa:  Universal Orlando Chair in Arts and Entertainment
Pam Sandy and Robin Poole: Chesley G. Magruder Foundation Chair in Health and Life Sciences
Michael Shugg:  Jessie and Eugene Drey Endowment of the English-Speaking Union/Central Florida Branch Chair in English and Humanities
Nicole Spottke: Raymer F. Maguire Jr. Endowed Chair in Communications

student video contest

Five winners will get free tuition (up to 60 credit hours, does not include books) for the remainder of their two-year associate degrees at Valencia.

Valencia College is offering students who recently attended Valencia a visual voice!

Through a video contest students are asked to share goals, challenges, struggles and motivations in answering two questions: Why College? Why Valencia?

Five student winners, no matter where they are in pursuit of a degree, will receive the remainder of their coursework at Valencia (up to 60 credit hours).

For more information please visit facebook.com/valenciacollege, see contest information below or go online at: valenciacollege.edu/contest/

Contest Instructions

Why College? Why Valencia? Submit a video sharing your answers. Tell us your story and you could be one of five students to win a free education at Valencia College. No matter where you are in pursuit of your degree, we’ll pay for the rest of your coursework at Valencia (up to 60 credit hours). We want to hear about your goals, challenges, struggles and motivations. This is your chance to share your story, inspire others and have the rest of your Valencia associate degree paid for!

Prize Details

Five winners will get free tuition (up to 60 credit hours, does not include books) for the remainder of their two-year associate degrees at Valencia.

Contest Starts: September 01, 2011 @ 12:00 pm (ET)

Contest Ends: October 21, 2011 @ 12:00 pm (ET)

Prize Eligibility: The contest is open to students who are currently enrolled at Valencia College or who have taken a course at Valencia College (or Valencia Community College) within the last five years (after January 2006). Only persons residing in the United States who are at least 18 years of age can enter. You will need your Valencia ID (VID) or a Valencia email address to enter.

Need more Details? Read the Official Rules

About the Company: For Frequently Asked Questions please visit here.

Questions? videocontest@valenciacollege.edu

internship reflections…

The following post was contributed by our intern for the past two semesters, Ben Kuykendall. Ben is studying for his Master of Nonprofit Management Degree at the University of Central Florida and will be graduating in December. We asked Ben to write a reflection on his internship experience and this is what he had to say.

“My internship experience at Valencia Foundation has made a significant contribution to my career development. Before interning with Valencia, my experience working in nonprofit organizations was limited, and my passion to make a difference outweighed my knowledge of how to do so effectively. After spending the last 7 months learning under the staff at Valencia Foundation, I can say with confidence that I am prepared to enter the challenging field of nonprofit management and contribute to an organization’s success.

Our handsome young intern, Ben.

Before interning at Valencia I knew little of how to actually go about raising support for a worthy cause. Sure, I had read about what was expected in my textbooks, but I had no direct experience and, to be honest, the idea of asking for money intimidated me a bit. Taking part in the various aspects of development and donor relations for Valencia Foundation gave me the experience, and with it the confidence, necessary to overcome any hesitation I may have had about developing support.

Whether I was writing letters to donors, organizing information in the Raiser’s Edge database, managing the Wall of Scholars donor recognition program, or even creating my own grant proposal, the foundation staff was there every step of the way; guiding me in my projects, while giving me the freedom to learn and take ownership of my work.

I can’t think of a better introduction to nonprofit management than to have interned with Valencia Foundation for the past two semesters. The work I was given was meaningful and applicable to my degree program and eventual career goals, but the people I was able to work under are who made my time as rewarding as it was. Specifically, Donna Marino, manager of donor stewardship, poured into me her wealth of knowledge and experience. Donna showed me daily how to effectively maintain relationships with donors and, most importantly, how enjoyable and how rewarding working for the benefit of others can be.

Armed with the knowledge and experience passed down to me from Valencia Foundation’s 37 years of success, I’m much more prepared now to begin my career in nonprofit management after graduation this December.

Thanks Valencia Foundation!”

Ben Kuykendall

Master of Nonprofit Management Candidate

University of Central Florida

not a secret anymore

Valencia Community College’s distinguished artist series Visions & Voices is one of the best kept secrets in Orlando.  These amazing events highlight world-class poets, songwriters and artists from across the country.  Visions & Voices events are free and open to community members (that means you), not just Valencia students, and have featured many talented artists including Poet Laureate Billy Collins, Musician David Wilcox, Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Paula Vogel and Poet David Whyte. 

John Gorka at Valencia

This fall Visions & Voices brings back musician John Gorka.  His acoustic music, deep melodic voices, and charming persona provide an expression of everyday life that is rich in complexity yet simple in verse. 

I beseech you: take a mid-day break and come experience John Gorka on November 18, 2009.  You will thank me later. The performance is from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. at the East Campus Performing Arts Center.  Add to your calendar, schedule a date, make a plan, and attend the event. John Gorka will be the best afternoon treat!  Well worth any effort to attend.

Gorka, like the Visions & Voices series, is a wonderful kept secret–artists have recorded and/or performed John Gorka songs, including Mary Chapin Carpenter, Mary Black and Maura O’Connell. His music video for the single “When She Kisses Me” found a long-term rotation on VH-1’s “Current Country,” as well as on CMT and the Nashville Network. John has also graced the stage of Austin City Limits, appeared on CNN, and has been the subject of other national programming. 

This visit by John Gorka isn’t just for students, faculty, and staff; it’s for our community to experience something unique and different.  Invite a friend, pass it on . . . this is one secret not worth keeping. 

For more information about Valencia’s distinguished artist series and other upcoming artist visits, please visit online at: www.valenciacc.edu/visionsvoices

hispanic educational excellence

White House Brings “Community Conversations”on Hispanic Educational Excellence to Valencia

Valencia Community College hosted the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans, a “Community Conversation,” on Wed., Sept. 23 attended by approximately 100 people.

The public forum led by Juan Sepulveda, director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans, is part of a nationwide tour, including stops this week in Tampa, Miami and Puerto Rico.

Sepulveda outlined President Barack Obama’s ambitious goals for improving all facets of education in the U.S. from pre-kindergarten through elementary, middle school, high school and colleges. Among them is the recently announced $4.35 billion “Race to the Top” initiative that challenges states to redesign education to meet the demands of a global economy and return America to the top of the world’s producers of college graduates.

“This is our moon shot,” said Sepulveda of the ambitious project. “We’re in a unique point in history and our president is committing to the largest investment in education ever made.”

Among the efforts specifically impacting community colleges, the U.S. Dept. of Education will increase individual Pell Grant awards to $5,500; eliminate the costly middle layer in student loans resulting in the availability $6 billion more for low-interest loans; and dramatically streamline financial aid forms. Overall, President Obama has proposed an investment of $12 billion in community colleges over the next decade.

The attendees were invited to share their concerns and ideas on the issues facing Hispanics in attaining an education, including lack of parental involvement, language barriers, college affordability and funding constraints that limit access.

Valencia’s service to the Hispanic community is noteworthy in the following ways:

• Valencia is more ethnically and racially diverse than at any time in its 42-year history, with Hispanics accounting for almost 27 percent of the 50,000 degree-seeking students.
• Because enrollment exceeds 25 percent Hispanic with more than half of those considered low income, Valencia was formally designated in 2009 as an Hispanic Serving Institution by the U.S. Dept. of Education.
• Valencia ranks 3rd among the nation’s two-year institutions for the number of associate degrees awarded to Hispanics (up from 5th in 2008).
• Valencia has long-term assessment results that show a reduction in academic achievement gaps across racial and ethnic groups, particularly among Caucasian and Hispanic students. In a study involving 34,000 students over four years that was undertaken as part of a national initiative called Achieving the Dream, Valencia has sought to improve the success rates of students in six courses that a majority of students must take and in which many have traditionally struggled. As a result of this work, achievement gaps between African American and Caucasian students narrowed from 13.4 percent in 2004 to 3.6 percent in 2008. Gaps between Hispanic and Caucasian students saw an even more dramatic shift, with Hispanics lagging by 1.8 percent in 2004, and four years later, surpassing their Caucasian counterparts by 4 percent. These results were largely due to three strategies employed as part of the ATD initiative to improve student performance: peer tutoring, linked courses, and mandated enrollment in a Student Success course for those who were required to take development math, reading or writing.
• The College has won two national awards in 2009 as a result of its focus on identifying and closing achievement gaps: a grant in the amount of $733,333 from MDC., Inc., a grantee of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to boost the college completion rates of low-income students and students of color, and the national Leah Meyer Austin Institutional Student Success Leadership Award presented by the Lumina Foundation for Education.

The White Initiative for Educational Excellence for Hispanics was created by executive order under President George W. Bush in 2001. The community conversations will serve as the foundation for a new presidential executive order that will govern the White House Initiative and will be signed by President Barack Obama. The office operates under the U.S. Department of Education and has as its charge to examine the underlying causes of the existing education achievement gap between Hispanic American students and their peers. For information, visit their website at http://www.yic.gov.

 

September 23, 2009

Marketing & Media Relations

407-582-1017; ia@atlas.valenciacc.edu

going for gold

Valencia’s new special events center going for gold!

This week, Orlando Sentinel highlights Valencia’s work on current and upcoming LEED gold buildings.
Florida trails the nation in environmentally friendly architecture — OrlandoSentinel.com

Excerpt:   The cost of going for gold adds about 2.5 percent to the cost of construction, according to officials at Valencia, which soon stands to have three gold certifications in its portfolio. The new special-events center on the school’s west Orlando campus is now vying for gold LEED, with such features as toilets that use filtered rainwater collected in an underground cistern. Designed by Orlando’s Hunton Brady Architects, the showcase building — which also holds the school’s culinary-arts program — optimizes its use of daylight and its views of Lake Pamela while minimizing the effects of direct sunlight. Reflective roofing materials and crushed limestone walkways help ward off the heat.

“It’s all about return on investment,” said Valencia President Sanford C. Shugart. “For public buildings, we’ve been in a period in the last two or three years when both capital and operating resources have been scarce, but it’s usually a good strategy to spend more on capital to save on operating.”

In addition to saving on power and water bills, the structures have carpet and paint intended to decrease allergens and, possibly, health-care costs. Paying extra to go for gold is “kind of a gamble” in terms of monetary pay backs because of uncertainties in the oil markets, Shugart said. But, he added, working toward top-level certifications also says something about how a company perceives its role in the larger community.

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