Presidential candidate finalists returning this month for networking and Board interviews

DAYTONA BEACH, FL (June 2, 2011) - Candidates who are among the finalists to be the next president of Daytona State College will return to campus later this month for final interviews with the District Board of Trustees and to meet with business leaders, government officials and other key members of the community.

The networking sessions will take place on Tuesday, June 21, when candidates will meet with community members on a staggered schedule in Bergengren Hall (Bldg. 110), Rm. 112 on the Daytona Beach Campus, 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd.

Candidates will be available during the following time slots:

• 8:15 -  9 a.m. - Dr. Roslyn Artis
• 9:15 ‐ 10 a.m. - Dr. Drew Bennett
• 10:15 ‐ 11 a.m. - Dr. Carol Eaton
• 11:15 ‐ 12 p.m. - Dr. Irby (Skip) Sullivan

The candidates will be interviewed by the Board of Trustees on Wednesday, June 22. Interviews also will take place in Bergengren Hall, Rm. 112. Each 90-minute interview will take place according to the following schedule:

• 9 - 10:30 a.m. - Dr. Roslyn Artis
• 10:45 a.m. ‐ 12:15 p.m. - Dr. Drew Bennett
• 1:45 ‐ 3:15 p.m. - Dr. Carol Eaton
• 3:30 ‐ 5 p.m. - Dr. Irby (Skip) Sullivan
• 5:30 p.m. - Board of Trustees Deliberation

Download a copy of the two-day itinerary.

View a short bio and the resume of each finalist.

The Board is expected to choose the next president of Daytona State College no later than Saturday, June 25.

For more information, please call (386) 506-4408, or email mercerl@daytonastate.edu.

Upward Bound students shine at awards banquet

More than 100 area high school students enrolled in Daytona State’s TRiO Upward Bound program reaped the bounty of their persistence during a ceremony held Thursday on the Daytona Beach Campus.

In addition to honoring the graduating class of 2011, selected students also received awards and accolades for their academic performance, extracurricular and co-curricular activities, and volunteer service, including peer counseling/tutoring their fellow Upward Bound participants.

“We are very proud of all our students, as well as the team of dedicated staff who work to ensure their success,” said Dora Giddens, associate director of the program. “Since Daytona State College began offering the Upward Bound program in 2004, we have been able to make a significant impact in the lives of hundreds of students, which in turn improves the lives of everyone in our community.”

TRiO Upward Bound is a federally funded program that helps prepare high school students for college. Programs are offered at the college’s Daytona Beach and Deltona campuses through its Division of Alternative Student Services. Upward Bound primarily serve students attending Deltona, Mainland and Pine Ridge high schools who demonstrate financial need in accordance with federal income guidelines, who show strong interest in or potential for college admission, and who would be first-generation college students upon admission.

Depending on their individual needs, students participate in educational activities to build their academic skills, increase motivation and improve self-confidence. Personal, career and academic counseling, prescriptive instruction and tutorial assistance in math, science, English and foreign languages are key components of the program.

Students also are eligible to receive incentive stipends and participate in educational and cultural enrichment activities. The program administers Saturday and Summer Academies and culminates with the Summer Bridge program, transitioning the graduating high school seniors to their first year as college students.

To view a listing of this year’s graduates and award recipients, download the banquet program here.

Congratulations to all our TRiO Upward Bound participants!

SACS Quality Enhancement Plan team wades through topic ideas

A sub-committee assisting with the development of Daytona State’s Quality Enhancement Plan has been hard at work narrowing down a field of proposed plan topics as it prepares to open the process to a broader range of college constituent groups this fall semester.

The sub-committee, headed by business faculty Joy Colarusso, is working from a foundation of ideas gathered during an April workshop, when dozens of college staff, faculty and administrators were invited to participate in a QEP topic selection brainstorming session. Using the K.J. Technique, a respected, democratic group decision-making process, more than 350 categories and topic suggestions for the proposed QEP were developed.

The QEP is an element of the accreditation process that is required of all colleges seeking reaffirmation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. By definition, the QEP describes a carefully designed course of action that addresses a well-defined and focused topic or issue related to enhancing student learning. SACS added the QEP component to the reaffirmation process in order to encourage colleges to launch initiatives that look forward, rather than simply focusing on compliance with existing SACS standards. The accrediting body requires topic selection to be research-based and include participation by a broad spectrum of the college community.

Colarusso’s team has been organizing a mountain of topic suggestions and ideas generated on Post-it notes during the April workshop to create a short list of title categories that will be combined with QEP topics already approved by SACS. That list will be presented for consideration by the larger college community during fall planning, as well as through forthcoming surveys.

Proposed broad-based topic titles thus far cover areas such as instructional technology; student engagement; retention and student support; improved focus on reading, writing and mathematics; student motivation; teaching strategies and collaboration; and creating a mission-centered college culture, to name a few.

Ultimately, the committee will develop a rubric to select the final five QEP topics for consideration, with those five being narrowed to one during the first half of 2012. The final plan must be submitted for SACS approval in July 2013.

Foundation Buy a Brick program raising money for scholarships

The Daytona State College Foundation is offering recent graduates and alumni a unique way  to commemorate their place in the college’s history while at the same time helping to support student scholarships and campus growth initiatives.

The Buy a Brick program enables graduates to purchase a personally inscribed brick that will be permanently set in the main courtyard of the Daytona Beach Campus.

The Foundation typically requests a $125 donation for each brick; however, this summer, it is offering a special student graduation rate of $75 per brick.

To find out more about this and other fund-raising activities for which you can be a part, call the Foundation at (386) 506-3441 or visit them on the Web at www.daytonastate.edu/foundation.