Expanding industry collaboration, building a new IT solution, celebrating milestones – a college on the move



With so many Daytona State milestones occurring this fall, I’m reminded again of the positive impact and vast reach of our institution in the region and beyond. For a start, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of our renowned School of Photography, hand in hand with the 35th year of our internationally acclaimed Southeast Museum of Photography. Our list of accomplished photography alumni is amazing – from a multiple Pulitzer Prize winner to magazine founders – they all got their start here.

Speaking of getting started, we’re launching a new college-wide IT infrastructure that will form the backbone to a cutting-edge portal for comprehensive student and employee services. Our provider develops robust solutions for colleges and businesses around the nation – we’re very excited to soon have this technology at our fingertips to better serve students.

In this issue of Communiqué you’ll also get an update on results from our Workforce Summit, and read about the college receiving a $4.2 million behest – our largest single gift to date. The DSC Foundation gives nearly $1 million in scholarships each year – and that’s only 30 percent of the applicants.

In the Notables section, we’re happy once again to share our standing among the nation’s top 100 associate degree producers – for the second consecutive year – among some 5,000 public and private institutions.

Finally, our service to veterans has earned us the coveted designation of a Military Friendly School. Some 1,300 vets are enrolled at DSC – we look forward to each and every one of them reaching their goals in civilian life.

Please enjoy this latest Communiqué as we embrace the excitement and challenges of the new academic year.

Sincerely,
Carol W. Eaton, President
Daytona State College

DSC to celebrate 50 years as one of nation’s top photography schools

Daytona State celebrates the 50th anniversary of its School of Photography and the 35th anniversary of its acclaimed Southeast Museum of Photography (SMP) with an alumni reunion, as well as a series of lectures and exhibitions scheduled on Oct. 20 and 21 that are free and open to the public.

Solange Under the Willows, 1938 by Yosuf Karsh

The SMP is already offering a prelude to the celebration with “The Growth of a Collection: 1981 – 2001,” an exhibition highlighting the first 20 years of the museum’s collection. The free exhibition runs through Dec. 14.

A reception for photography program alumni, as well as current photo students and community members who have supported the program and museum, is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 20, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Mori Hosseini Center on the college’s Daytona Beach Campus, 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd. Other programs and exhibitions are scheduled throughout the day on Tuesday, Oct. 21, beginning at 9 a.m.

Among the highlights are:

• A reception honoring the late Bruce Moyer and David Martin, both DSC alumni, will be held from 4 to 5 p.m., with the photographers’ families, friends and former teachers in attendance. The exhibition, “A Photographic Tribute to Bruce Moyer and David Martin,” will be on display in Gallery 202 of the Photography Building through Oct. 30.

Moyer was the deputy director of photography at the Tampa Bay Times and was named National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) Picture Editor of the Year four times throughout his career. He also won numerous awards in the annual Pictures of the Year International Competition, NPPA Best of Photojournalism and Society of News Design contests.  

Martin, a longtime Associated Press photographer, is said to have covered nearly every major news event in the southern U.S. over the past 30 years. He also traveled the world for the AP, covering sporting events, political conventions and military conflicts.

• Two other distinguished DSC alumni who have earned worldwide acclaim also will share their insights on Tuesday during the L. Gale Lemerand Entrepreneurial Speaker Series presented by the college’s Small Business Development Center. During the event, Mr. Lemerand will award four $1,000 scholarships to current and incoming DSC students.

Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Stephen Crowley and Lawrence Cumbo, producer, writer and owner of the iconic Opera House LIVE in Shepherdstown, W.Va., together will be featured in two entrepreneurial-focused sessions – 10 a.m. at Daytona State’s News-Journal Center at 221 N. Beach St. in downtown Daytona Beach and again at 6 p.m. in the Mori Hosseini Center on the college’s main campus at 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd. Both presentations are free and open to the public.

Since its inception, Daytona State’s photography program has attracted an accomplished faculty and students from throughout the world. Its alumni have distinguished themselves in virtually every field of photography, earning the college a national reputation as a leader in photographic education.

In 2007, Daytona State’s School of Photography, the University of Central Florida-Daytona Photography Program and SMP formed a partnership under the umbrella of the Southeast Center for Photographic Studies. That same year, the museum moved to its present location in the Hosseini Center, expanding its exhibit space ten-fold. Today, it is one of six museums in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to photography, Florida’s most comprehensive museum of photography and the largest in the southeastern U.S.

For more information, contact Dan Biferie, photography program chair, (386) 506-3581 or BiferiD@DaytonaState.edu.

Daytona State focuses on excellence as performance funding begins

As the state advances toward a performance-based funding model for the Florida College System (FCS), Daytona State officials are embracing the pending new budget paradigm as an opportunity to explore and expand upon strategies that foster student success.

Underway is a comprehensive effort that largely focuses on two broad institutional objectives: helping struggling DSC students overcome barriers to staying in school and accelerating those who are doing well toward completion of their academic programs.

“Performance funding is something we welcome institution-wide,” said President Carol W. Eaton. “Daytona State College is always set on a path toward continuous quality improvement and enhancing the overall college experience for our students. No matter how good we are as an institution, there are always opportunities to do better.”

Thirty states have already implemented varying performance funding models, including Florida, which piloted an initiative for the State University System last year. Under a typical model, institutions are awarded additional funds, or in some cases penalized, based upon how well they do in terms of various metrics, which differ from state to state and system to system.

For Florida’s 28 state colleges, millions of dollars are at stake; however, just how much and exactly when performance funding will be fully implemented are yet to be finalized by state leaders.

The FCS has been charged with developing up to 10 performance measures along with appropriate benchmarks and submitting them to the state by Dec. 31 this year for consideration during the spring legislative session. At minimum the measures must include graduation and retention rates, cost per degree and graduate job placement rates. In addition, each institution’s current performance and rates of improvement must be included. Other measures under consideration are associate-of-arts degree transfer rates, time to degree and wages for graduates.

Daytona State is taking a proactive, multi-layered approach to the performance challenge, developing new and revised courses and class materials, more prescriptive advising strategies and renewing its focus on customer service.

A college Retention Committee chaired by Vice President of Academic Affairs Amy Locklear also is researching new ideas and best practices. Among the items being explored or further developed are:

• Creating a two-credit hour course for first-year students that would help them become more comfortable with the college experience, covering such topics as basic computing skills, navigating around the student portal, understanding financial aid and budgeting for college.

• Providing students balanced, prescribed program schedules during the initial stages of their academic experience, complemented by more frequent advising intervention.

• Encouraging students to take full course loads each semester with the assistance of academic advisors. (Research shows students who attend college full time tend to be more successful.)

• Developing an online knowledgebase where faculty and staff can find answers to the most common questions students ask regarding DSC programs and services.

• Providing enhanced customer service and supervisory training to college employees.

• Exploring incentives for students to complete their programs of study successfully and on time.

The college had somewhat of a head start by virtue of having recently earned a 10-year reaccreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. One component of the reaccreditation process requires that institutions develop a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), a well-defined and focused action plan on a topic or issue related to enhancing student success. Daytona State’s QEP resulted in the creation of a one-credit hour course, College Resources (SLS1101), in which at-risk students learn how to avail themselves of the Academic Support Center, DSC-UCF Writing Center and the library, which research shows increases their chances of passing gateway courses and achieving overall academic success. Piloted last spring semester, initial results have been positive.

Legislation last year that made developmental courses optional for most students also resulted in the college creating new English and math courses that include modular-based labs and a college-credit math course for liberal arts majors.

Retention Committee members also are reviewing course surveys and other data provided by students who have withdrawn from classes to pinpoint common barriers.

The Insider View: Workforce Summit brings skills-training needs into focus

by Mary Bruno, associate vice president, College of Workforce and Continuing Education

On May 28 this year, the Daytona State College District Board of Trustees hosted “A Call to Action: Workforce Summit” attended by 79 leaders representing a diverse array of area business and industry. Chief among the discussions was the effects of the skills gap on their ability to meet their current and future employment needs.

Among the major findings and recommendations, the College of Workforce and Continuing Education, working with Volusia and Flagler county schools, has identified career pathways from high school to Daytona State that grant advanced-standing credit for qualified high school students. The advanced credits come through eight statewide articulation agreements that match specific high school programs to DSC programs and by faculty concurrence through curriculum or industry certification matches. To date, we have identified 25 possible opportunities. Pathways drafted so far are in computer science and engineering. Other articulation meetings in the works this fall are in criminal justice, business and culinary.

An Aug. 12 focus group attended by representatives of the Volusia and Flagler home builders associations, as well as builders and sub-contractors, revealed an immediate need for employees with basic or core construction skills such as safety, blueprint reading, construction math and basic building concepts and skills. Plans are being made to offer this program as non-credit during summer 2015.

Nationally and locally, the skills gap is prevalent in the manufacturing industry. This year, Daytona State began a fast-track training program with a focus on advanced manufacturing. Through a Florida TRADE grant, 75 people have received training in machining, providing the opportunity to earn two industry certifications and complete an internship. Thus far, 76 are employed and 48 have earned industry certifications. In a recent site visit by the Department of Labor, it was recommended that our employment record and focus on student success be submitted as a best practice.

A second area addressed by manufacturers was a machine maintenance program, often referred to as mechatronics. Daytona State is developing non-credit training opportunities while we further study the need for a new certificate program in this area. Notably, our Machining Certificate program has received accreditation by the National Institute of Metalworking Skills, which gave the program above-average ratings in all areas of evaluation.

A further focus group is planned later this fall to address other specific needs in manufacturing, including the possibility of adding employability and soft skills training in multiple curriculum areas.

The college also will work with industry partners to determine if additional skills training or new programs should be added in the health and computer science fields.

New ERP an investment in student success

A new enterprise resource planning system (ERP) in the early stages of implementation at Daytona State College will significantly streamline institutional business processes. But perhaps more substantial is how it ultimately will help enhance the learning landscape for students.

This summer, the District Board of Trustees approved Oracle's PeopleSoft as the software solution to replace Daytona State’s existing ERP system, a move that President Carol W. Eaton called “one of the most significant investments we can make to promote student success.”

Ciber Inc. is the vendor guiding the $12 million system’s three-phase deployment for the institution, starting with a Human Capital Management (HCM) component that includes such areas as human resources, benefits and payroll. This first phase is expected to be deployed in January 2015. A Financial Management System (FMS) that includes purchasing, accounting and asset management modules is planned to go live by July next year.

The Ciber project manager charged with overseeing the DSC installation, Jose Peres, said deployment of the new ERP initiative, dubbed RISE (Resources Implemented for Student Engagement), presents a platform for continuous quality improvement in areas that will be heavy users of the PeopleSoft product. “One of the things Dr. Eaton has emphasized to us is that she sees this as an opportunity to review institutional practices, for example, in areas such as advising, enrollment, financial aid and student accounting, as we move forward with the system rollout,” he said.

The HCM and FMS will be virtually invisible to DSC students; however, a third Campus Solutions component slated to go live in spring 2016, will offer students a powerful new experience designed to help them stay on track as they navigate toward completion of their academic programs.
“Campus Solutions includes a lot of features that we don’t have right now, essentially standardizing and centralizing the student experience when combined with the new portal,” said DSC Project Manager Jane Davis. “It will provide students with more tools and help them make informed decisions.”

Discovery sessions to define much of the Campus Solutions details have yet to take place; however, broadly speaking, features will include such things as more efficient admissions and registration processes, detailed advising data and alerts, student account balances, holds and online payments, real-time financial aid information, schedules and academic program check downs, and other self-service instruments students will be able to access either themselves or while consulting with an academic advisor.

“A lot of what the students will notice most is in the student portal, which sits on top of the Campus Solutions module, and all the other pieces that go into it,” Davis said. “We’ve already started talking to students and getting their feedback. We want to include them in the process to ensure we are delivering a product that best fits their needs.”

Details and updates about the RISE rollout can be found at www.DaytonaState.edu/RISE.

Alumni Association seeks to connect with former students

If you’ve ever attended Daytona State College, the Alumni Association wants you to stay in touch.

Also known as Alumni & Friends, the association this year has ramped up its efforts to draw new members, inviting former students to join at no cost. In addition to being open to anyone who has earned a degree or certificate from the college, membership also is open to those who have taken at least one course, as well as transfer students, non-credit and continuing education students.

In addition to a variety of long-held benefits afforded to members, the association also is offering new professional development opportunities throughout the year, such as a recent job preparation workshop where participants learned tips on writing effective resumes and cover letters, as well as interview pointers.

Networking opportunities, particularly for new graduates who can benefit from alumni who have attended Daytona State before them and gone on to successful careers, also are in the works. Among them is a special alumni-only pre-performance reception on Thursday, Dec. 4, starting at 6:15 p.m., prior to Daytona State’s free “Musical Gift to the Community” holiday concert. The annual event takes place at the college’s News-Journal Center, 221 N. Beach St., in downtown Daytona Beach.

Then again, there are activities scheduled simply for fun’s sake, like the Alumni Cookout slated for Tuesday, Nov. 11, from 6 to 7 p.m. just prior to tip-off between the Falcons and Polk State College in men’s basketball. The event in the Daytona Beach Campus Lemerand Center will feature free hot dogs, chips and bottled water to the first 100 alumni.

To learn more about the association and other benefits available to former DSC students, visit alumni.daytonastate.edu or follow them on Facebook.

Lady Falcons Volleyball conference contenders

Two years is not a lot of time to build a contending team in any sport. But Daytona State College Volleyball Coach Laura Stegall has done just that, gathering a group of talented athletes and shaping them into a close-knit unit both on and off the court.

For Stegall, volleyball is as much a learning experience and journey to self-discovery as it is competition and athleticism. Take her “Mental Mondays,” for instance, where the team comes together to watch motivational videos or discuss excerpts from books such as “The Champion's Mind: How Great Athletes Think, Train and Thrive” by noted sports psychologist Dr. Jim Afremow.

“We spend a lot of time not just on the court focusing on the game of volleyball, but also mentoring our student athletes to become great people, to develop a mental toughness that can be applied to their lives as well as their sport, and to nurture their relationships so that come match time, they’re playing for each other.”

The Falcons had a great September, winning 13 matches in a row and earning a top 10 NJCAA Division I national poll before hitting a rough stretch after leading hitter Alica Kandler of Germany was downed with a leg injury. The team is 20-9 going into the conference-heavy final weeks of regular season.

With four conference matches to go, the Falcons, 3-3 in the Mid-Florida Conference, are one win behind Santa Fe (4-2) for the conference’s final regional tournament spot, slated Nov. 6-8 at Florida State College at Jacksonville.

“We have a rough road ahead of us,” Stegall noted of the team’s chances of making the tournament. “Our conference is extremely tough and we have to win going forward. But we are very fortunate that we have brought in some great kids who are committed to the program and to each other.”

Catch all Falcons Volleyball home matches online via video stream at http://www.ihigh.com/daytonastate.

Daytona State’s fall arts scene in full color

The fall arts scene is in full swing at Daytona State, with an eclectic variety of cultural performances and shows that continues into December. All programs will take place at the college’s News-Journal Center, 221 N. Beach St., along the banks of the picturesque Halifax River in downtown Daytona Beach.

Musical performances include works by the 75-piece Daytona State College Symphonic Band on Sunday, Oct. 19, beginning at 2:30 p.m. Faculty members Tammara Phillips and Kristie Born will present a recital of music for flute and piano on Thursday, Oct. 30. Also slated is a Nov. 13 jazz concert and a Nov. 25 guitar ensemble performance performed by Daytona State students. Enjoy an evening of patriotic works by the United States Air Force Band Airman of Note on Tuesday, Nov. 18. 

The student adaptation of the Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning play by David Auburn, Proof, is slated for five performances beginning on Sunday, Nov. 14, and Daytona State’s annual Musical Gift to the Community, when the entire Cultural Arts Department comes together for a holiday extravaganza of music, dance and theater, is set for two performances on Dec. 4 and 5 beginning at 7:30 p.m.

The College Dance Theatre will perform “Works in Progress” on Monday, Dec. 8.

The fall arts season will peak with Daytona State’s ever-popular Yuletide Feast Dec. 8-11 at 6:30 p.m. Join the Lords and Ladies of the Royal Court for an evening of feasting, singing and merriment, accompanied by the Halifax Consort’s Early Music Ensemble and the Daytona State College Brass. This annual event is always a sellout, so get your tickets now.

For details on these and other performances, download our Fall Arts program, or visit DaytonaState.edu/theArts.

DSC coursework leads to promotion for IT grad

Mark Lane, left, is the first to complete DSC's new Advanced Technical
Certificate in Cybersecurity and Cyberforensics. Here, he poses with his
professor, Dr. Philip Craiger.

Mark Lane is an excellent example of the opportunities that can open for working adults

through the Florida College System’s workforce baccalaureate degrees. Add in the fact that he is among the first to earn Daytona State’s newly created Advanced Technical Certificate in Cybersecurity and Cyberforensics along with his Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology and Lane will tell you the effort has been one of his best personal investments.

Lane, 42, is a senior engineer for CenturyLink, the third-largest telecommunications company in the U.S.  Locally, the company provides data, voice, cloud infrastructure and hosted IT solutions throughout the West Volusia and Metro-Orlando areas.

He worked a variety of technology jobs after earning his Associate of Science in Computer Engineering Technology from DSC in 1993. But finances made continuing his education prohibitive. “I wanted to continue my education, but I ran out of money, so I had to go into the workforce instead,” he said.

It wasn’t until 2011 when Lane learned that DSC had launched its Engineering Technology bachelor’s degree. At the time, he was working full time as a customer technician for CenturyLink, installing lines and setting up residential Internet services. “I was able to plug away at it, taking two, sometimes three classes a semester,” he said. “The fact that so much of the program was online made it very convenient.”

While enrolled in his bachelor’s degree classes, Lane took advantage of the college’s newly launched Advanced Technical Certificate in Cybersecurity and Cyberforensics program with classes  that blended well with his bachelor’s degree. At the same time, a senior engineer position became available at CenturyLink. Since Lane was the only applicant pursuing a bachelor’s degree that matched the skill set required for the position, he was promoted.

“The fact that I was pursuing the degree and the certificate was the deciding factor,” he said.

Today, Lane works primarily with IPTV networks, using skills he acquired in his cybersecurity coursework to troubleshoot and monitor network traffic. “IPTV is all about networking,” he said. “We have to monitor where data is coming from and where it’s going within the network, and spot any potential threats such as malware or spyware.”

He said he’s happy to be in the spot he’s in at this stage of his career. “Right now, I’m finding my current position very satisfying on a personal level,” he said. “One day, I would like to get more into network planning, but right now I think I’m in a good spot.”

Daytona State’s Advanced Technical Certificate in Cyberforensics and Cybersecurity focuses on the protection and analysis of computer and network systems. The program incorporates innovative, tested methods of instruction with hands-on lab work. It’s open to students who have an associate of science, associate of applied science, associate of arts or previous bachelor of science degree.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for cybersecurity professionals will increase by 37 percent over the next eight years, with median pay for experienced professionals averaging near $86,000 annually. Cybersecurity jobs are found in business, industry, military, law enforcement, government, academia and the intelligence community.

Daytona State is the lead institution in a consortium whose goal is to advance cyberforensic education in the southeastern United States. The consortium is comprised of nine colleges from Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas operating as the Advanced Cyberforensics Education Consortium (ACE). Its work is funded by a National Science Foundation grant of more than $1.8 million over four years.

Notables

Daytona State earns prestigious Military Friendly School designation Daytona State College has joined an elite list of colleges and universities designated as Military Friendly Schools by the veteran-owned company, Victory Media. The list honors institutions that are doing the most to embrace America's service members and veterans as students. <More>

DSC continues among Community College Week’s top 100 Community College Week, one of the nation's leading publications focusing on higher education institutions that offer two-year associate degrees, has named Daytona State College among its list of Top 100 Associate Degree Producers. Daytona State ranked 35th nationally in awarding the two-year associate degree, for the second consecutive year, among some 5,000 public and private institutions. <More>

DSC’s largest gift conveyed - $ 4.2M endowment for scholarships A near $4.2 million gift bequeathed to Daytona State College upon the passing of a final heir has been fulfilled. The Nunamann family's one surviving nephew, Stephen B. Dietz Jr., passed away this spring. Over the past 12 years, the George C. Nunamann Trust has assisted over 800 Daytona State students with scholarships based on academic performance and financial need. That support came from a portion of a gift shared with family members as willed by former New York banker and investor George Nunamann, who had lived in Daytona Beach for 27 years in retirement. <More>

Annual gala honors Dr. Schildecker and the Bert Fish Foundation A sold-out crowd enjoyed a feast fit for royalty while celebrating the community philanthropy of Dr. William Schildecker and the Bert Fish Foundation during the annual fundraising gala for the Foundation Board, held Sept. 18. The event helped raise $70,000 for health student scholarships. <More>

In the News

Police hiring, cyber risks, ISIS and social media New Smyrna Beach fire chief to retire, take Daytona State job Interactive education center offers unique playtime for kids

Building pathways – Daytona State expands the learning landscape

“Going to college” these days means different things to many students. In this issue of Communiqué we’re pleased to share snapshots of the rich variety our innovative professors, programs and students bring to the comprehensive collegiate experience.

You’ll read about a service-learning project in Haiti and how it has spawned a fresh look at embedding service in our academics. You’ll also see how teaching “applied innovation” earned a Fulbright Scholarship, and how impressing teens with cyberforensics builds early paths to high-tech education.

Pathways and partnerships are pivotal to the college’s success. That focus has brought to fruition our new 24,000-square-foot facility opening this fall on the Flagler/Palm Coast Campus. This spring, it has led us to conduct two explorations into regional business and community needs. Read The Insider View to find out how our Foundation has reached across Volusia and Flagler counties to identify top areas for college advancement. And in the next issue, we’ll have results from our Workforce Summit with nearly 100 business and civic leaders.

As we move into fall with a 2014/15 balanced budget, approved by our District Board of Trustees with no tuition hikes, our mission remains clear: service to students and community.

Please enjoy our summer issue of Communiqué.

Sincerely,

Carol W. Eaton, President

Daytona State College

Daytona State earns 10-year accreditation



The Board of Trustees of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges has reaffirmed Daytona State College’s 10-year accreditation.

“This is a major milestone for any institution,” said Daytona State President Carol W. Eaton, “and I want to applaud the dedication of our faculty and staff who worked to bring it to fruition. Throughout this entire reaffirmation process, it has been unmistakably certain that Daytona State College is dedicated to working in the best interest of our students.”

The reaffirmation is the result of over three years of immersion into the SACSCOC initiative by hundreds of Daytona State faculty, administrators, support staff and students.

Institutions accredited by the SACSCOC must undergo a reaffirmation process every 10 years. The review process included two major components: Daytona State’s compliance with more than 90 of the regional accrediting body’s academic and administrative standards, and the effective implementation of a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP).

In the first phase, the SACSCOC off-site review, college officials in spring 2013 submitted to SACSCOC a 400-page compliance report that included nearly 2,000 pieces of supporting evidence documenting the institution was meeting or exceeding accreditation standards. In September last year, an on-site review team visited Daytona State to verify information the college provided in its compliance report and ensure the institution was meeting accreditation standards.

The visiting team commended the college in a number of areas, including its institutional effectiveness, planning process and institutional research model.

Equally positive was the committee’s review of Daytona State’s QEP, an institution-specific strategy designed to enhance student learning, which all colleges and universities undergoing SACSCOC reaffirmation must develop. The committee commended several aspects of the QEP’s development process, which has resulted in the creation of a course called College Resources (SLS1101). The seven-week, one-credit hour course is designed to engage students with important academic resources such as the Library, Academic Support Center and the Writing Center in order to help them successfully complete the critical gatekeeper course Introduction to Composition (ENC1101). Students must take both courses concurrently.

Daytona State piloted SLS1101 during spring semester this year and initial results are optimistic. Of the more than three dozen students who enrolled in the course last spring, 90 percent successfully completed ENC1101, said Dr. Tom Bellomo, who is leading the QEP implementation. While the findings also take into account that some of the spring semester students who enrolled in the pilot had already taken additional study skills courses, Bellomo suggested the data validates existing research that ties effective use of college resources to student success. “The preliminary findings show us that this is a developmental strategy that works and that our efforts are resulting in positive student outcomes,” he said.

More than 100 students have already enrolled in the course for fall semester.

Teaching Beyond Borders: A service learning initiative that transforms lives

Not long after Daytona State College student Lauren Marshall first stepped foot on Haitian soil, she felt like she and her fellow travelers were living in a fish bowl.

Daytona State's Teaching Beyond Borders team

“It became a situation where everybody was staring at us,”she said. “We were the minority. We were the ones who were different. Suddenly, you’re seeing everything from a new perspective and realizing that this is a whole new world.”

Marshall, who will earn her Bachelor of Science in Exceptional Student Education in December this year, was among a group who traveled recently to College Susan Schuenke, a pre-K through grade 13 school in the city of Cap Haitien, as part of Teaching Beyond Borders, a service-learning initiative founded by Daytona State School of Education Prof. Donald May.

Teaching Beyond Borders is not your typical study abroad program. Students don’t tour museums and art galleries. Planted in the most impoverished country in the western hemisphere, they roll up their sleeves and work to make a difference in the short period of time that they are immersed in the Haitian culture. “This is a great model for what study abroad can be when you add a service learning component,” said John Brady, associate director of Professional Development & Global Education at Daytona State, “especially with programs that target our immediate area such as the Caribbean. It has relevance for the students, aligns well with our strategic priorities and is a lot more affordable for the college and the students compared to many other study abroad initiatives.”

Vice President of Academic Affairs Amy Locklear has convened a Service Learning Committee at the college that is identifying best practices and activities on campus and cataloging available resources to expand service learning into the college-wide academic culture. She also has arranged for Daytona State to become a member of Florida’s Campus Compact, whose mission is to “advance the civic purposes of colleges and universities by deepening their ability to improve community life and educate students for civic and social responsibility.”

Research shows that competencies students develop when they participate in study abroad programs, particularly those with a service learning component, make them more employable when they graduate and enter the workforce. Studies also suggest that students are more comfortable working in a multicultural environment, have more self-confidence and become more self-reliant.

The May 29 through June 5 trip to Cap Haitien was the first time May and his colleagues, education professors Margie Hensler and Maryann Gromoll, brought students with them. During a prior visit, the professors met with school staff and faculty to conduct a needs assessment and iron out logistics. “We wanted to listen to them first and develop a program that would have the most positive impact,” May said. The College of Susan Schuenke serves over 900 children living in poverty and is entirely supported by donations.

The Daytona State team included primarily education majors, but also several associate of arts majors and a nursing student. Together, they challenged their preconceptions and learned about the issues faced by a society they knew little about, as they immersed themselves in the classrooms and daily lives of the Cap Haitien teachers, students and community. They spent a majority of their time co-teaching English lessons and conducting special events for the students.

The group and their accompanying professors also shared strategies with the school’s teachers on differentiated learning, classroom management and using technology to enhance teaching and learning.

During a symposium held June 24, the students shared their experiences, with many noting that the trip was life-changing.

“It opened my eyes and made me think about some of the kids I will be teaching when I start my career as an ESE teacher,” said Marshall,“what it’s like to feel different, how to connect and help students grow when there are barriers like language and cultural differences. Working with these kids helped me learn more about how children learn.”

Epiphanies such as Marshall’s are precisely among the learning outcomes May said he hoped for when he established Teaching Beyond Borders, adding that several of the AA students who joined the Cap Haiten initiative returned with new or renewed callings to pursue teaching as a career. “Seeing what the students got out of the trip motivates me to sustain the program,” he said, noting that another visit to Cap Haitien is being planned for fall.

Teaching Beyond Borders welcomes donations to help provide needed classroom equipment for the Haitian schools it serves, as well as to help offset the expenses of participating students.

View a short video documentary on the Haitian trip.

INSIDER VIEW: Daytona State College Foundation reaching out to community partners

by Kay Burniston, executive director, Daytona State College Foundation

Kay Burniston

With summer in full swing, the Daytona State College Foundation has been gearing up for what I expect will be a pivotal fall season, as we consider a new capital campaign and prepare for our widely anticipated annual gala scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 18.

In June, the Foundation began meeting with more than 60 community leaders both individually and in a series of listening sessions to learn about how the college can better serve the present and future needs of our communities, particularly in areas of workforce training, and to gauge interest in fostering new community partnerships, a key strategic priority for the institution. Today, state allocations comprise a lesser proportion of Daytona State’s total funding, requiring the college to reach out to individual, corporate and foundation constituents. These workforce partnerships are evermore essential to meet critical initiatives in areas of academic excellence, student success and scholarships.

Individuals and businesses that ally themselves with the mission of the college also become beneficiaries. They ensure themselves of having a trained pool of workers that will help business run more efficiently and productively, attract new industry to the region and enhance the quality of life for all who call our area home.

You’ll be hearing more about this important initiative in coming months.

In the meantime, I hope you will join us on Sept. 18, when the Daytona State College Foundation honors the Bert Fish Foundation and its president, Dr. William Schildecker, at our annual gala. The festivities will kick off at 6 p.m. in the Hosseini Center on the Daytona Beach Campus and will feature foods from around the world, meticulously prepared by Daytona State culinary students and their award-winning chef-instructors.

Dr. Schildecker and the Fish Foundation have donated millions for capital improvements and scholarships to Daytona State throughout the years. Through their generosity, students pursuing degrees in nursing, respiratory care and many other allied health programs have received help defraying the cost of their education. Our communities are stronger and countless lives are lifted because of their extraordinary service.

As always, all gala proceeds will benefit student scholarships. Individual tickets are $125, with sponsorships available on multiple levels. We hope you will join us in honoring the commitment and dedication Dr. Schildecker and the Bert Fish Foundation have demonstrated toward the college and the community at large. It is certain to be a splendid evening.

For more gala details, or to reserve your tickets/sponsorship, call (386) 506-3407 or visit DaytonaState.edu/Foundation.

I look forward to seeing you there.

2nd annual summer Cyber Camp impresses teens

Forty students from schools throughout Central Florida became junior cyber sleuths June 23- 26, participating in a virtual world of fun, learning and interactive challenges at Daytona State College’s 2nd annual summer Cyber Camp.


The free camp, held at Daytona State’s Advanced Technology College, was made possible by the Advanced Cybersecurity Education Consortium(ACE) for which Daytona State is the lead institution among nearly a dozen southeastern colleges and universities. The students, ranging from high school freshmen to seniors (including eight young ladies), were introduced to beginner and intermediate computer security techniques involving digital forensics, browser security, malware handling, virtualization and more.

“This was a perfect way to introduce students to the potential in pursuing careers in cybersecurity and cyberforensics,” said Dr. Philip Craiger, an associate professor in Daytona State’s School of EngineeringTechnology, who also is a principal investigator leading the ACE Consortium.“The students were enthusiastic about what they were learning and very motivated to take on the challenges we presented to them.”

The consortium’s goal is to advance cyber-forensic education in the southeastern United States and is funded by a four-year National Science Foundation grant totaling over $1.8 million. It has resulted in cybersecurity education program development at K-12 schools and higher education institutions throughout the southeast region, including DSC's new Advanced Technical Certificate in Cybersecurity and Cyberforensics to be offered starting this fall.

Craiger said the cyber camp will serve as a blueprint for other consortium institutions. “We believe we’ve learned enough about running a successful cyber camp that we can share what we’ve learned.”

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for cybersecurity professionals will increase by 37 percent over the next eight years, with median pay for experienced professionals averaging near $86,000 annually. Cybersecurity and cyberforensics jobs are found in business, industry, military, law enforcement, government, academia and the intelligence community.

Class of 2014 earns the spotlight during Daytona State’s 2014 commencement

It was all pomp and circumstance at the Ocean Center on May 13 during commencement ceremonies celebrating more than 3,100 Daytona State College graduates.

Addressing the candidates, President Carol W. Eaton noted that the spoils of their academic achievements and training also include areas of personal growth that will benefit them throughout their lives. She added she hopes the graduates come away from their college experience with a greater appreciation for how lifelong learning can help one successfully adapt in an ever-changing world.

The 2014 commencement honored 336 graduates who earned their bachelor’s degree, with another 49 expected to graduate this summer. Many are working parents or have responsibilities that prohibit them from commuting long distances to go to class. Nearly 2,000 have earned their bachelor’s degree at Daytona State since it transitioned from a community college to a four-year-degree-granting state college in 2006.The Class of 2014 also featured over 1,000 associate of arts graduates. More than 1,700 students, including candidates for summer 2014 graduation, have earned their associate of science, associate of applied science or certificate credentials. Among this year’s associate degree and certificate recipients were 231 dual enrolled students who received their Daytona State credential, some weeks before receiving their high school diplomas.

Among the graduating class were over 1,400 honors and nearly 300 high honors graduates.

Kudos also included 79 new inductees into the international honor society Phi Theta Kappa, 40 named to Who’s Who Among Students in American Junior Colleges and 13 inducted into the Daytona State College Hall of Fame, the highest honor that faculty can bestow upon a student.

Among the graduates were 205 military veterans who, along with their fellow 2014 alumni, now join the cumulative ranks of more than 89,000 who have earned their degrees and certificates at Daytona State since its founding in 1957.

View a photo gallery and videos of this spring's commencement ceremonies.