UKnighted Newsletter
June 2008

Brandie Hollinger Leaves a Legacy for
Student Government

Brandie Hollinger, former Student Government Association (SGA) president, and Logan Berkowitz, former vice president and current president, were elected to office on the campaign slogan, “Your Campus, Your Decisions, Your Legacy.” During Hollinger’s one-year term as student body president, she established a legacy as being the first female SGA president in UCF history. The administration also left its mark on the university as a voice for the student body.

Hollinger and Berkowitz were committed to empowering students, and this commitment was evident in their efforts to fulfill their promises to the student body. The administration accomplished 30 of the 32 goals established at the beginning of their term.

One of the most significant achievements this past year was to improve graduate student life on campus. SGA worked with the Graduate Student Association to advocate stipends, health insurance and on-campus housing for graduate students. Hollinger praised SGA Executive Cabinet members, Christina Trexler, coordinator for Graduate Affairs, and Alexander Hamilton, coordinator for Housing and Safety, for their efforts on these projects. Other goals included the addition of emergency phone numbers on the UCF identification card, advocating student tailgating rights and restructuring the Executive Cabinet to establish a more efficient system.

Reflecting on her presidential term, Hollinger said her most rewarding experiences as SGA president was attending events as a university representative. The opening of the new Bright House Networks Stadium and UCF Arena were especially rewarding for this self proclaimed “sports girl.” SGA worked very hard to provide a fun and safe environment for students, and this effort paid off throughout the football season.

Hollinger served on the UCF tailgating task force (Tailgating and Activities Planning Committee) for over two years to enhance the tailgating experience. SGA worked with the Good Sport Ambassador Program to create a positive tailgating atmosphere for students.

Hollinger praised the collaborative efforts of offices across the UCF campus during this momentous year, “Our partnerships with other entities on campus including: Student Development and Enrollment Services–Housing and Residence Life, Fraternity and Sorority Life, and Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention Programming–really helped us achieve a fun and safe environment on game day.”

According to Hollinger, “learning that you cannot please everyone,” was the most challenging aspect of the role of SGA president. Once she made this realization, she made decisions that would benefit the majority of the student body.

From the onset, Hollinger’s focus was to create a more approachable SGA for the student body. “I am proud of the way we reached out to students this year,” said Hollinger. This was accomplished by setting up a table in front of the Student Union every Wednesday, keeping an open relationship with student organizations and other student outreach efforts. One effort was entitled Major Mondays, where SGA leaders reached out to students in the classroom. “We went into the large general education classes and talked to students about SGA and our goals. This helped spread the word about the services that SGA provides to students.”

Hollinger is extremely proud of the fact the administration was able to live up to the promises made during the campaign. The success of the Mark White administration served as a model for the Hollinger- Berkowitz administration, and she hopes this success will carry over to the Berkowitz administration. “I hope that future student body presidents feel that the bar is set very high. The accomplishments of Mark White’s president administration made me want to achieve even more. I hope Logan’s administration will achieve even more than this administration.”

Hollinger praised the hard work and dedication of her Cabinet in achieving the SGA administration’s goals. “I would like to thank my Cabinet. They have supported me so much, and I could not have asked for a better group.”

Hollinger believes her role as SGA president has helped her prepare for a career in nursing. Her long term goals include obtaining an MBA and becoming a hospital administrator. Student Development and Enrollment Services wishes Brandie the best of luck in her future endeavors.

SGA Additional Accomplishments

• Provided more than $200,000 in student scholarships
• Registered more than 2,000 students to vote through the iVote voter registration campaign
• Secured additional free printing centers for Fall 2008
• Gained student representation on all university committees

Rosen Students Welcomed Back for Summer

The “Schools Back 4 Summer” program welcomed Rosen College of Hospitality Management students on May 14 for Summer A. Rosen Campus Life and the Rosen Medical Center collaborated to provide live steel drum music, frozen delights (non-alcoholic) and leis. “The students were excited and felt very relaxed as they enjoyed the festivities,” said Tiffany Greenis, assistant director for Rosen Campus Life.

Pilot Program for UCF Regional Students’ Wellness and Health

The Recreation and Wellness Center and the Regional Campuses have partnered to promote a pilot program for health and wellness initiatives among the UCF Regional Campuses. The three main regional campuses participating are Daytona, Cocoa and South Lake. The various types of initiatives taken thus far include hosting health and wellness fairs; purchasing pedometers; and providing games such as Nintendo Wii, Guitar Hero and pool tables for the SGA student lounge areas. The health and wellness topics have included: dental hygiene, skin protection, stress management, fitness, and alcohol and other drug prevention programming. Free body fat analysis, blood pressure checks and fitness class demonstrations were given.

UCF Women Will Compete for Miss Florida in July

Orientation for the upcoming Miss Florida Scholarship Pageant was held on May 16-18 in St. Petersburg, Florida. UCF students vying for the title of Miss Florida 2008 are: (left to right) Audra Martin, Miss UCF; Amanda Pittman, Miss Seminole County; Carley Turner, Miss Kumquat Festival; and Jennifer Sanford, Miss Broward County. Pageant finals will be held Saturday, July 5, at the Mahaffey Theatre in St. Petersburg.

UCF Hosts Statewide Job Fair

UCF hosted the 20th Annual Statewide Job Fair at the UCF Arena on May 8. The fair attracted 2,100 students, graduates and alumni, representing a 75 percent increase from 2007. The event was attended by 186 employers from around the state and nation who were recruiting students for career opportunities. The employers commented on the quality of candidates and left with high expectations for filling many vacancies. The Florida Career Centers consortium, comprised of the directors of ten public universities in the State of Florida, sponsored this event.

Online Grading Now in Phase Two

With the Spring term, the Registrar’s Office moved forward with the initiative to bring Online Grading to UCF. Offering the option to all faculty members, the Registrar’s Office processed nearly 1,500, or 25 percent, of the grade rosters for Spring online, accounting for close to 47,000, or 27 percent, of all grades for Spring.

Registrar’s Office Coordinates Spring Commencement

Dennis Dulniak, university registrar, and Kathy Butler, assistant university registrar, led a team from the Registrar’s Office in coordinating four commencement ceremonies May 2-3 at the UCF Arena. Over 4,000 graduates participated in the ceremonies over the course of the two days.

Success Story of the Knight Success Program

The Knight Success Program (KSP), offered to a select group of first-year students, presents specialized activities and advising that address the major concerns facing freshman students. KSP has had another banner academic year.

Ramon “Ray” Banacki, a Molecular Biology and Microbiology major who participated in the program, met with Iceney Ceasar and Emily Nanette Rank, academic advisors for the KSP. When asked about the program, Banacki said he liked meeting his advisors at Orientation because it helped him build a relationship and made him feel more comfortable during his transition from high school to the university. Banacki was also in Ceasar’s Strategies for Success Class, a class designed to retain first-year students. Banacki said, “It was an awesome class to get to know UCF’s resources as well as to have access to a first-year advisor three times a week.”

In addition, Banacki attended a KSP event that focused on a strengths assessment instrument. The event provided opportunities for students to explore their strengths, set goals and receive assistance in connecting to resources on campus to enrich their academic experience. After completing the assessment, students were given their top five personality strengths, and access to an online account to assist them incorporate their strengths into major and career planning.

The advisors look forward to developing programs and services that will continue to impact the academic experience of the 2008-09 KSP participants.

UCF Student-Athletes’ Academics Rank High

A total of 1,824 student-athletes have earned recognition on the Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll during the 2007-08 academic year. These student-athletes maintained a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better. UCF placed the highest number of student-athletes on the honor roll for the second year in a row, producing 194 members. East Carolina followed close behind with 192, while Southern Methodist University ranked third with 176 student-athletes on the list. In addition, 27 UCF student-athletes with a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or better received the Commissioner’s Academic Medal. For more information, visit: conferenceusa.cstv.com.

Nurses Honored for their Dedication

National Nurses Day recognizes the contributions and commitment nurses make to quality healthcare in America. In 1991, the celebration was expanded to National Nurses Week to begin on May 6 and end May 12, the date of Florence Nightingale’s birth.

The UCF Health Services celebrated National Nurses Day by honoring their nursing staff with a luncheon on May 7. Banners were posted throughout the Health Center and fresh flowers were placed in each clinical area. The Novo Nordisk Company and the UCF Health Services Nursing Supervisors sponsored the event.

Thomas Adams, representative for the Novo Nordisk Company, presented to the UCF Health Center’s select provider staff several programs which would help newly diagnosed patients understand diabetes treatment and care.

UCF Partnership Makes a Positive Impact

For the past four years the UCF Creative School for Children (CSC) and the UCF/Orange County Public School (OCSP) Post High School transition class, located on the main campus of UCF, have been impacting each other. The UCF Creative School for Children, directed by Marcia Diebler, provides an early experience program for children 2 to 5-years-old. The transition class directed by Renee Fuller, Exceptional Student Education teacher, provides training with job coaches at a variety of volunteer work sites on campus to acquire skills to gain and maintain employment for students with intellectual disabilities who are 19 to 22-years-old. This partnership has enriched the lives of the students, children and staff who participate.

According to Diahn Escue, CSC instructional specialist, “Giving these children the opportunity to have that early experience with people of varying abilities creates a foundation of acceptance of all differences that will last them the rest of their lives.”

The Creative School provides a nurturing and safe environment for students in the transition class to learn specific work maturity skills for employability such as: learning to communicate with a supervisor, practicing punctuality, relating to co-workers, remaining on task, working independently, dressing appropriately, following directions, displaying initiative, solving problems effectively and many other skills. These social, communication and employability skills are gained by interaction with the children and staff during various tasks.

Undergraduate Catalog Released

The 2008-09 Undergraduate Catalog was published and will be distributed to each new student at Orientation, as well as colleges and departments. Additionally, the catalog is available for sale in the University Bookstore. Prepared by the Registrar’s Office, the complete catalog is conveniently available online at: www.catalog.sdes.ucf.edu.

Welcome to SDES

• Amaris Berry, program assistant, Career Services
• Ivellise Gonzalez, coordinator, Academic Support Services, University Testing Center
• Simona Loh, senior secretary, Student Legal Services
• Chad Morgan, associate director, Recreation and Wellness Center
• Kevin Pearson, program assistant, Registrar’s Office
• LaVerne Turner, office assistant, Campus Life

SDES Division Changes

• Patricia Pates’ title has changed. She is now directorfor Research, Grants & Evaluation in the Office of Assessment and Planning.

SDES Awards and Recognition

• Karen Yerkes, Health Services, was the recipient of the College/University Health Nurse Recognition Award for 2008 by the Award’s Committee of District 8 of the Florida Nurses Association. Yerkes was honored for her accomplishments as a university health nurse and her contribution as an outstanding mentor and preceptor for many of the UCF College of Nursing nurse practitioner students. An announcement of Yerke’s award will be published in the Florida Nurse and District 8 newsletter.
• The Registrar’s Office was featured in the cover story article, “Consider Safety, Crisis Management When You Plan Commencement,” in The Successful Registrar newsletter published by LRP Publications. The office was recognized for their collaboration with the University Police Department to ensure commencement was safe and pleasant.

Valda Ramdial Awarded USPS Employee of the Month

Congratulations to Valda Ramdial, recruiting coordinator for Career Services, who received the USPS Employee of the Month award for April. Ramdial’s co-workers say, “Valda is diligent, innovative, creative and gives much of her time, her talents and herself in achieving excellence in all that she does. She is especially recognized for her customer service skills, attention to detail and her positive, enthusiastic attitude. Valda is highly respected by her colleagues and by the employers whom she serves.”

Ramdial began working at Career Services as a library assistant/receptionist (OPS) in 1999. In 2002, she worked in the Department of Molecular and Microbiology as an office assistant (USPS), then returned to Career Services in 2003 to assume her current role.

Health Services Staff Appreciation

Health Services staff celebrated another successful year of service by holding their annual Staff Appreciation Luau at the Recreation and Wellness Center’s Leisure Pool on May 2. CORA Rehabilitation Center provided a feast from Bubalou’s Bodacious BBQ while the staff listened to the sounds of the UCF Black Steel Drum Band and relaxed by the pool. Many thanks to the Health Services Staff Enrichment Committee for planning the event.

SDES Reconsidered

Kerry Welch
Director, Office of Student and Involvement
Primary Facilitator, SDES Reconsidered
407.823.6471 • kpwelch@mail.ucf.edu

SDES Reconsidered is now “mapping” the division to determine potential collaborative partnerships focused on student learning. Rather than an organizational chart showing units or positions, the SDES Reconsidered map will illustrate programs or services provided to target student audiences or desired student learning outcomes. Previous research has highlighted two methods of organizational map-making we might employ: social network mapping and scope and sequence charts.

According to Stanford, “social network mapping specifically maps who, in a group or organization, shares knowledge with whom. Social network maps can be used to discover gaps in connectivity among people in the organization and to identify sources of untapped knowledge” (Stanford, 2002). As we embrace a model of mapping for SDES, we expect to uncover untapped knowledge and potential new relationships between units and departments in the division. In their new publication, Assessment Reconsidered: Institutional Effectiveness for Student Success, Keeling, et al. note that “a scope and sequence chart illustrates how student learning outcomes become increasingly complex over time, what programs or service will promote each unique student learning outcome, and at what point in time a particular program or service should be offered.” (Keeling, Wall, Underhile, & Dungy, 2008).

There are two ways to use the SDES Reconsidered map. First, as you reflect on the student groups for which your office provides programs or services, look for other offices targeting those same students. Second, as you craft your office’s student learning outcomes and link them to our divisional student learning objectives, look for other offices with similar goals for student success. When you identify overlapping student groups or learning objectives, you have areas for potential collaborative partnerships with other offices in our division.

For example, Divisional Student Learning Objective 3.1 states, “Students understand and respect diverse people and perspectives.” Many SDES offices focus on this objective including the Multicultural Student Center, Multicultural Academic and Support Services, Diversity and Inclusiveness Council, Student Government Association, Department of Housing and Residence Life, Campus Activities Board, and Academic Services for Student-Athletes. Staff members from some – or all – of these offices could form a horizontal team to work toward this shared learning objective.

Based on our SDES Reconsidered map, we can build collaborative relationships across the division to serve students more effectively, to share resources more efficiently, to create new opportunities for student learning, and to support staff capacity building. As Stanford emphasizes, “an organization should not map merely for the sake of saying we now have an organizational map. The map is not good in and of itself. It is only good in so far as it can bring about positive change in the organization” (Stanford, 2002). By rallying around student learning, we can form collaborative partnerships that enhance our services to students, foster student learning, and continuously improve our division.

References:
Keeling, R.P., Wall, A.F., Underhile, R., & Dungy, G.J. (2008). Assessment Reconsidered: Institutional Effectiveness for Student Success, Washington, DC: International Center for Student Success & Institutional Accountability (ICSSIA).

Stanford, X. (2002). “Organizational Mapping: Knowing the Pitfalls.” I3 UPDATE / Entovation International News. March (59). Accessed 28 May 2008: http://www.skyrme.com/ updates/u59.htm

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