SDES Assessment and Planning

Students Spend Spring break Helping Others in Need

Spring break is often seen as the height of collegiate fun and frivolity. Students plan getaways that provide an experience that takes them far away from the rigors of everyday life. This spring break a group of UCF students will be partaking in an opportunity that will take them far away from their everyday world, not simply in the pursuit of pleasure, but in hopes of making a positive change in the lives of others.

These students will participate in UCF’s Alternative Spring Break (ASB), sponsored by Volunteer UCF and LINK. ASB places teams of students in communities around the country to engage in volunteer service projects with local non-profit agencies.

ASB trips this year will take students as far as Gulfport, Miss. to partner with Mississippi State University to build homes for disadvantaged families; Florence, S.C . and Albany, Ga. to build homes with Habitat for Humanity; Nashville, Tenn. to build a bird sanctuary for injured birds; Jekyll Island, Ga. to work with environmental conservation projects; Atlanta, Ga. to help the homeless community; and New Orleans, La. to continue the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, and remembering UCF’s commitment to its Orlando neighbors with a trip planned for right here in town. Nine trips in all will take place this year, engaging 90 participants.

Each trip is comprised of eight students, one student Site Leader and one Faculty Advisor. The Site Leader goes through an extensive training program and takes an integral role in planning the trip and in the development of the service learning plan for the entire experience. Many of the students attending this year’s ASB are returning participants, some of which have accepted the additional responsibility of becoming a Site Leader for their trip.

According to Amber Ferguson, a sophomore Site Leader for the Jekyll Island ASB trip, “Being a Site Leader gives you the opportunity to help plan an amazing new trip and gain valuable leadership experience.” Ferguson participated in one of the two trips to New Orleans last spring; this is her second ASB experience.

The Faculty Advisor also goes through a training program and helps the Site Leader in planning the trip; onsite the Faculty Advisor leads the logistical oversight. The role of Faculty Advisor is an opportunity to interact with those students who chose to spend their spring break helping others.

Last spring break, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, 18 students and two faculty advisors ventured to New Orleans to offer their support. Not knowing what to expect, they entered what appeared to be a war zone. The students worked for five days doing a variety of jobs which included gutting homes and businesses ravaged by the hurricane.

The group also worked closely with the people of New Orleans offering support and friendship as they struggled to recover from the devastation Katrina left behind. According to Ferguson, “Despite the devastation we encountered, everyone we met in New Orleans was friendly and optimistic, which made the experience even more rewarding."

This year two more groups will be going back to New Orleans; students will have the opportunity to work with a variety of different issues such as homelessness, poverty and the hurricane relief effort. The groups will work directly with Eastbank Storm Station, a dedicated hurricane relief organization that works with some of the city’s most vulnerable residents and neighborhoods. They will spend their days continuing the clean-up efforts, gutting even more homes and will help with the construction of new homes. Since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, a lot has been accomplished.

However, there is still a great deal of work needed, and many people who need the help. Lindsay Weiss, a junior who has volunteered to return this year, noted, “Arriving in New Orleans last year was shocking, even though it was nine months after Hurricane Katrina. I wanted to go back this year and help with rebuilding New Orleans, and to help the people who were so open to us last year.”

The participants of Alternative Spring Break display a dedication to community and personal values rooted in a strong sense of integrity, that reflect the values exemplified in the University’s Creed.

For more information on ASB, visit: www.asbgetinvolveducf.com or call the Volunteer UCF office at 407.823.6471.

Ten contestants vied for the title of Miss UCF 2007 in a near full house event on February 10. Denesha Jenkins entered UCF as a freshman in the Pegasus Success Program. Now as a 23-year-old senior elementary education major from Belle Glade, Fla., she walked away with the crown. Jenkins has competed for over four years and has held the titles of Miss Broward County, Miss City Beautiful and Miss South Florida Fair before becoming Miss UCF 2007.

In addition to her work with the campus group Volunteer UCF, Jenkin’s platform is “Get Excited About Reading: Literacy Education.” She accomplishes this through reading and storytelling with young children in schools, libraries and community events. “I want parents to be present as their presence is important because they are the first teachers to the child,” says Jenkins.

“It is my hope to inspire them to be positive models for their children in the area of reading. It is through the family unit that the child can experience more opportunities to participate in activities that will foster the mastery of their literacy skills.” Jenkins’ ambition is to become an elementary school teacher and eventually obtain a Doctorate in Educational Leadership.

Lauren Meyer was first runner-up; Evy Tonn, second runner-up; and Aisha Roberts, third runner-up. “All 10 contestants were academically sound and very involved both on campus and in community service,” says Veronica Livesay, executive director for the pageant. They are all great ambassadors for UCF, however only one contestant could win the title.” Jenkins will represent UCF this summer at the Miss Florida Scholarship Pageant in St. Petersburg.

Rec Center Co-hosts APEX Event

The Recreation and Wellness Center partnered with the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA) to host the annual event AFAA APEX on February 9-11. AFAA APEX, the world’s largest fitness and Telefitness educator, offered various certifications and workshops throughout the weekend.

The following certifications were offered at this years’ event: Primary Group Exercise, Personal Fitness Trainer, Midlife Fitness for Women, Kickboxing and National Board Review. Total participation included 220 people throughout the sessions.

Ice Hockey Makes Nationals for a Second Straight Year

For the second straight year, the UCF Ice Hockey club headed to the national tournament. UCF really turned it up the second half of the season to qualify as the #4 seed from the South. This is an accomplishment for the team and a huge step towards building a great program.

Last season the Knights went 2-2 at nationals, losing a sudden death shootout to #3 in the country, Penn State Berks. The Knights finished #10 in the country last year. They look to build on that this year and finish higher.

Veteran Services, part of the UCF Registrar’s Office, underwent an inspection in January by the Bureau of State Approving for Veterans’ Training. The bureau inspects schools and education programs that provide training to veterans to determine their qualification for furnishing Veterans-approved courses and programs.

Inspector Jenny George did not find any errors made by the team led by Lee Parker, assistant university registrar. George noted, “It was a pleasure to visit such a well run organization. Mr. Parker and his staff should be recognized for the outstanding job they do. Other schools would do well to model their operation in a similar fashion.”

Rosen College of Hospitality Management Campus Life provided 100 students through “Critters on Campus” with the opportunity to make that special someone a Valentine’s gift. It was so popular, they are going to have it again on April 12. The event is similar to “Build a Bear,” but students can choose from many different critters and dress them in extravagant outfits.

This year Learning and Interacting with New Knights (LINK) First Year Program, in partnership with Housing and Residence Life, recognized over 1,600 First-Time-In-College (FTIC) students for their academic achievement during the fall 2006 semester.

The reception included words of encouragement from Alison Morrison-Shetlar, interim dean for Undergraduate Studies; and Julie Olshefsky, chapter president of Golden Key National Honour Society; among others. Students who attended the reception received a certificate of achievement and a First Year Scholar lapel pin.

This year, Housing and Residence Life recognized housing communities that attained outstanding levels of academic success. The First Year Scholars and their parents were very pleased to participate in a program that acknowledges the achievements of freshman students.

“We are very proud of these students and enjoy recognizing them for their academic accomplishments,” said Kelli Williamson, LINK coordinator. Special thanks to Housing and Residence Life, Undergraduate Studies and Campus Life for making this year’s reception a success.

Registrar’s Office is hard at work on assigning appointment times, dealing with the College of Nursing split and addressing changes with Multi-Term Registration (MTR). In addition, Dennis Dulniak, university registrar, will be involved in the accreditation process for UCF’s new College of Medicine.

On January 26, the Office of Multicultural Academic and Support Services (MASS) coordinated their first community college visit at the University of Central Florida’s main campus to provide informational sessions to prospective students at the community college or high school level. This event was formerly coordinated through Transfer and Transition Services.

The following center and educational institutions were represented: the BETA Center, TRIO Student Support Services Programs of Daytona Beach Community College, Hillsborough Community College, Indian River Community College and St. Petersburg College. The total attendance was 95 and included presentations from Jackie Jessup (Transfer and Transition Services), Serge Desir (Undergraduate Admissions), Bianca Ferguson and Beatrice Peek (MASS), Ric Colon (Student Financial Assistance Office) and Jennifer Wright (Student Academic Resource Center). Amie Kusak ( Creative School for Children) presented to the BETA group exclusively. The event concluded with the option of taking a housing tour or visiting with various academic colleges. The MASS staff thanks Diane Maldonado, office manager, for her efforts in making this event a success.

The Student Academic Resource Center (SARC) is offering peer tutoring and Supplemental Instruction (SI) sessions for the new chemistry courses, CHM 2930 (Fundamentals of Chemistry IA) and CHM 2931 (Fundamentals of Chemistry IB).

The Chemistry Department now offers this two-semester sequence as an alternative to Fundamentals of Chemistry I (CHM 2045) for students whose background in chemistry is not strong enough to meet this requirement in one semester.

In fall 2006, SARC provided tutoring and SI sessions to 385 students enrolled in two sections of CHM 2930. Almost half of the students enrolled attended SI sessions, with 67 percent of SI participants receiving grades of A, B and C, compared to only 33 percent for non-SI participants.

Over 130 students (duplicated headcount) participated in CHM 2930 tutorial sessions and final exam reviews. “So far, attendance for tutoring and SI has been strong for both subject areas and we anticipate many students will use our services throughout the spring semester,” says Jennifer Wright, associate director for SARC.

Pedro Patino, the instructor for these chemistry courses, has been an enthusiastic supporter of SARC services and regularly encourages his students to participate in tutoring and SI.

UCF Southern Region Student Services and Brevard Community College (BCC) co-hosted the February meeting of the Interagency Council of Brevard at the UCF Cocoa Campus. UCF Southern Region Student Services and BCC are charter members of the Interagency Council of Brevard, which started in 1999 on a grant from Brevard Public Schools’ Project Connect Program. The council consists of service providers who work with individuals with disabilities from 25 local agencies and organizations within Brevard County.

BCC and UCF presented updates on resources available for students with disabilities. A highlight of the meeting was a discussion regarding the collaboration between UCF and BCC resulting from the Central Florida Higher Education Consortium Agreement and DirectConnect to UCF programs.

At the 2006 Holiday Celebration, we hope to have started a new tradition. Our Gingerbread House competition was fun and we received many positive reviews. Congratulations to the winners: Counseling Center (People’s Choice Award), LEAD Scholars Program (Most Creative), and Registrar’s Office (Best Representation of UCF). Get your department involved. Maybe next year we’ll be congratulating you.

Do you know all 35 departments in SDES? Only 12 percent of the people surveyed during the Holiday Celebration could name all 35. Hence, the creation of our monthly spotlight article where we will showcase a new department each month. This month, we showcase the National Consortium for Academics and Sports.

~SDES Council

National Consortium for Academics and Sports (NCAS)

The Southeast Region of National Consortium for Academics and Sports (NCAS) is located at UCF in the Wayne Densch Sports Center, room 110. The office oversees the 26 member institutions in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Member institutions of the NCAS have access to programs including: the Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) program, Teamwork Leadership Institute for diversity training, the Degree Completion Program (allows former student-athletes to return to school to complete their degrees at no tuition cost in exchange for at least 10 hours per week of community service) and Alcohol Response-Ability Foundations for Student-Athletes, an online alcohol education program designed specifically for student-athletes.

National STUDENT-Athlete Day, which is organized right here on campus, is one of the NCAS’ largest programs and honors student-athletes nationwide who have achieved excellence in academics and athletics, while having made significant contributions to their school and community.

In addition, the NCAS oversees the NCAA Champs Life Skills Program in conjunction with Academic Services for Student-Athletes. CHAMPS is a program mandated by the NCAA which focuses on five areas including: academic and athletic success, personal and career development, and outreach and community service.

For more information, contact Suzi Katz at 407.823.3555

• Terry Exum, former interim director of Academic Services, is now director for Student Services at Southern Region.

• Charles Norburn is the new SDES senior technology manager for Administrative Services. Norburn graduated from UCF with both a B.S. in Management Information Systems and an M.B.A. focusing on Change Management. He recently worked as a senior project manager for Siemens Power Generation where he led large scale IT infrastructure implementation projects.

Norburn has numerous certifications from Microsoft, IBM, Dell and VMWare and brings with him a wealth of experience that will be beneficial to SDES. When asked about his new position with SDES, he stated, “I am very excited about this opportunity to work in such a dynamic and diverse group as SDES. I look forward to the challenges involved in bringing exceptional technology services to SDES and to the students we serve. Go Knights!”

• Kathy Rancourt, Annie Ware and Melanie Parker, Career Services and Experiential Learning (CSEL), secured $5,500 in a matching funds grant from the Florida High Tech Corridor Council to assist underwriting the cost of CSEL’s new online, interactive resources.

In addition, this grant proposal generated matching grants in the same amount for the University of Florida’s and University of South Florida’s career centers.

• Dave Jenks, CSEL, coordinated an Etiquette Luncheon for 50 Rosen College of Hospitality Management students on February 8. Professional etiquette speaker and author, Julia Strimple, presided over the luncheon, offering advice on both dining and professional etiquette. The Rosen College Intermediate Quantity Food Preparation class was responsible for planning the menu, preparing the meal and catering for the event.

Dave Jenks received the National Founders Award from the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality (NSMH) at the national conference in Seattle held on February 2-4. This national honor is awarded to the chapter advisor who has shown outstanding commitment to NSMH members, his chapter and the National NSMH Board.

• Dennis Dulniak, Registrar’s Office, co-presented with Ann Dziadon, University of West Florida, “To Print or Not to Print And Do you REALLY Need a Catalog?” at the 60th Annual Meeting of the Southern Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (SACRAO) in Little Rock, Arkansas.

In addition, Dulniak facilitated the PeopleSoft Users Group, participated in the Resolutions Committee, and was recognized for his SACRAO Journal article, “Redesigning the Registrar’s Office for Functionality, Fit and Service.” He was also selected for the slate of Nominations and Elections Committee candidates.

• Heather Engelking, CSEL, presented, “ Transitioning from Student to Professional,” at UCF’s 6th Annual Non-Profit Conference held at the Rosen School of Hospitality Management in January.

•Dana Juntunen and Nicholas Oleksy, Office of Student Conduct, presented “Minimizing Risk: Creating Effective Partnerships to Implement a Campus Mental Health Policy” at the 2007 National Association for Judicial Affairs Conference held in Clearwater Beach in February.

A panel made up of Dr. Michael Deichen (Health Services), Vivian Yamada (Counseling Center), Lt. Kelli Smith (UCF Police Department), Pamela Brady (Academic Services), Jeff Novak (Housing and Residence Life) and Patricia MacKown (Campus Life) assisted in facilitating the presentation.

• Melanie Parker, CSEL, co-presented with Kim Cornett, Workforce Central Florida, and Mike Evans, Florida High-Tech Corridor Council, “Developing Partnerships between Workforce Development Boards and Universities” at the Florida Workforce Summit held in Gainesville on January 30.

• Evelyn Lora-Santos, assistant director, Career Development Services, Career Services and Experiential Learning (CSEL)

INTEGRITY
I will practice and defend academic and personal honesty.

SCHOLARSHIP
I will cherish and honor learning as a fundamental purpose of my membership in the UCF community.

COMMUNITY
I will promote an open and supportive campus environment by respecting the rights and contributions of every individual.

CREATIVITY
I will use my talents to enrich the human experience.

EXCELLENCE
I will strive toward the highest standards of performance in any endeavor I undertake.