BlueWave News

October 2022

The annual Years of Service and Retiree Celebration was held on Thursday, September 22. Honorees and guests enjoyed breakfast as they convened to celebrate faculty and staff who have reached 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 50 year anniversaries with FSCJ, as well as those who are retiring from the College.

Chief Human Resource Officer Mark Lacey gave opening remarks and welcomed attendees. Dr. Avendano shared his appreciation for the honorees' dedication and commitment to the College and the students we serve. Dr. Avendano, District Board of Trustees Vice Chair for Duval County Wayne Young and members of the Executive Leadership Team presented certificates and tokens of appreciation as well.

Benefits Open Enrollment

Benefits Open Enrollment begins next week! The enrollment period opens Monday, October 17 and closes on Friday, October 28. All current health insurance plans are ending December 31, 2022. Employees will be required to make a medical insurance election for 2023. If you do not select a plan, you will automatically be enrolled in the PPO Gold plan.

The Benefits team will visit different locations during the Open Enrollment window to provide assistance with elections. View the schedule here. Contact benefits@fscj.edu with questions.

Student Climate Survey

The 2022 Student Climate Survey kicked off on September 22 and will run through November 3. Student responses will help us measure campus experiences and services and provide a safer, more equitable and inclusive learning environment for everyone. Students who complete the survey may be eligible to win one of the 40 cash prizes provided by the FSCJ Foundation.

You can help by encouraging student participation. Share the digital flier with your class or with any students you work with. For questions about the survey, please email bridgesresearch@fscj.edu.

FSCJ.edu Redesign Update

The all-new FSCJ.edu is coming soon. We hope you can join us for the October 12 OnPoint call at 2 p.m. where we will present the latest design and share more details on the launch. 

The FSCJ Author Series is becoming “Beyond the Big Screen: FSCJ Literary and Film Series.” This new and exciting series will feature community and Collegewide events around books that have become major motion pictures.

Join FSCJ as we kick off Beyond the Big Screen with the book, “The Martian” by Andy Weir. More information on Spring Term events will be forthcoming, but you can get a head start and request a free copy of the book by clicking on the green button at left. Email sertenbe@fscj.edu with questions.

FSCJ’s Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) student chapter was awarded a 2021-22 Merit Award designation by SHRM for providing superior growth and development opportunities to its student members. This is the sixth Merit Award earned by FSCJ-SHRM.

The SHRM Student Chapter Merit Award program encourages the development of more effective student chapters and distinguishes outstanding activities and projects. Chapters are recognized based on operations, chapter programming and professional development of members, support of the human resource profession and SHRM engagement.

The Center for International Education (CIE) is hosting the first annual International Education Mini-Conference on November 3-4. The event will include roundtable discussions, specialized professional learning, a keynote presentation, a student panel presentation, as well as a celebration of diverse peoples and cultures. Attendees are also invited to experience a “Taste of the World” by sampling international appetizers on November 3 and international breakfast items on November 4.

We ask that you kindly RSVP for this free event.

The FSCJ Foundation received more than $67,000 to go toward nursing and first-generation student scholarships, thanks to combined donations from the Florida College System (FCS) Foundation, Florida Blue, Helios Education Foundation and Bank of America. Thanks to Chancellor Kathy Hebda, FCS Foundation Executive Director Judy Green and Florida Blue Senior Director Kristi Aiello for joining us for the check presentation.

Congratulations to Brooklyn Schaffer! She was named the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Volleyball DII Defensive Player of the Week. A sophomore libero, she had 33 digs with an average of 6.6 digs per set.

Brooklyn is also a strong contributor off the court as president of the new School Spirit Club which was established to build awareness and engage students in BlueWave sports.

There are still a few more opportunities to cheer on the volleyball team at home this season.

After completing FSCJ's Automotive Service Management Technology Associate in Applied Science in December 2021, Tiffany Minter went on to continue her education as part of the prestigious Mercedes-Benz DRIVE program. The 17-week program prepares students for careers at Mercedes-Benz dealerships through training in a variety of skills including brakes and traction, service, maintenance, telematics, diagnostic strategy and electrical fundamentals. Students also receive career development, teamwork and discipline support.

Mercedes-Benz USA accepts a limited number of applicants each year. The application process is extremely competitive and selection is based on multiple interviews, a skills assessment and more.

“I am proud of Ms. Minter for her many academic achievements. She represented FSCJ remarkably by graduating at the top of the class in the DRIVE program. She is blazing a trail for women in the automotive service industry,” said Professor Robert Wechsler.

Tiffany is now utilizing the skills she’s developed and training she received as a general line technician at Mercedes-Benz of Ft. Lauderdale.

FSCJ’s TRiO Student Support Services-STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) is part of a network of federally-funded programs called TRiO, whose objective is to expand educational access and opportunity in higher education for all Americans. The mission of TRiO SSS-STEM is to increase the academic success, retention and graduation rates of first-generation, low-income students and individuals with a disability. Learn more about TRiO SSS here.

One success story is Chyade Dobson, RN, BSN. After moving to Jacksonville in 2018 with her son, Chyade found herself looking for connection. She found what she needed in the TRiO SSS program. While participating in FSCJ's Nursing A.S. program, Chyade served as a TRiO peer mentor, tutor and peer workshop facilitator where she effectively shared strategies for success and resources to aid nursing students.

Chyade earned her A.S. and B.S. in Nursing and is now studying to become a nurse practitioner with a concentration in psychiatric mental health at St. Thomas University, while also working as a charge nurse at the Mental Health Resource Center and a lead registered nurse case manager at Florida Assertive Community Treatment. In her spare time, she continues to serve as a TRiO peer mentor for ADN and future BSN students.

Join us at any of our upcoming Imagine Your Future events. They are a great way for students and their families to explore programs at FSCJ and apply early. Participants will be able to speak with program representatives from a variety of areas and receive assistance completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Students and parents should bring their Social Security Number, driver’s license or alien registration card (if not a U.S. citizen), 2020 IRS 1040 or latest tax return & W-2 statements and Federal Student Aid ID. (To create an FSA ID, visit fsaid.ed.gov.)

Each event will be held from 5-7 p.m. on the following days:

Fall Data Summit Recap

On September 9, faculty and staff participated in the eleventh Data Summit. More than 150 attendees, both in-person and virtually, were led through presentations and discussions centered on traditional and live online data. Attendees participated in interactive break-out sessions to discuss the data presented. The ideas gathered from the discussions will inform FSCJ’s next Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) which will be focused on online readiness.

Dr. Jerrett Dumouchel kicked off the event by defining Student Success at FSCJ. Dr. Ujjwal Chakraborty talked about the differences between live and traditional online courses. Dr. Dumouchel reviewed a summer registration survey and an IR-conducted study looking at productive grade rates and modality. Dr. Audrey Antee, Dr. Deb Fontaine and Dr. Monica Parker closed out the summit by discussing the data used to identify FSCJ’s next QEP and how to get involved.

Facilities Updates

The Facilities Team has been hard at work, updating and upgrading spaces across the College. Check out some highlights below:

Recently completed projects

Projects in progress

Ongoing Collegewide:

Cecil Center:

Deerwood Center:

Downtown Campus:

Nassau Center:

North Campus:

South Campus:

Projects in planning

Collegewide:

Cecil Center:

Deerwood Center:

Downtown Campus:

Kent Campus:

Nassau Center:

North Campus:

South Campus:

Faculty and Staff Accomplishments

Congratulations to Professor of Writing and Humanities Jennifer Chase! She was selected as a recipient of the Art Ventures Individual Artist Grant from The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida. Professor Chase also received the grant in 2014.

Learn more about the grant and see all recipients here.

Congratulations to the following employees for completing FSCJ Certificate programs!

Technology Certificate

Effective Online Student Engagement Certificate

Get to Know Your A&P Colleagues: Michael Litchfield

October's Administrative & Professional Collaborative (APC) spotlight shines on Michael Litchfield. As Associate Director of Student Support Services in the Department of Student Support and Engagement, Michael provides Collegewide leadership by ensuring the continued support and accessibility of students with disabilities in receiving academic accommodations, as well as the retention and success of students through success and coaching, and assisting them in crisis.

The Hispanic Heritage Month Festival was held on Wednesday, September 21 at South Campus, hosted by the History & Heritage Committee and Student Life and Leadership. Attendees enjoyed Latin food, Salsa dancing and music while participating in different activities to celebrate and learn about Hispanic heritage and culture.

Check out the list of History & Heritage celebrations here.

Thanks again to everyone who joined and supported us for this year's American Heart Association (AHA) Heart Walk. We wanted to share this cool picture of Team FSCJ. You can click on the photo or here to see the full-size image. We hope to see you there again next year!

FSCJ's faculty, staff, students, programs and leadership are often highlighted by local and regional media outlets - online, on air and in print. Read articles featuring important updates and activities happening within the College by clicking here.

Upcoming Events

Test your knowledge. To ensure all faculty and staff have an opportunity to submit answers, the quiz winners will be selected at random from entries with all questions answered correctly. You have until 6 p.m. on the day the newsletter is distributed to email your answers to bluewavenews@fscj.edu. The three winners will receive a BlueWave prize pack! Please note: Previous quiz winners, while eligible to submit answers, are not eligible for additional prizes for six months.

1) What is the name of the grant Professor Jennifer Chase was selected to receive from The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida?

    a. Art Ventures Individual Artist Grant

    b. Fine Arts Grant

    c. Venture Artist Grant

    d. Artists for the Community Grant

2) FSCJ Alum Tiffany Minter went on to continue her education as part of a prestigious training program with what car company?

    a. BMW

    b. Toyota

    c. Mercedes-Benz

    d. Nissan

3) When is the Urban Agriculture Open House?

    a. October 11

    b. October 14

    c. October 24

    d. November 3

4) When does the benefits open enrollment period close?

    a. October 5

    b. October 17

    c. October 28

    d. January 1

5) What prize do students have the chance of winning for completing the 2022 Student Climate Survey?

    a. T-shirt

    b. Gift card

    c. Scholarship

    d. Cash

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