BlueWave News

July 2021

Convocation 2021 will be held in-person on Thursday, August 26, 2021, at the South Campus Gymnasium. Breakfast will begin at 8:30 a.m. and the program will begin at 9:45 a.m. A virtual attendance option will also be available if you are not comfortable attending a large gathering at this time. Visit live.fscj.edu prior to the 9:45 a.m. start time to join us virtually.

We look forward to this opportunity to kick off the beginning of a new academic year. Be on the lookout for email communications as more information will be shared soon.

Northeast Florida Jobs Initiative

The Northeast Florida Jobs Initiative is a $1 million, four-year grant program sponsored by Bank of America, in partnership with FSCJ, to help African American/Black and Hispanic/Latinx students complete the education and training necessary to enter the workforce and embark on a path to success. With support from Bank of America, FSCJ will offer educational training programs to prepare students to find gainful and meaningful employment. Additionally, this initiative will provide students with robust wraparound services including holistic student support, career counseling, financial literacy coaching and job placement assistance with community partners and employers. A focus on recruiting for health care programs is currently taking place, with logistics, information technology, advanced manufacturing and financial services being added in spring.

On-Campus Tutoring Available

Beginning June 14, 2021, the Library and Learning Commons (LLC) began offering on-campus tutoring for limited subject areas. Students book their campus-based tutoring appointments via the myGradPlan platform.

myGradPlan also gives students access to the following helpful tools:

Fact Book and Student Success Report Now Available

The Office of Institutional Effectiveness recently published the 2019-20 Fact Book and the 2021 Student Success Report.

The Fact Book is updated annually and provides convenient and accessible sources for common information about FSCJ. Information for this publication is retrieved from internal sources as well as external state and federal sources like the Florida Department of Education, Florida College System and the U.S. Department of Education.

The Student Success Report provides a focused look at data about our students. This year's report includes survey and focus group results from the first-ever student climate survey. The Student Success Report was developed as part of FSCJ’s continued Achieving the Dream efforts.

The reports are produced by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, Institutional Research and the Student Success Data Team. They can both be found on the FSCJ Data Library, via the green button below.

Join Team FSCJ for the Heart Walk

The 2021 Heart Walk will be held on Saturday, September 11 at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds. The date shared previously has been changed so please make sure to update your calendars. Feel free to bring along your family members, friends and neighbors to participate, too! We hope to have at least 200 walkers to represent Team FSCJ.

We need your help! Team FSCJ's fundraising goal for the year is $20,000 and we are in need of team coaches to help us reach this goal. Faculty and staff from around the College are invited to volunteer to create and lead a team. You can help spread the word, recruit team members, and raise funds and awareness for lifesaving research.

Click on the button below to visit the custom FSCJ site where you can create a team, register, make a donation and more.

Dental Hygiene Grads Pass National Board and Licensing Exams

Congratulations to our dental hygiene graduates! They certainly didn’t let a challenging year stand in their way to achieving their goals.

All 2021 graduates passed the National Board Dental Hygiene Exam, the licensing exam that tests students on all of the information learned in the program. They even passed all four licensing exams required in Florida on their first attempt.

That makes two years in a row, even in the midst of a pandemic, that this has happened. These graduates' dedication is inspiring and we know they will thrive wherever their careers take them.

Dr. Walter Eaton has been in the cybersecurity field for many years. Before making his way to FSCJ, he served as the chief security officer for the City of Jacksonville's Information Technologies Division. He now oversees the cybersecurity curriculum here at FSCJ and enjoys helping his students learn the skills and develop expertise to stop hackers right in their tracks.

Dr. Eaton has a solid reputation as a dedicated educator who knows how to keep his students engaged in the classroom. Everyone who knows him agrees that he is passionate about seeing his students succeed.

There is one detail about his past that may not be as well-known, but it will probably leave you tapping your toes. Click on the green button to watch the spotlight video to learn more about Dr. Eaton.

FSCJ's Chapter of the Association of Florida Colleges (AFC) recently launched a new website. Visit fscj.edu/afc to find information on the AFC and how it came to be, the purpose and role of the College's Chapter, how you can apply to become a member, membership benefits and bylaws, the names and contact information for our officers, and more.

Check the site often to find the latest updates and newsletters.

FSCJ Alumni Golf Classic

You are invited to join the FSCJ Alumni Association for the inaugural FSCJ Alumni Golf Classic, on Wednesday, August 25 at The Golf Club at South Hampton. The event will raise funds for the FSCJ Strong program, which is dedicated to empowering our students to begin, sustain and complete their education.

July Recruitment Update

The Recruitment and Admissions teams are hard at work to help students register and prepare for Fall Term. Email and text campaigns are underway and a variety of events are coming up, including Form Your Future, Think Like a Boss and Summer Open House. To see the full schedule of events, which is updated regularly, you can go to visit.fscj.edu.

Five new enrollment coaches have also joined the team.

Faculty and Staff Accomplishments

Congratulations to Chef Rich Grigsby for receiving the Postsecondary Educator of the Year Award from the Center for the Advancement of Foodservice Education (CAFÉ). Chef Grigsby is not only dedicated to teaching students in the classroom, but he is also active in the community working with industry employers and internship host sites to help students move forward in their careers. Learn more.

Dr. Susan Mythen became the president of the American Library Association’s Library Instruction Round Table (LIRT) on July 1, 2021. LIRT is an organization that advocates for library instruction, information literacy and lifelong learning within all types of libraries. LIRT has approximately 1,800 members that represent academic, school, public and special libraries across the country.

Congratulations to Barbara Summers for earning a Master of Arts in History from Arizona State University and Desmond Branch for earning a Master of Social Work from Walden University.

Congratulations to the following certificate recipients!

Managing at FSCJ Certificate

Department Chair Catherine Herzog

CRRSA Professional Development Program

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government has provided FSCJ with Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA) funds. FSCJ is allowed to use these funds to provide employees with financial compensation for professional development related to the pandemic and enhancing online education.

From June 8, 2021-February 28, 2022, all full-time faculty and staff will have an opportunity to complete 40 hours of professional development for a maximum payout of $2,000. That figure works out to $50 per hour of professional development. Please note, these funds are considered taxable income.

We look forward to seeing everyone back on campus when the timing is right. While some classes and College offices continue to operate remotely, we have developed a phased approach for the full return of all students, faculty and staff.

Check the "Getting Back to Campus" website for more information, including the Return to Campus Plan for faculty and staff as well as the version specifically for students.

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 maximum payout for participation in FSCJ's CRRSA Professional Development Program?

    a. $2,000

    b. $200

    c. $50

    d. $500

2) Dr. Walter Eaton was in a rock band called _______?

    a. The Byrds

    b. Classics IV

    c. The Turtles

    d. Spooky

3) Where will Convocation 2021 be held?

    a. live.fscj.edu

    b. South Campus Gymnasium

    c. South Campus Gymnasium and live.fscj.edu

    d. Nathan H. Wilson Center for the Arts

4) When is the 2021 Heart Walk?

    a. August 25

    b. August 26

    c. September 11

    d. September 18

5) What award did Chef Rich Grigsby receive from the Center for the Advancement of Foodservice Education (CAFÉ)?

    a. Educator of the Year

    b. Postsecondary Educator of the Year

    c. Chef of the Year

    d. Culinary Arts Educator of the Year

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