Fall is officially upon us, which brings with it the occasional relief from the heat along with thoughts of holiday gatherings in the weeks and months ahead. For the Office of Recruitment and Admissions, it is also a time where we look ahead to the future by participating in several different outreach events to support students throughout our service area. The largest of these events was the NACAC National College Fair which took place in mid-October and served as the pinnacle event of Jax Goes to College Week. 

With more than 3,500 students in attendance, this year’s event once again came with tremendous support from our colleagues across FSCJ and our community partners at Duval County Public Schools and Nassau County School District. FSCJ was proud to host two information booths with staff from Recruitment and Admissions and Workforce Development along with various information sessions and interactive labs covering important topics ranging from FAFSA completion and access/disability services to honors program options and choosing the right college. This is a wonderful example of collaboration across the College in support of fulfilling our access mission for our community.

In addition to the NACAC National College Fair, FSCJ kicked off its second year of holding Career and Workforce Fairs at service area schools with a packed event at Robert E. Lee High School in late October. These events exclusively showcase FSCJ programs at local area schools and provide an opportunity for students to meet with FSCJ faculty and staff from a variety of different areas of study.

October’s event brought in nearly 450 students to learn about different certificate and associate degree programs at FSCJ. The next Career and Workforce Fair will take place on Friday, December 6 at Sandalwood High School. Academic areas that are interested in participating, but may have not yet registered, can do so up until Friday, November 15. To register for the Sandalwood High School event, please email Associate Director of Recruitment Tim Martin.

Fall also means it is BEACON (Bringing Economic and Career Opportunities Nearer) season in Duval County Public Schools. These events range in type and size and are hosted by each school in the district. BEACON places a focus on FAFSA completion, the Florida Student Grant and Scholarship Programs (Bright Futures), and post-secondary options and financial resources for high school seniors. Staff from Recruitment and Admissions actively participate in each school’s programming with additional volunteers coming from across FSCJ to help lend additional support. Duval County Public Schools has been offering BEACON programming for over 30 years to assist students with their transition from high school with events taking place from the end of October through early December.

Another important date in the month of November for Recruitment and Admissions is the priority consideration deadline for the Adult Learner Scholarship. Faculty and staff can submit nominations for students through Friday, November 15 for priority consideration for Spring Term 2020. Have questions about this scholarship? Email Enrollment Development Coordinator Jackie Kloin for more information.

Want to stay up to speed on other developments and initiatives in the Office of Recruitment and Admissions? Sign up for a Recruitment and Admissions 101 AFPD course to learn about projects around the new Online Orientation which will launch in Spring 2020 as well as planned improvements for the Online Application for Admissions (OAA). Courses count towards the one percent salary incentive and focus on the first stages of the student lifecycle at FSCJ: Connecting through Getting Started. Courses will be offered through early December at all campuses and centers, with the final course offered at the Cecil Center on December 13. Questions about these courses and all things Recruitment and Admissions can be directed to welcome@fscj.edu.