via The Florida Current
EDUCATION SUMMIT…The Florida Council of 100; the Institute for a Competitive Workforce, an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; the National Chamber Foundation; the Florida Chamber of Commerce Foundation; and AT&T hold a Florida education summit, “Breaking Through Mediocrity — Implementing the Common Core State Standards,” 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday in Orlando. Education Commissioner Tony Bennett gives the keynote address as national, state, and local business and education experts discuss issues facing Florida’s K-12 educational system. There is no registration fee, but space is limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis. Register by email to Steven Birnholz at sbirnholz@fc100.org. It will be held at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld, Crystal Ballroom AB, located at 6677 Sea Harbor Drive, Orlando. An agenda can be found here.
CITRUS HALL OF FAME…The Florida Citrus Hall of Fame inducts five new members – Homer Hooks, J. Brantley Schirard, Francis Dancy, Paul Harding and Matthew Veldhuis – at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday. Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam will take part in the proceedings at the Nina B. Hollis Wellness Center at Florida Southern College in Lakeland. Tickets to the luncheon, sponsored by Florida Citrus Mutual and the Florida Department of Citrus, are $50 for general admission. More information can be found here.
PECO…The Office of Demographic Research holds a Revenue Estimating Conference about gross receipts and PECO bond rates at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday in Room 117 of the Knott Building.
State University System
FAU Students Stage Sit-In To Protest Stadium Deal With For-Profit Prison Operator
Deadspin
Some members of the Florida Atlantic University student body are not very happy about the fact that their school has agreed to sell the naming rights to its on-campus stadium to GEO Group, a slimy corporation that operates detention centers and for-profit prisons across the globe. On Monday, a group of FAU students calling themselves the Stop Owlcatraz Coalition occupied the university president’s office and demanded that the deal with GEO Group be reconsidered…
FAU earns Florida’s first special Alzheimer’s center license
Sun-Sentinel
The center, which serves 132 people, is part of Florida Atlantic University‘s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing. The license, created by legislation last year, is aimed at giving consumers more guidance when picking a day center for their loved ones …
FAU to host 2013 Kultur Festival
Sun-Sentinel
Florida Atlantic University will be hosting the upcoming Kultur Festival 2013 on the Boca Raton campus March 2-9. The festival will feature a performance from Aaron Kula and his Klezmer Company Orchestra.
FSU students rally in honor of Trayvon Martin
WTSP 10 News
One year ago today a neighborhood watch volunteer shot to death 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, sparking a debate on Florida’s controversial Stand Your Ground law and race in America. Florida State students rallied in honor of Trayvon Martin on Tuesday and called for a repeal of the Stand Your Ground law, which allows people to use deadly force if they feel a serious threat…
College of Sciences building evacuated: Suspicious package reported
Central Florida Future
For the second time in one week a suspicious package caused students and faculty to be evacuated from a building on UCF’scampus. The College of Science building was evacuated Tuesday and closed off between 12:45 p.m. and 4 p.m. See what Twitter users had to say about the situation…
See inside: The new Burger 21 near UCF
Orlando Business Journal
The new 3,000-square-foot, 150-seat eatery is in the International Plaza off University Boulevard, which is being revitalized with the arrival of Tijuana Flats and Lazy Moon Pizza. Get a glimpse inside Central Florida’s newest burger joint in the slideshow to the right.
University of Florida Students for a Democratic Society to join protests demanding ‘Justice for Trayvon Martin’
Fight Back! Newspaper
University of Florida Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), allied with other student and community organizations, will organize a local action demanding justice for Trayvon Martin, a black youth who was brutally murdered by George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida on Feb. 26, 2012…
Survey shows that faculty are unhappy with proposed curriculum changes
The Voyager
Negativity dominated the University of West Florida’s faculty responses to the proposed changes to the general education curriculum. According to the survey results published on UWF’s general education website, common trends from the responses include concerns about the omission of certain courses from general education requirements, and the expected results from the general education changes. The survey comes after universities are making changes in general education curriculums throughout the State University System of Florida to comply with a 2012 mandate from the Florida Legislature…
State College System
$10000 bachelor’s degrees likely would benefit few students
Orlando Sentinel
For months, Gov. Rick Scott’s office has been sending out news releases announcing that more colleges are agreeing to offer bachelor’s degrees for the low, low price of $10,000…
Adjuncts remain key at Edison State College
The News-Press
…Edison State’s over-reliance on adjuncts contributed to the college being placed on probation last summer. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ Commission on Colleges does not specify a maximum percentage of courses that can be taught by adjuncts, but recommended that Edison add full-time faculty in key disciplines. This semester, 50.3 percent of credit hours are taught by full-time professors and administrators, and increase from 43.8 percent in spring 2012…
GCSC to hold workshop on new degree
The News Herald
Gulf Coast State College will have an informational workshop March 5 at 5:30 p.m. to introduce its new organizational management degree…
St. Lucie West IRSC campus renamed for former state legislator Ken Pruitt
TCPalm
When Indian River State College students attend classes at the St. Lucie West campus, they’ll be reminded of the former Florida legislator who spent years trying to improve local access to higher education. The St. Lucie West campus now is the Ken Pruitt campus…
Palm Beach State College hosts event to help veterans in workforce
Palm Beach Post
…The Navy veteran was one of about 40 people at Palm Beach State College’s Lake Worth campus Tuesday afternoon for a showcase of high-demand careers for which a federal program offers financial assistance for unemployed veterans…
Lumberjack Festival takes Milton back to its roots
The Voyager
Pensacola State College’s Milton campus will be hosting the 25th annual Forestry Conclave and Lumberjack Festival on Saturday, March 2…
Independent Colleges and Universities
Ave Maria events honor Pope Benedict XVI
Wink News
Ave Maria University this week will honor Pope Benedict XVI through a series of events in recognition of the final days of his papacy…
Lynn students near Saturday’s Daytona crash safe but ‘smelled of oil and gasoline’
Palm Beach Post
A group of Lynn University students got much more than they bargained for with their great seats for NASCAR’s Nationwide Series race Saturday evening. They ended up sprayed with debris from the massive 12-car crash that injured at least 33 spectators.
Workers at Nova Southeastern University win right to join union
Sun-Sentinel
After nearly seven years of a struggle marked by public protests, layoffs and charges of threats and intimidation, a few hundred maintenance workers at Nova Southeastern University have finally won the right to join a union…
Yip Yap: Noted and Quoted FLHE Voices from Around the Web
Editorial: New State College of Florida president setting a positive course
Bradenton Herald
Only a month into her tenure as president of State College of Florida, Dr. Carol Probstfeld is moving quickly to establish stronger relationships with the community and extend collaborative efforts with both private enterprise and other educational institutions. Those relationships suffered the past few years but the new president expresses confidence that she can foster strong bonds with her record of success over her 16 years in higher education.
Editorial: USF merits Scott’s support
TBO.com
Gov. Rick Scott doesn’t mind playing favorites when it comes to the state universities. His budget includes an extra $15 million for the University of Florida to help it become one of the nation’s top colleges…
FAU: Renaming Stadium After Prison Operator Is Perverted
Black Star News
I was shocked by a disturbing headline on the front page of the New York Times sports section last week: “A company That Runs Prisons Will Have Its Name on a Stadium.” The article revealed that the stadium in question was not the home of a professional football team, but of the Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Owls who play in the University’s new $70 million dollar, 29,000-seat stadium located on its Boca Raton campus…Marc Morial is President and CEO, National Urban League
Today’s College Degree Should Be as Accessible as a High School Diploma
HuffPost College
In his recent State of the Union message, President Obama mentioned the high cost of higher education. This is an issue that he raised a year ago at the same venue, and one that the vice president has been spearheading. For those of us who have been on a college campus for quite some time it is an issue of growing significance… Dick Crepeau, UCF Forum columnist
Trayvon’s lawyer: Enough ‘blood on our hands’
HLNtv.com
One year ago today, a bullet pierced 17-year-old Trayvon Martin’s heart and the pulse of our nation. When the general public initially learned of the tragic circumstances, a sense of outcry ensued as citizens struggled to reconcile the basic facts of the case with the law: George Zimmerman, 29, killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin — who was walking home from a 7-Eleven with Skittles and an iced tea, wearing a hoodie — because he looked “suspicious,” and the Sanford Police Department failed to arrest him. Throughout the past year, the controversy sparked continuous dialogue that evolved from a discussion on racial profiling, to an analysis of Stand Your Ground laws, and finally to a national examination of gun control and gun violence…Jasmine Rand is an attorney with Parks & Crump, L.L.C., where she manages the firm’s Fort Lauderdale office and is head of its Civil Rights Division and is part of the team representing Trayvon Martin’s family. She is also an adjunct professor at Florida A&M University. She is onTwitter.
Edison board approves new academic affairs VP
Naples Daily News
The search is over for a new vice president of academic affairs at Edison State College. The school’s board of trustees on Tuesday approved the hiring of Denis Wright, president of Florida State College at Jacksonville’s south campus, for the role. He will be paid a base salary of $167,500, plus fringe benefits of about $35,665 and a $5,000 moving allowance. Wright replaces Erin Harrel, dean of the School of Education, who filled the role on an interim basis after the former vice president was fired in October 2011. Wright was selected from a pool of more than 140 applicants. Trustees also approved a one-month extension of the college’s contract with Russell Watjen, interim vice president of student affairs. He will be paid $10,500, plus benefits, for the month of March…
Appointments, hires bring new faces to Edison State
The News-Press
Edison State College’s Board of Trustees will meet this afternoon, but two gubernatorial appointments issued last week still won’t bring the board to full strength. Gov. Rick Scott reappointed Glades County representative Julia Perry and appointed Tristan Chapman as Hendry County’s delegate. Chapman replaces Randall Parrish, who wasn’t seeking reappointment. Terms for both positions expired in May 2012, but appointees continue serving until the governor selects a replacement…
Man Accused of Pulling Gun on FAMU Campus
WCTV
A parking lot confrontation at FAMU ended when students say one man pulled a gun. Brenton Neil was arrested and accused of aggravated assault and possession of a gun on campus. It all started in the parking lot behind the Dyson Pharmacy building last Wednesday…
Street recognizes 1933 FAMU grad Pinder
Tallahassee Democrat (blog)
Pinder Street, stretching from Osceola Street to behind the student union on the Florida A&M University campus, is named in honor of a famous U.S. agriculture adviser and FAMU grad. Frank Edward Pinder, a native of Key West, earned a degree in agriculture from FAMU in 1933. He spent many years as a county farm agent in Florida before working nearly 40 years in Africa for the the U.S. Department of State and United Nations. Pinder won innumerable awards and honorary degrees for his work in improving food-production practices in Africa. He became a friend of legendary Ethiopian leader Haile Selassie and Liberian President William Tubman…
FAMU to visit four Florida cities during annual President’s Tour
Blog: Rattler Nation
FAMU Interim President Larry Robinson will visit four cities in Florida as part the university’s annual President’s Tour. The tour is scheduled to begin March 9 through March 11 stopping in Pensacola, Gainesville, Fort Lauderdale and Miami…
Governor makes GCSC board appointment
The News Herald
Rick Scott has appointed a Port St. Joe man to serve on Gulf Coast State College’s District Board of Trustees. The governor announced David Warriner, 48, as his pick for the seat in a statement released Friday. He owns Tapper & Co. in Port St. Joe and previously served as a legislative assistant in the Florida House and Senate. He also holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida…
A Q&A with Andie MacDowell
Sarasota
But lovely and soft-spoken Southern belle Andie MacDowell was warm and gracious when we sat down for a one-on-one chat while she was here for the Ringling College of Art and Design’s Digital Filmmaking Studio Lab…
Scott names a Bradenton man to the State College of Florida board
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Gov. Rick Scott appointed Marlen “Rick” Hager, a Bradenton businessman, to the Board of Trustees for the State College of Florida, Manatee Sarasota…
University of Arkansas president nominates Florida dean as next Arkansas-Pine …
The Republic
PINE BLUFF, Arkansas — University of Arkansas System President Donald Bobbitt has nominated an associate dean from the University of Florida to serve as next chancellor of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. Laurence Alexander now serves as associate dean of the graduate school and director of the Office of Minority Programs at Florida. If approved by the UA Board of Trustees, Alexander will begin his duties on July 1…
USF Veterans Invite All to Screening of “The Welcome”
WUSF
We have come together as a community and we are healing together,” wrote Kiersten Downs, president of the University of South Florida Student Veterans Association. “We would be honored if you could join us for this powerful documentary screening…
USF doctor leads team to discover DNA, heart failure link
Northwest News and Tribune
Stephen Liggett leads a USF research team that is focusing on a genetic signature useful in predicting who might be prone to and, thus, protected from fatal heart arrhythmias. He is on the verge of talks with the FDA on approving a treatment process…
Female executives talk shop with USF business students
Tampabay.com
The next class of female CEOs donned crisp suits and gathered in the atrium of the University of South Florida‘s business school, their peers flip-flopping behind them on the way to class. The business students were there to hear advice from the founder of a $40 million chain of lingerie stores called Intimacy. Susan Nethero, known as the “bra whisperer,” had been on Oprah five times. She’d traveled, spent years making pressing business decisions and giving interviews. And she’d raised children…
UT names Jack Geller dean
Tampa Bay Business Journal
The University of Tampa has named Jack Geller, currently professor and head of the liberal arts and education department at the University of Minnesota, as the dean of the College of Social Sciences, Mathematics and Education…
Releases and Web Stories
Embry-Riddle to Be First University with Active Level D Full …
The Leading Aviation Industry Resource for News, Equipment and
This fall, flight students at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Daytona Beach Campus will be able to take the controls in a sophisticated …
Lynn University celebrates half a century of rich history
Lynn University
Lynn University continues the celebration of its 50th anniversary year (2012-2013); a year that turned out to be one of the most eventful to date as it was kicked off with a history making event, the third and final presidential debate on its campus.
Professor leads effort to save chimpanzees in Sierra Leone
Lynn University
Lynn University professor Andrew Halloran, a trained primatologist, is leading an effort to build and ship 10 wooden bee boxes to two villages in Sierra Leone in an attempt to restore their agrarian economies so they cease hunting and capturing wild chimpanzees who threaten their current livelihood.
‘New Tycoons’ Author and Reporter Jason Kelly
Lynn University
Bloomberg News reporter Jason Kelly will visit Lynn University to discuss his new book The New Tycoons: Inside the Trillion dollar Private Equity Industry that Owns Everything. In The New Tycoons, Kelly demystifies the complex world of private equity by telling the stories of the top firms and their leaders and providing details about how their role as investors, owners and employers has put them at the center of our lives…
Ringling College and Sarasota Museum of Art Announce Winners of ‘Sticks and Clicks’ Photography Competition
Press Release
Sarasota, FL (PRWEB) February 26, 2013 The Sarasota Museum of Art/SMOA, a division of Ringling College of Art and Design, today announced the winners of the ‘Sticks and Clicks’ photography competition. Created as part of SMOA’s 2013 “ARTmuse” program, ‘Sticks and Clicks’ challenged photographers in professional, amateur and student classifications to shoot and submit creative images of renowned sculptor Patrick Dougherty’s recently completed Stickworks installation, ‘Out in Front’…
Employees help College win incentive award
Seminole State College
Faculty and staff helped Seminole State College of Florida win $12500 in incentive awards from the Florida College System Risk Management Consortium…
Keeping business all in the family
Stetson University Today
Ross Born tried organic chemistry, as a pre-cursor to what he thought was going to be a medical career, but like many students he switched his major and graduated with a law degree. But not before he and his cousin, David Shaffer, made an agreement to take over the family business, and after graduation they became co-CEOs of Just Born, Inc., makers of Peeps!, Mike & Ike’s, Hot Tamales, and other fine confections. Born will be speaking to students at Stetson tonight in the Rinker Auditorium in the Lynn Business Center from 5-7:30 p.m.
Nobel Prize winner Elie Wiesel to speak at UF March 12
University of Florida
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The ACCENT Speaker’s Bureau and Jewish Awareness Month at the University of Florida will bring Nobel Prize winner and writer Elie Wiesel to campus on March 12. Wiesel, who was taken to Auschwitz by the Nazis during World War II at the age of 15, retells his Holocaust story in his internationally acclaimed memoir “Night.”
Turfgrass alternatives offer residents additional groundcover choices, UF/IFAS experts say
University of Florida
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Spring is right around the corner, and for some residents it may be time to think about sprucing up the yard with new landscaping. Covering more than 5 million acres in Florida, turfgrass is the state’s most popular groundcover — but it may not be the ideal choice for every situation, say experts with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
RTS to reduce service during spring break
University of Florida
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Regional Transit System will reduce service on certain bus routes between Saturday and March 10 because of the spring break at the University of Florida and Santa Fe College…
Fair focuses on majors, minors
University of Florida
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — University of Florida students will have the opportunity to learn more about their educational opportunities at the fifth annual Majors and Minors Fair put on by the Career Resource Center and Student Government…
Florida’s consumer confidence drops one point as sequestration looms
University of Florida
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The delayed effect of the expiring payroll tax cut prompted Florida’s consumer confidence to drop one point in February to 74, according to a monthly University of Florida survey…
Scientists create new maps depicting potential worldwide coral bleaching by 2056
EurekAlert (press release)
MIAMI – February 25, 2013 — In a study published today in Nature Climate Change researchers used the latest emissions scenarios and climate models to show how varying levels of carbon emissions are likely to result in more frequent and severe coral bleaching events…CIMAS is a research institute based at the University of Miami, within the Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science.
College of Business partners with Pasco-Hernando Community College to offer bachelor’s degrees
USFSP News Center
The University of South Florida St. Petersburg has partnered with Pasco-Hernando Community College to offer students the chance to earn a degree from the College of Business at the PHCC West Campus in New Port Richey. The new partnership allows PHCC students to complete their junior and senior years with USFSP and earn a bachelor’s degree in eight different business programs: accounting, economics, entrepreneurship, finance, global business, information systems, management or marketing. The USFSP College of Business also offers minors in several areas such as health care management and legal studies, for students interested in pursuing a law degree…
