State University System
Should Faculty Be Fingerprinted?
Inside Higher Ed
Florida Gulf Coast University faculty members aren’t arguing over whether the institution is entitled to know if they have a criminal background; laws and statutes protect an employer’s right to know. But a new fingerprinting proposal has stirred debate over just how much it needs to know about whom, and at what expense…
Commission votes to spend $200000 more on FSU film school once university …
Palm Beach Post (blog)
City commissioners today unanimously voted to spend up to $200,000 to keep a branch of the Florida State University film school in West Palm Beach. But the deal came with a caveat: The city won’t spend any money until FSU commits to staying in West Palm Beach. FSU should have an answer next month after the state’s education Board of Governors meets to determine the fate of the West Palm Beach branch.
UCF looking to build new $1.5M optics lab
Bizjournals.com
The University of Central Florida’s Finance & Facilities Committee will examine a proposal Dec. 12 to build a 4,500-square-foot optics lab. The project, located next to Building 154 on Neptune Drive, is estimated to cost $1.5 million, according to UCF planning documents. The lab will be used to research and manufacture “innovative materials relevant to optics and photonics.”
New campus cards to be issued to Florida university students
CR80News
Because it’s moving to a new banking partner, the University of Central Florida, Orlando, is requiring all students and staff to obtain new ID cards. The new partner is Fairwinds Credit Union, which is opening a new campus branch in January…
Fraternity to be closed immediately on University of Florida campus
First Coast News
Sigma Phi Epilson’s Florida’s Alpha chapters charter at the University of Florida has been revoked. The national board of directors informed the university that the chapter is to be closed immediately. A letter from the communication’s director stated that the fraternity made this decision with the support of the chapter’s alumni and volunteer corporation and university administrators.
University of South Florida to conduct HIV study
Bizjournals.com
The University of South Florida is among 14 clinical sites in the country participating in a study of the first medication approved to help prevent sexually acquired HIV infection in those at high risk for the disease.
USF report reveals more deaths and graves at Dozier than state admitted
Tampabay.com
A team of anthropologists and archaeologists from the University of South Florida has found far more graves on the campus of the state’s oldest reform school than previously reported by state officials.
UWF to host grand opening of new residence hall
Pensacola News Journal
On Friday, the University of West Florida will host the grand opening of Presidents Hall, the newest residence hall on campus. The ceremony begins at 2 p.m. and will include a ribbon-cutting dedication followed by light refreshments and tours…
State College System
13th Grade: Why More Florida Students Than Ever Struggle With Math
WUSF News
Across Florida, remedial classes at community and state colleges are full with students like Pedroso. More than half of the high school graduates who took the college placement test had to take at least one remedial class. And while many of those students struggle with basic reading and writing skills, the subject they’re most unprepared for in college is math. In the 2010-11 school year, some 125,042 Florida college students needed to take a remedial math class, an investigation by the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting and StateImpact Florida has found. That number has been growing for some time, and is more than double the number requiring remedial classes in reading (54,489) or writing (50,906)…
BOCC, school board move forward in legal battle with Duke
Citrus Daily
Today during a joint meeting at the College of Central Florida between the Board of County Commissioners and the Citrus County School Board, both boards decided unanimously to intervene into litigation with Duke Energy over its failure to pay in full its 2012 tax payment. Each board agreed to pay $175,000 each, for six months, toward funding the legal expenses and an appraisal of the energy complex.
FSCJ error $25M?
Fernandina Beach News-Leader
Taxpayers could be liable for up to $25 million in financial aid improperly awarded by Florida State College at Jacksonville after computer software enrolled students in programs without their knowledge, college trustees learned Tuesday. The college has launched a joint 60-day review with the U.S. Department of Education to examine the program, called Automatic Program of Study, that outgoing college president Steven Wallace said tracked students’ course registrations and enrolled them in programs matching their interests.
‘Big Tree’ lives on at Seminole State
Mysanfordherald
“The Senator,” the Seminole County landmark that had stood for 3500 years, will live on as a new symbol at Seminole State College of Florida. Seminole State College will debut a ceremonial mace crafted from a branch of “The Senator” at its fall commencement on Dec. 16. Seminole State’s mace was created from a six-foot branch of “The Senator,” which was one of the world’s oldest bald cypress trees and the largest native tree in Florida before it was destroyed by fire in January.
Independent Colleges and Universities
Jan 19: Genuine Feminine Conference at AMU
The Ave Herald
The Genuine Feminine conference at AMU is a one-day event that explores topics pertaining to young women, particularly on issues relating to family and careers. The third annual conference in 2013 will consider the topic of women and education in two ways – namely, women as educators, and women in higher education. The conference is open to high school girls in 11th-12th grades; college age students, both male and female; young professional women; mothers of small children; and Ave Maria University faculty and staff. There is a small admission charge. More information and the detailed agenda and list of speakers is on the conference website here.
Florida Citrus Hall of Fame to induct five industry leaders
TheGrower
Five citrus industry leaders have been named to the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame, and two will be inducted at the Jan. 27, 2013, 51st Citrus Celebration Luncheon…The Florida Citrus Hall of Fame is located in the McKay Archive Building on the Florida Southern College campus in Lakeland…
For Profit and Career Colleges
Keiser University‘s College of Golf Received a Visit from Bobby …
DigitalJournal.com
As a part of the Strategic Partnership between Keiser University College of Golf and Impact Zone Golf, Bobby Clampett – author of “The Impact Zone”, Champions Tour player, and TV broadcaster – visited the campus to address the student body.
Yip Yap:Noted and Quoted FLHE Voices from Around the State
Director of county’s historical museum resigns
Ocala
Willet Boyer III has resigned just 21 months after convincing the County Commission to toss out the group that had managed the facility for the previous 15 years. ”My passion has always been teaching the students (at the College of Central Florida) and doing the field work, and I’d like to focus more on that,” Boyer explained in interview on Monday. He resigned on Nov. 30.
FGCU student’s car smeared with feces
NBC2 News
A college student spat may be behind a vandalism incident reported at the Coconut Point Mall Sunday afternoon. The 18-year-old victim is a student at Florida Gulf Coast University. She told deputies she parked her yellow, two-door Pontiac at the mall around 12:45 p.m. and went to work. When she returned at 6:15 p.m., someone had smeared animal feces on the hood of the car.
‘Suicide pact’ parents’ kids to stay in DCF custody for 30 days
Central Florida News 13
The girls’ parents, James and Mai Firth, had traveled to Central Florida from Vietnam to seek treatment for Kristen’s autism at the Florida Institute of Technology’s Scott Center for Autism Treatment.
Florida International University ’lovebirds’ receive doctorate degrees
MiamiHerald.com (registration)
Justin Campbell was interested in tropical sea grass. And Sat Gavassa was interested in electric fish. It was only natural that the two doctoral students would want to sit next to each other during an “Introduction to Biology Research” class at Florida International University. They are like soul mates. And their relationship is so genuine that FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg referred to them as the “FIU lovebirds” during Monday’s winter commencement ceremony for FIU’s students in the College of Arts and Sciences…
FSU leads the way with hazing prevention
Florida Flambeau
For Adam Goldstein, receiving student reports of hazing isn’t a bad thing. “We want students who have experienced hazing to report it because that means our system works,” the Florida State University Associate Dean of Students said. “A low number of hazing reports do not necessarily mean that less incidents are occurring. It might just mean that people aren’t reporting them, and that’s the kind of behavior we’re trying to stop.”
Tower Theater remains an asset for Little Havana
MiamiHerald.com (registration)
“The relationship with Miami Dade College has been one of this neighborhood’s success stories,” said Pablo Cantón, who retired this summer from his longtime post as administrator of the city’s Neighborhood Enhancement Team in Little Havana…
Tundidor son sentenced to 40 years for kidnap, murder of Nova professor
Sun-Sentinel
The man who broke into a Nova Southeastern University professor’s home, kidnapped him and his wife, robbed them, and then delivered the professor to be slashed to death was sentenced Friday to a 40-year prison term. Randy H. Tundidor, 24, frequently referred to as “Randy Junior” or just “Junior,” was shown leniency after pleading guilty to 10 criminal counts, including second-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder, two counts of kidnapping, robbery and other crimes stemming from the April 5, 2010, slaying of Joseph Morrissey…
‘Record’ voters, but not turnout
Tampabay.com
“In the end, it is the total number of people that show up that creates the lines and counting delays, not the percentage,” said University of Central Florida professor Aubrey Jewett.
Local tech company says new owner in India will not derail Florida expansion …
Businessweek
“My first reaction is that this is good news, a sign of what we want to see in the local economy: growing companies that become successful to the point that others would try to acquire them,” said Sean Snaith, an economist at the University of Central Florida.
More people are moving, and Florida is a top destination
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
“If you look at household balance sheets, the numbers are much higher than where they were in the crisis,” said Sean Snaith, an economist with the University of Central Florida.
Releases and Web Stories
NSU’s Medical School Expands Medical Outreach Trips to Developing Nations
Sacramento Bee
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., Dec. 10, 2012 –/PRNewswire/ – Nova Southeastern University‘s medical school recently expanded its international medical outreach programs to serve more developing nations with medical and humanitarian aid from medical students…
Oxigene Reports Presentation Of OXi4503 Preclinical And Clinical Data In AML
RTT News
Oxigene Inc. (OXGN: Quote) announced that investigators at the University of Florida presented encouraging clinical data using OXiGENE’s vascular disrupting agent or VDA, OXi4503, in patients with acute myelogenous leukemia or AML at the 2012 annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology in Atlanta, Georgia…
Progress Energy Installs Solar at University of Florida
SmartMeters
The University of Florida (UF) has installed a 100-kilowatt (kW) solar photovoltaic (PV) system from Progress Energy to reduce its energy costs and promoting renewable energy. The installation is part of the utility’s expanded SunSense solar energy program, which provides no-cost solar installations to 10 public schools and one post-secondary institution per year through 2014. UF was selected based on its commitment to offering students energy education and resource tools.
Additional Graves Located at Former Reform School
University of South Florida
A team of University of South Florida anthropologists and archaeologists have found at least 19 more graves at the former Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Marianna, Fla., than has been officially reported…
