Academic Affairs
Dr. Dorcas E. McCoy, Acting Vice President
The Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) provides leadership for all academic programs in support of the University’s mission, legacy and academic excellence. The OAA promotes the professional development and scholarship of its highly effective faculty and talented staff who are committed to providing an engaging and enriching environment that supports student learning and development.
OAA handles all teaching contracts, maintains faculty academic credentials, conducts procedures for promotion and tenure, and ensures that all faculty meet qualifications in compliance with the SACS Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement.
The office also coordinates annual Commencement Exercises, the Faculty Honors and Awards Program, and the Student Honors and Awards Assembly, Faculty Honors and Awards and the Faculty Staff Institute. The office is also responsible for periodically updating the Faculty Handbook, the Standard Operating Policies and Procedures for Academic Affairs (SOPPAA), and the Undergraduate Catalog.
Additionally, the OAA oversees the effective operation of seven academic schools, including: The School of Arts and Humanities, School of Business, School of Education, School of Graduate and Professional Studies, School of Nursing, School of Science, Engineering and Mathematics and the School of Social Sciences. Additionally, the Center for Academic Retention and Enrichment Services (CARES), the Center for Academic Support Services (CASS), The Office of the Registrar, The Carl S. Swisher Library, The Honors Program, Faculty Development and Academic Computing also report to the Vice President of Academic Affairs.
Dr. Dorcas E. McCoy, Acting Vice President of Academic Affairs, was promoted to Associate Professor of International Studies and Political Science with tenure during the Fall 2010 semester. Since the last report to the BOT, Dr. McCoy attended the 2011 SACS-COC Institute on Quality Enhancement and Accreditation July 17-20, 2011 in Fort Worth, TX.
Mr. Albert Bouie, Academic Coordinator, attended the National Association of Developmental Education Conference in Washington, DC in March 2011. Mr. Bouie shared information from the conference with B-CU faculty during an on campus faculty development activity.
Crowning academic achievements for the Spring 2011 semester included:
- Established a “Coakley Model” intervention strategy in each academic school to assist with graduation and retention.
- Developed a proposal for the implementation of the Summer Bridge program to be launched in the summer of 2012. The program will afford students an opportunity to begin course work during the summer as a jump start into their academic programs.
- Developed a proposal for expanding the Honors Program into an Honors College beginning in the Fall 2012.
- Graduated the largest class in the history of the institution with 571 degrees awarded during the Spring 2011 Commencement.
- Launched a new Master’s program in Integrated Environmental Science.
Additional highlights are outlined on the succeeding pages:
Faculty Honors and Awards:
Each year, the Academic Deans and faculty nominate faculty for awards of excellence in teaching, research and service. Faculty honors are a positive morale factor for recommended individuals, as well as a factor in esprit de corps. During the Spring 2011 Faculty Honors and Awards Ceremony, the following faculty members received the designated honors:
Teaching
- Exemplary Teaching – Professor Karen Duncan, School of Education
- Excellence in Teaching – Professor Cory Potter, CARES
Research
- Exemplary Research - Dr. Ekanayake Ekanayake, School of Business
- Excellence in Research – Dr. Michael Reiter, School of Science, Engineering and Mathematics
Community Service
- Exemplary Community Service – Dr. Nancy Long, School of Arts and Humanities
- Excellence in Community Service – Dr. Joyce Nki, School of Arts and Humanities
Faculty Member of the Year
- Each year, a faculty member is selected for the Robert B. and Mary Alice Massey Award for Faculty Member of the Year. Dr. Joyce Nki was selected by faculty to receive this honor for the 2010-2011 academic year.
The Office of The Registrar
The mission of the Office of the Registrar is to serve the university community. We continue to gain knowledge of advancement in education, technology, and best practices in order to offer the best service to our customers. This is our way of carrying out the legacy of our esteemed founder, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune. Some of our accomplishments since the last report include:
- Coordinated a Registrar 101 workshop in conjunction with the Faculty Development Center
- Implemented an upgraded Registration Module in March 2011.
- Convened the university’s graduation planning committee
- Processed 571 degree applications students as follows:
MS: 12
BA: 124
BS: 435
- Processed 19 degree applications for the Summer 2011 graduation as follows:
Summer A: 3
Summer B: 16
As of August 22, 2011, we have enrolled 992 new students for total enrollment to date of 3,281 students.
The Carl S. Swisher Library
- In response to the Board of Trustees request to extend the library’s weekend hours, the hours have been changed to Fridays 7:30 am-9:00 pm and Saturdays 9:00 am -7:00 pm.
- The library has recently completed a renovation of the Technical Processing Area, which includes the staff break room. This included new ceramic tile flooring, creation of an office for the Technical Processing Assistant, new shelving, new sink, counter in the break area, new work counter for processing of books and other materials, updated shelving in the storage area, and the external shipping and receiving doors were refinished.
- The library now offers colored copies and scanning services.
- The library participated in the accreditation processes for NCATE and DOE by ensuring that adequate resources and services were available for the School of Education to meet accreditation requirements.
- The library has purchased new books and periodicals materials to support the Environmental Science Master’s program.
- Ten new computers have been added to the computer lab to increase student access.
- The library has purchased a site license to the Chronicle of Higher Education. Anyone on campus may access this newspaper from any computer with internet access, 24/7.
Faculty Development
Faculty members have participated in on campus faculty development workshops that were facilitated by the Director of Faculty Development, other Bethune-Cookman University faculty, and staff. Workshop topics were selected based on the revised Faculty Development Mellon Grant for CARES/General Education courses and the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). The focuses of the workshops were on topics such as Building and Bridging Success for All Students, Assessment and Testing Policies, Student Learning/Faculty Teaching Styles, Conflict Resolution Training, and Diversity in High Education.
Faculty Development Initiatives:
- Faculty Technology Mentor/Mentee Program focuses on assisting novice faculty to integrate technology with teaching.
- Engaging the Millennium Student through Active Learning Project designed to promote and infuse active learning throughout the University.
- Writing Into the 21st Century at B-CU to develop and use new teaching approaches to address the writing skills of today’s high school and first-year students. The Daytona Beach Writing Project was developed, planned and implemented based on the initiation of the B-CU Writing into the 21st Century Project. Middle/high school and B-CU faculty attended a four week( July 11 to August 5, 2011) intensive faculty development training sessions and were certified as Writing Consultants.
- The Evidence Based Student Leaning Outcomes Project that supports research based findings on how to successful engage students.
- The First-Generation Student Project focuses on a holistic approach for addressing the academic needs of first generation students.
- Building and Bridging Success for all students faculty development workshops are designed to meet the learning needs of students who have learning disabilities.
- B-CU Faculty Learning Communities to build collaboration between faculty to strengthen teaching and learning across disciplines.
- Faculty Development New Faculty Mentoring Program to align veteran faculty with new first and second year faculty.
- Faculty Development Summer Mini-Grants. Projects included writing a English resource manual and future faculty development workshops on emerging technologies.
- Sponsored faculty attendance to off campus conferences.
- Sponsored the Faculty Honors and Awards Banquet and awardees stipends.
- Writing grant proposals.
- Conducting research of service learning.
- Serve on various University committee.
- New Faculty Orientation Luncheon
- Sponsored consultants
- Faculty Round Table Discussions
The Honors Program
The Honors Program continues to strive to accomplish its overall mission goals and objectives by continuing to improve and expand the Honors Program Curriculum in order to meet the standards set by the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) for Basic Characteristics of a Fully Developed Honors Program.
We currently have 53 Presidential Scholars. These students must maintain a minimum 3.5 in order for the scholarship to be renewed on an annual basis. Presidential Scholars receive full tuition and board as well as a $500 book scholarship. Additionally, we have two Gates Millennium scholars and 73 of our currently enrolled students have a cumulative GPA of 3.8 or higher! B-CU takes pride in this level of academic excellence and seeks to attract more students of this caliber while better serving our current students in this category.
We are proposing to provide expanded study opportunities for these highly motivated and exceptionally qualified students. The courses are designed to broaden intellectual horizons, integrate various areas of knowledge, and explore intensively major fields of study through innovative techniques of individualized learning and independent research. The experience and stimulation of outstanding professors shared with students grouped in cohorts of a small class setting provide an intellectual atmosphere which awakens and intensifies critical thinking, and intellectual independence(http://www.nchchonors.org/archiveofhonorscoursesyllabi.shtml; http://www.asha.org/practice/multicultural/recruit/litreview.htm, Minority Student Recruitment, Retention and Career Transition Practices: A Review of the Literature).
We intend to build a stronger learning community for the Honors Program participants and secure external funding in order to improve Honors Students access to intellectual stimulation, cultural awareness, community activism and conferences.
In essence, the transitioning would occur in four phases. Phase One includes Revising General Education Program to include a set of Honors General Education Courses (36 of 39 credits – only PE and Freshman Seminars regular courses) for Honors College students and managed by HC Staff and Faculty:
Phase 2 –
- SC 240
- EN134/135
- MA 141/142 or 143/144
- HI – African American History (Honors) – new course
- Humanities (Honors) – New course
- RP 242 Advanced Study of Religions of World – New Course – Trip to Israel
- BI 150 plus BIL
- RE 261
- Science elective – PH 240 or ES 233
- ML – Advanced Modern Language section
- Create New Honors 499 – Capstone Project
- Faculty teaching Honors sections report to Dean of Honors College for primary evaluation and to discipline school dean/dept. head for secondary evaluation
- Alumni from Honors Program serve as Advisory Committee – examples: Camille Burge, Courtney Jean Baptiste
Phase 3 –
- Add new Freshmen Cohort in Spring 2013
- Add Activities Coordinator to offer evening and weekend activities for enrichment
- Have Honors College students conduct extra academic contributions to Roc the Mic series and other SGA activities
- Trip to Bahamas to satellite Campus, Nigeria to Taraba State University, etc.
- Add Fast Track accelerated timeframe for coursework – 8 weeks
Phase 4 –
- Add Fall 2013 Freshmen cohort
- 2013 Cohort serves as mentors for new Cohort
- Major core courses enhanced with extended research and internships
- Add additional study abroad trips
- Add Fall 2013 Freshmen cohort
- 2012 Cohort serves as mentors for 2013 Cohort
- Honors students able to dual enroll in graduate courses up to 12 credits in Junior and senior years
Please see the full proposal for more details.
Center for Academic Support Services (CASS)
During the Fall 2011 semester, the CASS department designed The Fresh Start Program for those incoming students who were accepted to the University on academic probation. The Fresh Start program was created to ensure success and also offer helpful tactics that are useful throughout their matriculation at B-CU. Those students will be required to attend workshops entitled: Action Plan for Success and the Reality Check. Throughout the semester, those students will also be required to contact our offices during the week of midterm and finals. Ideally, the initial goal was to create a viable plan toward their careers and making certain they remain in good academic standing.
The CASS department has begun advising students interested in the Liberal Studies major administered by CASS. The Bachelor of Arts degree requires 120 credit hours to include the following:
- 39 hrs. General Education requirements
- 3 hrs. Computer Literacy
- 60 hrs. from 4 Academic Schools (School of Arts & Humanities (15),
- School Business(15), School of Education(15), and School of Social Science(15)
- 3 hrs. Senior Seminar
- 15 hrs. Free Electives
Summer Bridge Program
In the past, our summer sessions have not strategically targeted incoming freshmen in order to give them an opportunity to get an early start in working on deficiencies in Mathematics, English and/or Reading as needed. Our intent is to afford this opportunity and thereby reduce the demands on CARES normally encountered during the fall semester. We also intend to give students an early orientation to the University and prepare students to begin college level rather than remedial courses in the Fall.
The majority of our incoming freshmen come from Volusia, Broward, Dade, Duval and Hillsborough counties. Each of these counties has strong community colleges which offer reduced rates for their summer sessions. At our neighboring institution Daytona State, summer tuition for in-state students is $94.90 per credit hour and $357.90 per credit hour for out of state students. Other community colleges have comparable rates. Our proposed rate of $345 per credit hour will make us competitive with community colleges in terms of cost. The economy of scale would be great as attract a higher volume of students thereby increasing our overall revenue.
Summer Tuitions at Community Colleges
| Daytona State | $94.90 In State | $357.90 Out of State |
| Broward College | $94.60 In State | $335.80 Out of State |
| Miami Dade | $94.90 In State | $345.68 Out of State |
We are proposing that B-CU pilot a summer bridge program for 2012 with a reduced tuition rate of $345.00 per credit hour as is the rate for our professional studies students. The conditions of this action are as follows: (a)The university will evaluate the success of the program; (b) the budget will not present a deficit to the university. We are propose a minimum of 200 participants in the pilot program. We will begin advertising in early February. If there are not enough applicants, the program will be canceled; (c) Existing faculty already teaching in summer school will teach the bulk of the courses in the summer bridge. Please see the complete proposal for more details.
The School of Arts and Humanities
The School of Arts and Humanities is proud of many successful initiatives undertaken and achieved during the spring, summer and fall semesters of 2011. Some of the crowning achievements are listed below:
- Starting the process for accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM).
- Starting the process for accreditation with the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC).
- Just opened a new Retention and Information Center starting this Fall. The purpose is to assist in the retention of students and offer information to students interested in tutoring, career planning, scholarships, graduate school, etc.
- Opening a brand new Journalism Lab with 24 new apple computers and instructor's station (state of the art-drop down screens, data cam, etc)
- Professor Mary Corliss has been appointed Director of the National Writing Project. We are only one of two sites in Florida for teaching writing teachers across the curriculum to improve their teaching and writing skills. Teachers from all over the county participated in the Institute this summer. Brevard county is now partnering with us beginning this Fall.
- Dr. Paula McKenzie submitted a paper entititled “Establishing a Student Success Center” which has been accepted for presentation at the 7th Annual National Symposium on Student Retention in Charleston, South Carolina. The paper has also been accepted for publication in the Conference Proceedings, pending final editorial review.
School of Business
- The School of Business has received notice that we have been funded to participate in a Mentor Protégé’ program with Raytheon and Sypris. These programs will allow faculty to give a hands on consultation with the Protégé’ and give our students internship opportunities with those companies.
- Dr. E. M. Ekanayake, Associate Professor presented two papers at a recent International Conference in Costa Rico and was presented the award of Leading paper of the Conference
School of Education
- Mrs. Amy Eitzen attended the International Reading Association Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida, from May 9-11, 2011.
- Dr. Leslie Sena attended the National Professional Development School Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, from March 10-13, 2011 and the Science Teacher Research Institute in San Francisco, California, from May 11-13, 2011.
- Dr. Carol Johnson, Dr. Helena Walrond, and Ms. Lawana Walden attended the FACTE Conference in Orlando, Florida, July 27-28, 2011.
- For the past ten years Professor Sharon Walker, Physical Education Instructor has been traveling every summer to her native island, Grand Bahama, Bahamas to spearhead her summer program set in place specifically for young girls. “Back to Basics” girls basketball camp is an extension of Young Girls Educating Maturing through Sports organization (Y-G.E.M.S.) created by Ms Walker as a response to the need to develop young ladies for community leaders. The program encourages the girls to attain high learning goals, and prepare them for adulthood through the use of athletic disciplines. Ms. Walker’s program is designed to teach etiquette, discipline, self-enhancement, spirituality, and to increase academic and social performance. This organization, catering to young girls from the ages of 5 to 19,exposes the young ladies to positive female role models and prominent community leaders. According to "The Freeport News" the Bahamian local news paper, this past summer over 70 girls attended the camp which was dubbed a great success. Ms Walker has paved the way for future young ladies to create a legacy of their own. Former Miss Bethune - Cookman University, Miss Grand Bahama Island, Tempest Stubbs is one young lady in particular who acquired the opportunity to work side by side with Ms. walker with the Y-Gems program. Giving back to her community is something Ms Walker is very passionate about - it's devoting her time, providing opportunities for athletic scholarships for young ladies that have been trained throughout the years, or providing gifts and awards for every participant. Focusing on young ladies throughout the Bahamas is something Ms Walker has been doing for the past ten years and will continue to successfully do for years to come with the help and support of the participants, parents, community, sponsors, family and friends.
- The School of Education is entering a new partnership with the other HBCUs in Florida to collaboratively strengthen the voice of the HBCUs with the Florida Department of Education.
School of Graduate and Professional Studies
The School of Graduate and Professional Studies continues to support its students’ matriculation. Both programs are highly focused on marketing and recruitment efforts as well as the continued refinement of best practices to best support adult learners in higher education.
- MS in Transformative Leadership:
- Total graduates 2008-2011 = 45 students
- Increased enrollment - 48 for Fall 2011, which includes 11 - new Summer cohort; 17 - new Fall cohort;
- Implementing Areas of Emphasis in MS in Transformative Leadership - Ecological Justice; Public Administration
- Implementing graduate certificate in Organizational Leadership
- Implementation of Elluminate (webconferencing) in Blackboard for online courses for MSTL
- Professional Studies – after teach-out in 2009-2010, Miller Center was re-opened for 2010-2011 and increased enrollment from 0 to 40 students
Staff – SGPS
Ms. Karen Gamble, Coordinator of Instructional Technology
Conferences
- 2011 Blackboard World Conference – July, 2011
Development
- University Distance Education Manual (collaboration with CIT), collaborator, Spring, 2011
- Creation of the new university Blackboard template, Developer, Spring, 2011
- Development of the Blackboard Faculty and Student Manuals, Developer, Spring/Summer, 2011
Faculty (Leadership Studies)
Dr. Cecily Ball, Assistant Professor of Leadership Studies; Program Coordinator for Graduate and Professional Studies
Faculty Research
- Cooperative Action Research with Dr. Cecily Ball - (January, 2011- present) - Recruiting Minority Teachers and Administrators in NE Florida County
Training
- SPOL Training, Spring, 2011
Conferences
- Leadercast Conference, participant, Daytona Beach, Florida, May, 2011
Development
- Development of LEAD 529 - Special Topics, Professional Development Seminar, Summer, 2011
Dr. Darryl Frazier, Assistant Professor of Leadership Studies, Assessment Coordinator
Training
- SPOL Training, Assessment Coordinator, Spring, 2011
Livetext Training, Attendee, Spring, 2011
Development
- General Education Manual, Collaborator, Spring, 2011
Dr. Michael Humphreys, Assistant Professor of Leadership Studies; Department Head of Leadership Studies
Conferences
- Participation in a United Methodist Church sponsored conference titled: Pedagogy for Ecological Responsibility, Santa Fe, NM, JUNE, 2011.
Presentations
- Presentation on environmental justice: Monthly environmental/social issues speaker series, Dandelion Communitea House, Orlando, FL; FEB 2011
- Presentation on Thomas Berry, Paul Hawken and environmental justice for the Central Florida Sierra Club, AUG 2011.
Development
- Development and approval of an undergraduate minor in Environmental Justice
- Development of an MSTL area of emphasis in Environmental Justice
- Development of a new 500 level graduate course in professional ethics
Dr. Sharon Piety-Nowell, Dean, School of Graduate and Professional Studies; Associate Professor of Leadership Studies
Faculty Research
- Cooperative Action Research with Dr. Ranjna Patel/Dr. Michael Humphreys - (January, 2010 - present) - Transformative Leadership: 360 Assessment of Transfer of Leadership Competencies
- Cooperative Action Research with Dr. Cecily Ball - (January, 2011- present) - Recruiting Minority Teachers and Administrators in NE Florida County
Directed Research
- Pat Brown (January, 2011- present) - Recruiting Minority HS Students to Teach in NE Florida County
New Program Development
- League of Black Women – Sandra Finley, President – planning a Research Center at B-CU to research Black women’s issues and support enrollment of LBW participants in MSTL degree progam (Ms. Finley is visiting the University Oct. 7-8 to make a presentation to the MSTL students at the Residency Weekend and meet with University leaders to plan for the Center – funding/grants are being explored
- Implementing new MS in Integrated Environmental Science - Research grants supporting IES students and faculty in research (Forest Service, etc.); new BJ Moore Center for IES; new faculty
Professional Service
- Chair, Graduate Council
- Chair, Deans’ Council Student Tracking Committee
Faculty – Integrated Environmental Science
Dr. Michael A. Reiter, Tenured Associate Professor of Environmental Science; Director, Integrated Environmental Science Program; Graduate Chair, Department of Integrated Environmental Science
Publications (For published abstracts, see “Presentations”)
- Reljin, N, D. Pokrajac and M. Reiter. 2011. Adaptive Filters for Processing Water Level Data. In: L. Garcia, ed., Adaptive Filtering Applications, InTech Publishers, Croatia. ISBN: 978-953-307-306-4. Available from: http://www.intechopen.com/articles/show/title/adaptive-filters-for-processing-water-level-data.
- Reiter, M. A., W. J. Focht, P. A. Barresi, S. Bumpous, R. C. Smardon, and K. D. Reiter. 2011. Making Education for Sustainability Work on Your Campus: The Roundtables on Environmental Systems and Sustainability. In: Leal Filho, W. (ed.) “World Trends in Education for Sustainable Development”, Ch. 4. Vol. 32 of the series “Umweltbildung, Umweltkommunikation und Nachhaltigkeit” (Environmental Education, Communication and Sustainability), pp 61-76. Peter Lang Scientific Publishers, Frankfurt, Germany.
- Reiter, M. A., J. H. Gentile, M. A. Harwell, J. Barko, and G. Scott. In review. An Integrated Assessment and Ecosystem Management Framework for Informing Environmental Decisions. Environmental Management.
Presentations (* abstract published)
- *Kona, HI, 2011. 17th International Interdisciplinary Conference on the Environment: “The Integrated Assessment and Ecosystem Management Protocol: An Example from Apalachicola Bay, Florida”. M. Reiter, J. Gentile, M. Harwell, H. Wang, and W. Huang. June 27-July 3.
Accepted for presentation:
- *Daytona Beach, FL 2011. 21st Biennial Conference of the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation: “Conceptual modeling for resource management and risk assessment in coastal areas”. With M. Harwell, J. Gentile, and G. Scott. Nov. 6-10.
- *Daytona Beach, FL 2011. 21st Biennial Conference of the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation: “Integrating Risk Assessment of Environmental Stressors with Impacts on Ecosystem Services and Human Health”. G. Scott, D. Porter, C. Scott, L. Wilkcliffe, A. Holland, A. Blair, and M. Reiter. Nov. 6-10.
- *Daytona Beach, FL 2011. 21st Biennial Conference of the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation: “The Utility of Conceptual Ecosystem Models for the development of a research and monitoring program at the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve”. M. Woodrey, C. Morhman, D. Ruple, M. Reiter, and M. Harwell. Nov. 6-10.
Directed Research
- Lauren Kiser (2010-present), Title pending.
- Niraj Ray (2010-present), Title pending.
- Andrew Kamerosky (2010-present), Title pending.
- Rashan Moss (2010-present), Using conceptual models to assess risks from mercury at Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, MS.
- Cary Bleasdale (2009-present), Using conceptual models to assess risks from PAH at Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, MS.
Grants
- In review, Southern Research Station Partnership Enhancement Initiative, $50,000. Project: “Expansion of the Program in Interdisciplinary Environmental Science at Bethune-Cookman University with Emphasis on the Master’s Degree”. PI.
- In review, Gulf of Mexico Alliance 2011. Environmental Education Program, $19,470. Project: “Spatial Technology for the Integrated Assessment of Coastal Ecosystems”. Co-PI, with Y. Tian.
Awards, Honors, and Professional Service
- Bethune-Cookman University, 2011. Winner of the BCU Excellence in Research Award.
- Approval of my designed MSIES program by SACS
- Counselor, Interdisciplinary Environmental Association
- Associate Editor, Interdisciplinary Environmental Review
- Local Arrangements Committee for 40th Costal and Estuarine Research Federation Biennial Conference, Nov. 2011
- Co-Chair of the IEA Roundtables on Environmental Systems and Sustainability, a national effort to develop certification standards for interdisciplinary environmental programs in higher education
- Arranged seminars: Dr. Geoff Scott (Director, National Center for Coastal and Ocean Science, Charleston SC), Dr. Gary Matlock, (Director, Office of Program Analysis and Evaluation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), Dr. Robert Carlson (Kent State University), Mark Harwell (Harwell, Gentile, and Associates LC), Dr. Yong Tian (University of Massachusetts at Boston), Dr. Hyun Jung Cho (Jackson State University)
SATELLITE CAMPUS IN THE BAHAMAS
As part of our Professional Studies program, we seek to explore a Bethune-Cookman University Satellite Campus in the Bahamas via partnership with the Bahamas Methodist Conference. B-CU has a current enrollment of 38 students from the Bahamas. Based upon the growth of satellite campus of other institutions such as Broward College, Nova and Kent State; there is strong interest, particularly among, adult learners, to study at U.S. institutions stationed in the Bahamas. While this would not decrease the number of traditional students who come to B-CU as international students, this would increase our ability to attract non-traditional students who cannot physically attend college in the United States due to financial and other restraints.
Additionally, Bahamians, for the most part, are strongly associated with the United Methodist Church. These preliminary indicators suggest that a B-CU satellite campus would be received very well, increase our efforts to recruit international students and provide an additional revenue stream for the University.
We are requesting permission to conduct a feasibility study, inclusive of a site visit to the Bahamas; interaction with Queens College, a privately owned, prestigious high school in the Bahamas which would potentially serve as our feeder school; an overview of expenses versus revenues and an analysis of the potential for SACS approval.
The School of Nursing
The School of Nursing has made significant process as outlined in the Action Plan submitted to the BOT during the last meeting in order to address the declining pass rates on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Each graduate was required to take the Virtual ATI review course and receive a “Green Light” before his or her name would be released to the State Board of Nursing as eligible to apply to take the licensure examination. In addition, the Kaplan live and online review course resources were provided for each graduate for additional preparation in test-taking skills, and critical-thinking and decision-making strategies.
There were a total of 60 graduates for the class of 2011. Currently 26 graduates have taken the NCLEX-RN, 25 passed and one (1) failed. An additionally 22 graduates have received their “Green Lights” from the Virtual ATI review program and are eligible to sit for NCLEX-RN. They either have a date to test or are waiting for a date. There are 11 graduates that are still in the process of completing the requirements for the “Green Light” and the assigned Kaplan training tests.
There are five (5) graduates from the 2010 class that have not been included in the data reports that we have received from the Florida State Board of Nursing. We are in the process of contacting them to invite them to participate in face-to-face review sessions this fall semester on Tuesdays with faculty.
- Ms. Zenesha Barkley serves on the Florida Cancer Control and Research Advisory Council which is the legislatively mandated state council responsible for advising the legislature, the Governor, and the State Surgeon General to provide solutions and policy alternatives on how to reduce the cancer burden in Florida. In August 2010, Ms. Barkley was appointed and commissioned by Governor Charlie Crist to the Florida Cancer Control and Research Advisory Council (C-CRAB) for a term ending December 1, 2012. Ms. Barkley presented at two conferences: 1) Florida cancer Control and Research Advisory Council, and 2) The City of Daytona Beach Quarterly Health Fair.
- Dr. Deborah Christeleit completed an evidence-based research study that examined the Use of Simulation to Reinforce the Collection Process for Blood Cultures: An Educational Model for Quality Improvement. Aspects of the outcomes of the study have been accepted for publication. Dr. Christeleit completed the requirements and earned a Doctorate in Nursing in June 2011. Dr. Christeleit continues to develop the RN-BSN program as Program Director.
- Ms. Norma Cooper is the School of Nursing liaison for the Freshman Interest Groups (FIGs Project). The FIGs project is a pilot program that offers novel freshman the opportunity to be a part of an unique learning community that helps them make a smooth transition to the Great Bethune-Cookman University.
- Ms. Sandra Gallagher attended the AACN Semi-Annual Conference in March 2011 for Deans and Assistant Deans on Strategic Planning for Nursing Education.
- Ms. Joann Goss coordinates the B-CU Florida Student Nurses Association activities.
- Dr. Patricia Love holds national certification as a Peri-Operative Nurse and is an expert witness for the State of Florida.
- Ms. Christine Robinson has presented educational seminars at several community sites and agencies in Volusia and Flagler counties on stroke recognition, prevention and treatment, and women’s health issues.
- Dr. Willie Mae Session attended the Leadership Institute: legacy of leadership: Preparing for Tomorrow institute at Winston-Salem University from May 16-17, 2011. The purpose of the institute was to groom young or new professional educators to assume leadership positions as chairs, deans, directors and other leadership roles within the HBCU/PBI Nursing Programs. Dr. Session also attended the Division of Nursing and Public Health Nursing Partner Day at Southern University on July 28, 2011. The Nurse Partner Day included a roundtable discussion with the Department of Health and Human Services Administration of Health Professions (HRSA) regarding nurse education funding opportunities.
- Dr. Patricia Sharpe, Visiting Professor was instrumental in the re-accreditation of Tennessee State School of Nursing Program.
- Ms. Shirley Thompson attended the Regional NCLEX-RN Workshop for educators.
- Dr. Maryann Thorhallsson attended a workshop on Advanced Pranic Healing and received certification. She also presented: 1) Spirituality and the Healing Arts, 2) Healthy Aging, and 3) Wellness Coaching for CEUs.
The Odessa Chambliss Wellness Center
- Selected the Community Healthcare Pioneer for Volusia County by the Florida Department of Health Office of Minority Health.
- Selected as judge for the American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Award in the Hospice Palliative Care category.
- Dr. Alma Dixon, the Executive Director of the Wellness Center, presented at the National Black Nurses Association Convention during the End of Life Nursing Education Consortium. (ELNEC)
The School of Science Engineering and Mathematics (SSEM)
Department of Biology
Dr. Alexis Brooks-Walter
- Attended Florida Georgia Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (FGLSAMP) Institutional Coordinator Meeting in Tallahassee, Florida July 2011
- Florida-Georgia Louis Stokes Alliance fro Minority Participation (FGLSAMP) Feb. 2011
- Faculty Mentor, August 2010-May 2011
Dr. C. Ainsley Davis
- Paper accepted for publication entititled: “Structural basis for the inhibition of human alkyladenine DNA glycosylase (AAG) by 3,N4-etheneocytosine containing DNA” to the Journal of Biological Chemistry, June 2011
- Attended EXPO 2011 in Jacksonville, Florida., sponsored by FGLSAMP, Feb. 2011
- Spent summer at MIT in research, teaching, mentoring and writing, June-July, 2011
Dr. Kenneth Lindberg
- Participated in organizing tutoring sessions for Biology majors, Fall – Spring 2011
Dr. Shukdeb Sen
- Manuscript preparation of the role of Argonaute proteins in seed germination, August, 2011
Dr. Irving Robinson
- Pre-Medical Society-weekly meetings, 2011
Department of Chemistry
Dr. Manoharan Mariappan
- Attended NSF-sponsored Computational Chemistry Workshop (CCWCS) at Westminister College, Salt Lake City, Utah, June 17, 2011
- Research Associate, Florida State University, May 18-July 12, 2011
Dr. P.M. Shanbag
- Conference/Meeting Attended 2011 FLERA Conference Place Hyatt Regency – Sarasota’ Florida, July 27-29, 2011
Dr. Visahwas Trivedi
- National Science Foundation TUES [Transforming Undergraduate Education in STEM] entitled, “Concept development based integration leading to advanced applications of spectroscopic approach in chemistry curriculum for undergraduates” May 16-24, 2011
- Research Presentation: “Ligand binding, unusual stability and mode of phsophorylation of anabaena sensory receptor transducer and its modulation on receptor mediated signaling” at Institute of Life Sciences, Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India, Bhubaneshwar, India, July 25, 2011
- The Dreyfus Jean Dreyfus Boissevain Lectureships for Undergraduate Institutions” proposal, August 10- 17, 2011
Department of Computer Science & Engineering
Dr. E.K. Guruvadoo
- BCU-FAU collaboration on Boeing Small/Diverse Business & Strategic Alliances August 8, 2011
Dr. Van Nguyen
- Boeing STEM Project, BCU-FAU Research Collaboration, July 9, 20011
Dr. Morrison Obeng
- Technical meeting at Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton on Wireless Technology, July 26, 2011
- Site Visit to BCU Computer Engineering Students at UEC Electronics, July 12, 2011
- Boeing-BCU Project on Computer Graphics, May 27, July 14, 2011
- NASA CIPAIR Proposal to integrate research into education, March 2011
- NSF HBCU-UP Implementation Proposal, April 2011
Dr. Jing Wang
- Attended AMS 2011 Spring Southeastern Section Meeting, Statesboro, GA, March 12-13, 2011
- Author of the paper J. Wang, M.Obeng, and X. Wu, “A new trajectory generation and tracking control design for nonholonomic mobile robots using complex potentials” 2011
- Reviewer for professional journals and conferences such as: IEEE Trans On Automatic Control, IEEE Trans. On Robotics, Automatics, Int. J. of Robotic and Automation, et.al. August 2011
- Member of International Program Committee for the IASTED International Conference on Intelligent Systems and Control (ISC 2011), Cambridge, United Kingdom, July 10-11, 2011
Dr. Xiaohe Wu
- Robotics Competition, March 17, 2011
Department of Integrated Environmental Science
Dr. Michael Reiter
- Publication: Reljin, N, D. Pokrajac and M. Reiter. 2011. Adaptive Filters for Processing Water Level Data. In: L. Garcia, ed., Adaptive Filtering Applications, InTech Publishers, Croatia. ISBN: 978-953-307-306-4. Available from: http://www.intechopen.com/articles/show/title/adaptive-filters-for-processing-water-level-data. Spring 2011.
- Publication: Reiter, M. A., W. J. Focht, P. A. Barresi, S. Bumpous, R. C. Smardon, and K. D. Reiter. 2011. Making Education for Sustainability Work on Your Campus: The Roundtables on Environmental Systems and Sustainability. In: Leal Filho, W. (ed.) “World Trends in Education for Sustainable Development”, Ch. 4. Vol. 32 of the series “Umweltbildung, Umweltkommunikation und Nachhaltigkeit” (Environmental Education, Communication and Sustainability), pp 61-76. Peter Lang Scientific Publishers, Frankfurt, Germany. Summer 2011.
- Publication submitted for review: Reiter, M. A., J. H. Gentile, M. A. Harwell, J. Barko, and G. Scott. In review. An Integrated Assessment and Ecosystem Management Framework for Informing Environmental Decisions. Environmental Management. Summer 2011.
- Presentation: Kona, HI, 2011. 17th International Interdisciplinary Conference on the Environment: “The Integrated Assessment and Ecosystem Management Protocol: An Example from Apalachicola Bay, Florida”. M. Reiter, J. Gentile, M. Harwell, H. Wang, and W. Huang. June 27-July 3, 2011.
- Directed thesis research, MS: Lauren Kiser (2010-present), Title pending. Niraj Ray (2010-present), Title pending. Andrew Kamerosky (2010-present), Title pending. Rashan Moss (2010-present), Using conceptual models to assess risks from mercury at Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, MS. Cary Bleasdale (2009-present), Using conceptual models to assess risks from PAH at Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, MS. Ongoing.
- Grant submitted for review: In review, Gulf of Mexico Alliance 2011. Environmental Education Program, $19,470. Project: “Spatial Technology for the Integrated Assessment of Coastal Ecosystems”. Co-PI, with Y. Tian. Summer 2011.
- Associate Editor, Interdisciplinary Environmental Review. Ongoing.
- IEA Roundtables on Environmental Systems and Sustainability. Ongoing.
Area of Physics
Dr. Sunil David
- Connective Learning - A Dynamic Teaching Technique that Supports and Lifts Various Learning Styles across the Curriculum. Feb. 2011
- Writing Across the Curriculum/Writing in the 21st Century. April 2011.
- Climate Change and Coastal Development: A Recipe for Disaster for Coastal Ecosystem Health. Spring 2011.
Dr. Frank Ekpo
- State Science Fair (Judge). March 24, 2011.
- Calculus-based Physics Course Review to incorporate Nanonotechnology at University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. June 7-July 7, 2011.
Dr. Fred Hall IV
- Clinical/Mental Health Workshop --- Grief and Loss Counseling. Feb. 4, 2011
- New Faculty Mentor Program Round Up/Summary Workshop. May 13, 2011.
The School of Social Sciences
Dr. Jeannette Ford, Associate Professor of History and Department Chair will serve as a 2011/2012 Fulbright Scholar at the University of Tirana, Albania
Dr. Sabrina Jordan, Assistant Professor of International Studies and Department Chair received a UNCF Mellon Fellowship to study in Bahia, Brazil. The theme was "Empowerment of Women of Diaspora."
Mr. Raphael Jackson, Assistant Professor of History received a UNCF Mellon Fellowship to study in Bahia, Brazil. The theme was "Empowerment of Women of Diaspora."
Dr. Douglas Rivero, Assistant Professor of Political Science and Department Chair completed a Study abroad excursion with students in Cuba. The focus was on Enhancing relationships with Cuba and other Latin American countries.
Salary Equity
B-CU clearly has highly trained and qualified faculty who are achieving excellence in teaching, research and service as highlighted in the above paragraphs. As the level of our academic excellence increases, we must make certain we have the ability to recruit and retain quality faculty. B-CU currently does not have an established formula for determining faculty salaries. We are seeking permission to address on-going salary disparities among gender, rank and academic disciplines
