Posts

Posted on

Student Success

I have not posted for a while.  It isn’t because I have not been writing.  I have been thinking and writing a lot about student success.  However, nothing felt or sounded right.

A Lot of Things I Want to Say

There are many things I hope to post in the future about student success.  Over a period of time, I plan to write about enhancing graduation rates, the importance of student activities, mental health counseling, and the changing classroom.  However, today I want to tell you about the last two days and the time I spent with some of our students.

Our Students at FSU PC

During the past several years, we have been working to bring residential housing to FSU PC as a public-private-partnership with a developer.  As a public university, you have to follow a number of rules and regulations and receive approvals from both the university board of trustees and the statewide Florida Board of Governors (BOG).

On January 29-30, a group of students from our Student Government Council joined me in Tallahassee as we presented our project to the BOG.  The 17-member statewide governing board was joined by the 12 public university presidents, in addition to some board members from each university.

Our students made their presence known and stressed the importance of the project as they talked to board members and others in attendance.  Our students clearly understood the correlation between residential housing and student success.  I know their presence and advocacy played a major role in the BOG members feeling confident in the importance of the project.

While our project was so important to us, the BOG had many other items on its agenda.  In addition to discussing academic programs, athletics, mental health counseling and many other items, under newly-elected Chair Syd Kitson convened a panel of three Florida business leaders to discuss the connection between higher education and Florida’s businesses.  Mark Wilson, President of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Jamal Sowell, President and CEO of Enterprise Florida, and Bob Ward, President and CEO of the Florida Council of 100 answered questions about Florida’s economy, the necessity of working together on items of common interest, and the critical importance of both STEM and the humanities.

FSU PC Student Gets the Last Question

As BOG members and the panelists were close to the end of a very interesting and important discussion, Chair Kitson called on FSU PC Student Government Council President Billy Bradley to ask the last question.

Question and Answers Focused on Student Success

Billy’s question hit right at one of the key things that we work to instill in our graduates — being engaged members of their communities.  Touching on both stakeholder value and shareholder value, Billy asked how you can be both financially successful and make a difference for Florida.  Please take a moment to watch Billy’s question and the insightful responses from the panelists. They focused on embracing your passion, increasing volunteerism in the state, and using your talents to enhance your community — all things that I believe our students learn to value while at FSU PC.

 

 

Posted on

A Thankful Time of Year

Dinner table set with glasses and plates

This Thursday is my favorite holiday of the year — I love Thanksgiving. It’s probably because it includes the following: spending time with my family, eating delicious food, watching football games, and watching early-season basketball tournaments. In recent years, I’ve also added a new tradition to my holiday week — spending a few hours calling students who have been admitted to FSU PC for the subsequent year.

Hurricane Michael Aftermath

I am acutely aware of a large number of students, and others in our community who (in addition to the stress of the holidays and the end of the semester) continue to face the challenges left behind by Hurricane Michael. Working with those who are still struggling has inspired me to reflect on my own family’s blessings. It’s helped me understand the true importance of family and of friends.

Facing Our Own Family Hurdles 

This past July my wife of 38 years, Jerri, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Since then, she has been receiving excellent treatment in Jacksonville, FL at Mayo Clinic, as well as here in Panama City. During a follow-up appointment at Mayo last week, we received some good news —her tumor responded well to the chemotherapy. She still has treatments ahead of her, including surgery and possibly radiation, but we are enjoying this bit of happy news.

This experience has taught me a lot about life!

First

I think it is important to celebrate everything. As humans, we crave definite answers to our questions. We want to know when we can put our present struggles in the past. We want our fears assuaged, and our concerns addressed.

Cancer, as I have found, doesn’t care about reassurance. In many cases, cancer patients must become comfortable with a scan being inconclusive, a treatment being experimental, or surgery being untested. So, when something sounds like good news it is best to celebrate.

Second

I’ve learned how far science and innovation have come in the treatment of cancer, and how far there is to go. Jerri is receiving an intense regiment of chemotherapy drugs, one of which was invented here at Florida State in the mid-1990’s, by the father of one of my daughter’s elementary school classmates. The fact that breast cancer is so common — 1 in 8 women will be affected in their lifetime — has allowed it to become a research priority around the world, giving patients new treatment options nearly every week.

Remaining Silent

For a while, we kept the news of Jerri’s diagnosis to ourselves. But once she was scheduled to start chemo our daughter, Grace Ellen, kicked things into high gear. At the suggestion of our dear college friend Helen Townsend, Grace Ellen reached out to Jerri’s massive group of friends;  people from her childhood, her college years, and other seasons of her life. While keeping it a secret, Grace Ellen’s roommate Cholette did some pretty masterful work behind the scenes finding these friends (who are scattered all over the country). During her first chemo treatment, Jerri received a video with messages from more than 30 people – all rooting for her and wishing her well. Some of the messages were serious, a lot of them funny, and all of them were supportive and appreciative towards my wife.

The Support Keeps Pouring In

Every day, Jerri receives a text, a call, or an email from someone; and many days I do as well. Our powerful support group of treasured friends (many of whom we have not seen in years) hit home last week when we were at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville for a checkup. Jerri had lunch with her college roommate. Over the years, the two of them had maintained a long-distance relationship (via phone), but not physically seen each other since our wedding day in 1981.

We also received word from one of her sorority sisters who was a great friend of both of ours back in our college days. This friend had previously sent Grace Ellen a video to include in Jerri’s video message when she decided to get a mammogram for herself. It revealed breast cancer at one of the earliest stages. Thankfully she was able to receive quick, complete, and curative treatment.

Reflecting on Life

Grace Ellen and Jerri at Chemo treatment
Grace Ellen and Jerri at Chemo treatment

This past week, Grace Ellen flew down from grad school at George Washington University, and attended the consults we had at Mayo Clinic before coming home to Panama City for the holiday. As we left the hospital, we all celebrated Jerri’s good news, and looked forward to stopping by Tallahassee on our way home to meet up with a group of friends. When my children were young, I decided to train for my first marathon. While doing so, I got to know a wonderful group of people, who ran at 5:30 am, several mornings a week. They called themselves the “EarlyGirlz”, after their five original female members. The name has stuck for over 20 years, even with the addition of new members — who are neither early risers nor female!

After receiving our good news, we enjoyed a celebratory lunch with roughly twenty EarlyGirlz members, as well as with our son Curtis. It is always wonderful to be surrounded by these dear friends —a relationship that’s been 25 years in the making. We have played together, laughed together, cried together, and supported each other through difficult times. These times remind us how thankful we are to have people like them as our extended family.

Our Many Blessings

This Thanksgiving we give thanks for our many blessings including our health, our friends, and our family. But we also give thanks to those in our community who continue to support those in need— whether financially, physically, or emotionally — due to Hurricane Michael. Let us not only spread our time and our treasures to those in need, but also make sure we provide daily encouragement to all around us.

 

Happy Thanksgiving

From Randy, Jerri, Curtis, and Grace Ellen.

Posted on

The Wall of Billy

a photo of Billy Bradley standing in front of his character wall

As you walk the halls of most major universities, you see plaques and photos of former student leaders who have left their mark on campus. This is clearly the case at Florida State University.

These Walls are Very Significant.

We recognize the importance of student leaders and the impact they have had, not only on other students, faculty, and staff but also on the success of their college or university. At Florida State University Panama City, our students have built a different type of wall of honor.  It is not hard to understand the impact of a leader when current students dedicate an entire wall on campus to honor one — their own Student Government Council President, Billy Bradley.

Introducing

“The Wall of Billy” — prominently displayed in the Digital Design Studio (DDS) in the Robbins Center at FSU PC.

Over the past six months, students entering the DDS could find a stack of outlines of Billy and a box of crayons. Our students have used those crayons to show their leader Billy as Mario, Batman, Bart Simpson, etc. Last time I checked, there were more than 75 images of Billy Bradley on the wall.

A photo of 12 different cartoon Billy's

I Must Admit

I did not pay a lot of attention to the Wall of Billy, until one Saturday when my daughter, Grace Ellen, and my wife, Jerri, joined me on a trip to campus. The three of us dropped by the DDS where my daughter immediately noticed the wall and started asking questions. Jerri and Grace Ellen spent a significant amount of time in the center chatting about Billy’s wall, marveling at it, and listening intently as students gushed about Billy’s many attributes.

A couple of weeks later, a corporate executive who’s company was considering expanding in the area, was visiting campus to talk about workforce needs. After we walked through the DDS and visited with students, he said he would love to meet anyone who has their own wall dedicated to them on campus.

Billy Bradley

I told him the story of Billy Bradley. Billy came to FSU from Dean Bozeman, a K-12 school in northern Bay County. He grew up in a rural area in Northwest Florida. This May, he will be the first member of his direct family to graduate from college.

Billy and I Came to FSU PC at the Same Time

I was the new leader of the campus and Billy was a new college student. Billy participated in our student convocation where we began the new FSU PC tradition— robing our new first-time college students to signify their part in this academic community.

Billy Has Not Slowed Down Since

Not only is he the current president of the Student Government Council, but he was also an active member of our new student housing project team. He tutors’ students in math and was president of the Sewing Club (even though he can’t sew).

A photo of Kyle Greer, Billy Bradley, President John Thrasher and Sam Lamb.
Pictured from the left: SGA officers Kyle Greer, Billy Bradley, President John Thrasher, and Sam Lamb.

In addition to everything else, Billy also participates in my Dean’s Senior Leadership Team meetings. A few weeks ago, I was presenting on the cycles of businesses and organizations, using the bell curve to show the life cycle of most organizations.

Billy Was a Little Late to the Meeting Because of Class.

He walked in as I had finished drawing the curve, showing how many businesses or organizations reach a peak and then begin to fall. Without warning, I asked Billy to finish my presentation and show how successful organizations behave. Without missing a beat, Billy inserted the need for a new upward curve at various times.

He hit a home run and told the group that although we had made great strides, it is when we are doing well that we must look for other challenges. He stressed that if we don’t look for those challenges, we run the risk of falling because of a variety of factors that include competitors, student choices, and economic conditions. He was clearly paying attention in his business administration class.

Double Major

Billy is receiving a double major in Business Administration and Social Sciences, and he hopes to attend law school after graduation. I have a good feeling that he will be successful in whatever he does.

If you ever see a student-created wall honoring their leader in unique ways, please know that most likely that person on the wall is a true leader.

It is my honor to work with Student Government Council President Billy Bradley.

Posted on

Student Success for the Future

College students tossing their caps into the air

I am a first generation college student. I did great in high school and graduated as one of the top 10 of my class – all 56 students.  I never had the opportunity to take a chemistry or physics class in high school – not because I did not want to, but because they were not offered.

As I attended college, I realized that my goal of receiving a degree in Agriculture was in jeopardy as I struggled with Chemistry.  I laugh (externally, but not inside) when I tell folks that Chemistry made me a lawyer.

My Role

In my role as Dean of Florida State University Panama City, I often visit with students and talk about their future.  Recently, I met with a student who told me she wanted to be a doctor but had given up on that goal. She gave up after a high school teacher told her that because she had performed poorly in a science class, she would not find success in the medical field. My heart broke as I listened, and I let her know that nothing could be further from the truth.

While I recognize and appreciate the fact that students have natural strengths, I refuse to believe that someone can either be good at science or the humanities, but not both. People can learn to capitalize on their strengths while developing their weaknesses into skills. Though these skills may not come easy, they are equally valuable. Educators constantly hear about folks who have excellent technical skills, but lack the soft skills to function in a work environment. Rather than immediately labeling he/she at an early age as a potential scientist or poet, farmer or journalist, engineer or historian, we should strive to develop the whole student. This is a trait that we as educators should work to master to have a curriculum that is strongly aligned to the needs of the workforce, while also producing interesting and interested lifelong learners.

Aimed Focus

At Florida State University, I have found a place where the curriculum in all programs is based on strong writing, technical, and leadership skills.  A place where the focus is on a comprehensive education, and where the faculty work hard to help students succeed. While I strongly support and  believe there is clearly a place for institutions where the focus is on workforce education, and also for colleges who focus primarily on the liberal arts, FSU does a great job of capitalizing on a wide range of critical aspects that are needed in our increasingly complex, and fast-moving society.

I am cognizant that there are critics of a university education. Some find fault with what they perceive as a liberal bias from professors, or places where students are “coddled”.  In my daily work, nothing could be further from the truth.  At FSU PC, I work every day with a group of brilliant and talented professors, whose sole interest is helping their students succeed.  I work daily with some of the most engaged students, many of whom are, like me, the first in their family to attend college. Most of these students are working one or more jobs and balancing their family responsibilities. along with academic pursuits.  They are not being sheltered, but instead they are being held to the highest standards. They are being supported through an immense period of intellectual and personal growth, with the goal that they will be prepared for the ever-changing workforce.

At FSU Panama City

We ensure students of the FSU PC Promise – We will be their partner, they will be prepared for the workforce or graduate school, they can set their path, and FSU will always be their home.

On both campuses (Tallahassee and Panama City), we are acutely focused on student success.  We have regular, university-wide enrollment, management meetings to break down barriers.  Also, our faculty are constantly redesigning courses and we have an intense focus on career preparation services. We have also become the largest university in the country to have an experiential learning requirement for all new students.

A Work in Progress

An important part of a student being successful in the classroom is being engaged on campus.  I am very proud of the work we have done on both campuses to enhance student activities; an important part of the equation.  I am especially proud that we anticipate having student housing at FSU PC by Fall of 2021.

The work that has been done at FSU in student success did not happen overnight.  It has been in place for many years. Today we have a 70% four-year graduation rate for first-time college students, the highest in Florida, and one of the best in the country.

Value

While some question the value of a university degree, I see its worth every single day. Watching both new and returning students develop needed technical skills, along with critical thinking, and leadership skills, is thrilling. I am always proud to see them as successful members of our society.

 

Go Noles!

 

Posted on

Homecoming

Florida State Mascot marches in homecoming parade

This has been a busy week

This has been a busy, exciting, and tough couple of weeks at FSU PC and for me personally. On October 20, my little brother died after a brief, but hard-fought battle with pancreatic cancer.    While his death was expected, it was still painful to see him go.  However, the celebration of his life was joyful, and I was able to spend time with people that I had not seen in 30 years.  People came “home” to celebrate his life and tell some great stories.  These stories included many discussions about the impact he had on their work and their lives.

Purely by coincidence

FSU staff barbecue during homecoming celebraion Purely by coincidence, it was also Homecoming week at FSU.  On both campuses, our students led events for current and past students, truly providing something for everyone.   Celebrations included a barbecue on the grounds of FSU PC, a Tuesday night kick-off event, Pow Wow and a parade on the Tallahassee campus, and a great Seminole victory over the Syracuse Orange.  As they have for more than 30 years, our FSU PC Student Government Council members presented the Torch on the field at the Homecoming football game, showing the connection between the two campuses.

Our Impact 

Durning homecoming week I heard countless stories from students, faculty, staff, and alumni about not only their memories of being on campus, but especially about the friendships they made and the impact their professors, advisors, and fellow students have had on their professional and personal lives.  At the football game, I ran into a student I taught in law school.  Now, he is a successful partner in his firm and works throughout the country.  While many of the conversations I participated in included discussions about time on campus, most, if not all, had a thread about the impact FSU has had on their lives.

Mourning our Own

Toward the end of the week, we received some very sad news.  Both a dedicated staff member at FSU PC and one of our star students died in separate automobile accidents.  On a campus where you get to know many of the students, faculty and staff, the word of these deaths spread quickly through our FSU PC family.

While there currently is and will continue to be sadness, the discussions have turned to the impact these two had on co-workers and fellow students.  People talked about the infectious smile and warm greeting the staff member had, treating everyone with the same level of respect, as well as the impact the student had on the members of her cohort and her love for helping young people.  There is no way to ease the pain of these deaths, but I take pride in seeing how well the members of our community love and support each other through times of tragedy.

A New DefinitionFSU students hold poster up for homecoming event

This week, I adopted a new definition of Homecoming.  Homecoming is for football, celebration and sharing happy memories, but it is also marching through challenging times, while constantly reminding ourselves of the strength that comes from community and what we learn from each other.  Homecoming is valuing the impact others have had on your life.  The FSU community is remarkable, and I am proud to call this place home.

 

Posted on

The FSU Panama City Promise

FSU PC Promise Logo

Promise

Last Thursday, October 10, was the first anniversary of Hurricane Michael ravaging our beautiful community, and surrounding areas. There have been many stories about people outside of the area not having any knowledge of the tremendous damage, and how long the recovery will take.

The people within this region are hard-working, dedicated and resilient. Every day we see improvements to our infrastructure, and businesses reopening. I am convinced that this area will not only recover but will also have an economic renaissance. I see it in my work with the local economic development officials as we continue to meet with many companies interested in expanding to the region.

A significant part of that economic renaissance is evaluating the work we do, and how we do it. Over the past six months, a group of dedicated volunteers, faculty, staff, and students from our campus has been developing a new strategic plan for FSU PC for the next five years. That process included identifying our core values — what makes this place so special, and what students can count on.

We call it the FSU PC Promise! We make the following promises to every one of our students:

We Promise To Be Your Partner

— as you pursue your academic goals at one of America’s great public research universities. Through small classes, individual attention, and working with mentors, you will have the greatest potential for academic, career, and professional development!

We Promise You Will Be Prepared

— as you move into the workforce or onto graduate school. The high academic standards, our commitment to helping you succeed, and your opportunity to participate in experimental learning, undergraduate research, and community service will advocate your success!

We Promise You Can Set Your Path

— through engaging in group and individualized projects, providing separate pathways, and participating in hands-on learning experiences directly tied to your academic career. You can count on us working with you to meet your individual goals!

We Promise FSU Will Always Be Your Home

— even after graduation, this partnership is more than a commitment for a few years. You will leave with greater critical thinking skills, a love for learning, and understanding the importance of being an engaged member of your community. Together, we will make sure that FSU continues to meet the needs of students just like you.

That’s our promise to our students. It is also a critical component of the recovery and economic renaissance of this area. We understand that we must play a major role in that recovery and revitalization, and we will start every day by focusing on the students, and student success — that’s our promise!

Posted on

I Had a Revelation This Week

I already knew it

But, this week, I saw it in real time. I was walking through the Holley Center, one of our academic buildings, when I noticed one of our recruiters showing a prospective student our beautiful campus.

One of the best parts of my job

One of the best parts of my job is meeting potential students. It didn’t take long for me to walk over to introduce myself to him and his grandmother. As a senior, this student was exploring colleges in the area.

Ok so, we like college football here and my first question was whether he was a Nole. He said something about “Roll Tide” and I saw his grandmother sternly look at him. I expected her to say she had always been a Seminole. However, she immediately pledged allegiance to Auburn, not Alabama.

Clearly, this conversation was not going well. So, I quickly moved from football to academics and welcomed them to one of the top public universities in the country. As of September 9, 2019, FSU is ranked by US News and World Reports as the 18th top public university in the country.

While currently attending a small private school in the area, this student has an interest in studying engineering. We engaged in a short conversation about math, his extracurricular interests, his friends and I answered a few questions about college. I could see the spark in his eyes as he talked about building things and how things work. He has developed software programs, built a building in his back yard, and has worked on numerous inventions.

As we continued to talk

I decided to call in the varsity and asked two of our engineering faculty to meet with him. Dr. Damion Dunlap and Dr. Walid Hadi were happy to spend time discussing his future. Dr. Dunlap is a mechanical engineering faculty member and Dr. Hadi is recognized for his work in electrical engineering.

The connection between the rising senior and these two talented faculty members was fascinating. I saw his interest grow as Dr. Dunlap, the advisor for our RoboBoat team, talked about the intricacies of mechanical engineering and his abilities to get involved on campus. Then, Dr. Hadi was equally engaging as he talked about the curriculum, including the circuits and power classes. He also talked about our electrical engineering students who placed nationally in the NASA rocket competition.

There was a little friendly rivalry between the professors as they urged the student to think about their individual disciplines. However, their primary focus was on what was best for the student—even if it was in a related area like computer science. For that, I am honored to have them as faculty members at FSUPC.

While I cannot be certain, my hunch is, that potential student and his grandmother walked out of our campus as Seminoles.