by Thomas Lynn
Rick Scott, Florida’s Governor, came and asked the state colleges to come up with some kind of program that would give students a baccalaureate degree for $10,000 or less.
Daytona State College has been invited by Scott to be one of the original pilot schools offered into accepting the challenge put forward by the governor. Instead of choosing one particular Bachelor’s degree, a parallel program will be made to help students seeking a bachelor’s degree complete their education in any field for $10,000.
The Fast Track Baccalaureate Program was introduced to the Board of Trustees last month. It will be a limited access plan set up for students to receive a baccalaureate degree in three years. Nothing will change for any of the usual bachelor degree programs at DSC. But for students coming right out of high school, the program will be specially made for them. Students will need to have 15 college credits in either dual enrolment or advanced placement, finishing their first semester while still in high school. Once enrolled at DSC the students would be required to earn 18 credits each semester.
By accelerating the pace of their education, and shortening the amount of time spent at school, the plan will save on both time and money. For the College to be sure a student can finish the grueling speed, it will demand an admission criteria be met by the participants. DSC will be selecting highly motivated, eager students for the program.
“We were one of the first eight,” said Chairman Dwight Lewis, referring to DSC accepting the Governors challenge.
Lewis stood against the opponents of the Governors challenge, saying that it didn’t matter if it was a political stunt, as long as it’s good for the students.
“Political or not political,” said Lewis, “We’re not involved in any of that. We’re involved with doing what’s best for our students.”
President Carol Eaton met with UCF president, John Hitt, to discuss the possibility of DSC joining DirectConnect, a group of five colleges whose students receive preferential acceptance into UCF. President Eaton will have to write up a letter to the presidents of UCF, Valencia, Seminole, Brevard, and Lake Sumter Colleges to ask to be considered for membership. If DSC continues to be left out of DirectConnect it will be harder for its students to be accepted by UCF. The difficult part, says Lewis, is convincing the other Colleges to let DSC into the group, which would create more competition for the other college’s students.
The Board also heard from Steve Eckman, Director of the Facility Planning Department, on the progress of the Master Plan, an update of College facilities done every five years. A new building will begin construction on the Flagler-Palm Coast Campus in the summer of 2013. The architects are working with faculty and staff at Flagler trying to draw up the perfect plans for the site. Eckman predicts that classes will be able to start in August 2014.
“This is the fun stage,” said Eaton. “We’ll dream now, for a couple of months at least, and, unfortunately, we have to come back down to reality and what we can afford. But let’s keep it in mind that we’re creating a new building and that’s wonderful.”