DSC’s Big Band plans extravaganza for March 6
Photo By: Photo courtesy of Daytona State Marketing Department
Under the direction of Associate Professor Peter Waidelich the 20-piece big band will blues-up the house with tunes by Nat Adderley and Horace Silver. The college’s flute choir will entertain with all ranges and sizes of flutes including exotic alto and bass instruments, led by faculty member Tammy Phillips.
The concert will be in the Davidson Theater of the college’s News-Journal Center, 221 N. Beach St., Daytona Beach. Admission is free to Daytona State, Bethune-Cookman University and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University students, as well as Volusia and Flagler county students. Admission for all others is $8 per person or $15 for two. Tickets are available at the News-Journal Center Box Office, Wednesday-Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., online ticketing can be purchased at www.DaytonaState.edu/TheArts.
Group rates are available when purchasing 10 or more tickets for any performance (some restrictions apply); contact the box office at 386- 226-1927 for information.
Women’s History Month lunch set for March 27
The Daytona State College Center for Women and Men and its advisory board will honor a veteran local teacher at their annual fundraising luncheon in commemoration of National Women’s History Month on Thursday, March 27, from noon to 1:30 p.m.
The event features a luncheon prepared by Daytona State Culinary program students under the tutelage of award-winning chef and program chair Costa Magoulas. There will be door prizes and a raffle sponsored by Mercedes-Benz of Daytona Beach, which will provide 10 Mercedes-Benz automobiles for winners to enjoy the luxury of driving for a specified time period.
The theme for National Women’s History Month is “Women of Character, Commitment and Courage,” which lauds the achievements, leadership, strength and love of the women who help build America, while honoring the extraordinary and often unrecognized determination and tenacity of women.
This year’s event honors Daytona Beach’s own Valencia Robinson, a middle school language arts teacher who was named one of People Magazine’s 2013 Teachers of the Year. Robinson, who also is the keynote speaker for the event, teaches intensive reading at New Smyrna Beach Middle School. She also is a breast cancer survivor and has co-written a book, “Promise Me You Will,” with her teenage son, Devon, about her battle with the disease and how she managed to take control of her health. In recognizing Robinson for the award, People magazine cited her dedication to the most at-risk students and how, after working with her, their standardized reading test scores often increase by up to 60 percent. She stays involved with her students and their families outside the classroom and, along with her husband, Jeff, has started a foundation that helps support her students’ families with household bills and medical needs.
More than 250 people are expected to attend the luncheon, which will be held in the Hosseini Center on the Daytona Beach Campus, 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd. Cost is $40 per person or $320 for a table of eight. Seating is limited and proceeds benefit Center for Women and Men programs. Tickets can be purchased online.
For additional information, including where raffle tickets for the Mercedes-Benz drive time can be purchased, call 386- 506-3471 or email CenterforWomenandMen@DaytonaState.edu.
Daytona State gets ‘Satisfaction’ results
Last November Daytona State College conducted a new Employee Satisfaction Survey, with more than half of our employees, 564 total, from all areas of the college participated.
Now, the results of the survey are being released, with DSC President Carol Eaton announcing that the administration has “made significant improvements as a College community in meeting the items we felt were important. As a college seeking continuous quality improvement there are some insights that we can take from this survey and work toward enhancing this great institution.”
Those who want to hear more about DSC’s overall satisfaction rates, including campus and constituent group responses, how DSC results changed from the 2011 to the 2013 administration of the survey, and how DSC compares to national averages, are invited to attend a Town Hall meeting at 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 18, in the Hosseini Center (Building 1200), where Dr. Eaton will review and discuss the survey results. The complete report of the survey results is also posted on the College’s portal under the Institutional Research home page.
In late February, the survey results were also presented at the Planning Council meeting. That meeting’s audio, as well as the presentation, were broadcasted live via Adobe Connect. To listen to the meeting via Adobe Connect, please go to http://daytonastate.adobeconnect.com/pcm/ Choose “Enter as a Guest,” type your name and click “Enter Room.” The broadcast will also be recorded and available on the portal under Institutional Research.
Group honors faculty, administration for innovations
A team of Daytona State College faculty and administrators recently earned awards of excellence from the National Institute of Staff and Organizational Development, better known as NISOD, a consortium of community and technical colleges that promotes excellence in teaching, learning and leadership.
Professors Joy Lewis and Jessica Kester and College Writing Center Director Rebecca Block were lauded for spearheading the creation of Daytona State’s Writing across the Curriculum/Writing in the Discipline program — or WAC/WID — an initiative dedicated to enhancing student literacy and communication skills.
Kicking off its second year at Daytona State, WAC/WID also is paired with a Writing Fellows program (see this month’s In Motion story on the fellows) that team trains students with faculty who have participated in WAC/WID. The goal is for fellows to work with professors in identifying students who are struggling with their writing assignments and to provide them the extra support and guidance they need to succeed.
The three will be recognized during NISOD’s annual International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence, May 25-28, in Austin, Texas. The awards honor those who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment and contribution to their students and colleagues.