HC School Board advocates for FSU PC to remain open

BONIFAY – The Holmes County School Board recognized the need for the Florida State University branch in Panama City during their regularly scheduled meeting the morning of April 21.

The Board explained that “Florida State University Panama City provides the final link in Holmes County’s seamless K-16 system of public education and trains exemplary candidates as teachers for our Holmes District Schools classrooms.”

FSU also “partners with Gulf Coast Community College and the National Defense Education Program through the Naval Surface Warfare Center to provide summer learning opportunities in the STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) for our students.”

The school also “provides opportunities for practicing teachers to gain certification in our content areas to ensure that all Holmes District students are taught by highly qualified teachers and works diligently to include smaller, surrounding districts in its sphere of influence.”

FSU “creates an expectation that all Holmes District students may avail themselves of an exemplary and affordable college education, therefore the Holmes District School Board supports the continued operation of Florida State University Panama City.”

The Board also approved of the rehiring of all personnel with four or more years of experience.

Board member Jason Motley asked for everyone to pray for Board member Rickey Callahan as he will be going in for knee surgery very soon.

Board member Vernon Lewis, Jr. congratulated Bethlehem High School student Megan Dady for winning first place in Calculus during the 26th Annual Chipola Math Olympiad.

Florida State University Panama City

1.  The FSU Panama City campus was established in 1982 by act of the Florida Legislature.  Since that time, over 5,000 individuals have received Florida State University degrees while attending FSU Panama City. 

2.  Approximately 85% of these more than 5,000 alumni live and work in Northwest Florida, making an enormous contribution to the economic development and quality of life of the region.

3.  Approximately 1,000 students are currently enrolled at FSU Panama City.  Around 400 FSU Panama City students graduate each year and transition into the workforce of Northwest Florida.  Many of the students attending FSU Panama City are essentially “place-bound” students.  For many of them it is not an option to leave the area due to family, work or financial considerations.  The reality is that if the opportunity to complete their bachelor’s degree was not available to them at FSU Panama City their education would most likely end with a two-year degree.

4.  The high quality undergraduate and graduate programs in education offered at FSU Panama City make a major contribution to the quality of K-12 education in the Northwest Florida region (undergraduate and graduate elementary education; undergraduate social science education; masters early childhood/primary education; masters educational administration/leadership; masters and specialist mathematics education; masters reading education and language arts; masters social science education). 

5.  Engineering graduates are in high demand within the regional workforce, particularly in support of major defense operations and defense contractors’ workforce needs.  Local employers have difficulty in recruiting the highly skilled employees needed from locations outside of the Northwest Florida region.  The vast majority of FSU Panama City engineering graduates, approximately 90%, work in Northwest Florida.

6.  FSU Panama City developed in 2007, 2008 and 2009 advanced initiatives to expand and encourage middle and high school students in the region to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).  Partnering with the Department of Defense, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Gulf Coast Community College and area school districts, significant progress has been made in this important area of national concern that would not have occurred without the leadership of key members of the FSU Panama City faculty and administration.  Grants were received from the Department of Defense, National Science Foundation and the AT&T Foundation totaling nearly $800,000 to support these efforts which clearly validate not only the value of these initiatives but the high quality of the STEM academic programs provided at FSU Panama City. 

7.  FSU Panama City and Gulf Coast Community College entered into an enhanced articulation agreement in June 2008 which established the CONNECT! program.  The program provides for a seamless transition from high school to GCCC to FSUPC for bachelor degree track students.  The CONNECT! program represents extraordinary commitment on the part of both faculty and staff at both institutions.  Students entering the CONNECT! program are connected from onset with advisors from both campuses who assist the student in mapping out a path to complete an undergraduate degree as efficiently and effectively as possible.  The students meet with joint advisors after completing each 15 credit hour increment of their degree to ensure they are staying on their individualized path and that they have the greatest opportunities to be successful.   
This program is an outstanding example of effectively using state resources to maximize higher education opportunities for the citizens of the State of Florida.

8.  A $32 Million expansion of the FSU Panama City campus was completed in December 2008 which effectively doubles the academic capacity of the institution and positions the campus to meet the needs of the region well into the future.  The new Holley Academic Center provides 10 high quality academic laboratories to support academic programs in criminology, electrical engineering, civil and environmental engineering, computer engineering and underwater crime scene investigation.  In addition to the academic laboratories, 21 new “smart technology” classrooms, a high-tech library and learning center, lecture hall, faculty and administrative offices, and numerous other lab, study and meeting areas were also provided through the construction of the Holley Academic Center.             


The value of Higher Education in the State of Florida

1.  The fastest way out of a recession, leaving Florida with a stronger workforce than when the recession began, is to increase funding for higher education.  Of all categories of government expenditure, higher education has the greatest multiplier effect on the state economy.  And, when people are unemployed, they need access to higher education so they can upgrade their credentials and skills and emerge ready for a better job.  Without education, workers emerge from a recession less able to contribute to the workforce, pay taxes, and support themselves without reliance on social programs.  Supporting higher education during a recession makes a state’s economy stronger.  Cutting funds makes it weaker.  The fastest and strongest way to leave a recession is to fund higher education.

2.  The student-faculty ratio is now the worst in the nation for universities—worse than Louisiana after Katrina, which ranks 49th.  Public colleges have 50,000 new students this year with no additional full-time faculty to teach them.  More cuts mean faculty layoff, fewer classes, and fewer qualified faculty to teach essential subjects.  Supporting higher education increases the quality of preparation and training for Florida’s workforce.

3.  If students seeking to enroll are denied access in a recession, they join the ranks of the unemployed—swelling joblessness.  If students who are already enrolled cannot get the classes they need for graduation, they waste time and money as they seek their degrees.  Supporting higher education reduces the ranks of the unemployed and allows students to use their time constructively and efficiently during a recession.  

4.  The quality of higher education is already in jeopardy.  The staffing necessary to run programs is on the brink of collapse after a brain drain lasting several years.  (The annual turnover rate in the universities is 14%.)  This means the range of courses students need to complete a degree, with faculty qualified and ready to teach specialized courses, is in peril.  Supporting higher education allows universities and colleges to offer the specialized courses that students need to complete studies and receive the education they are expecting.

5.  For two decades funding for higher education has been shrinking as a portion of the state’s budget.  The result is that programs are stretched to the limits.  Since September 2007, Florida’s universities have suffered cuts of 11.4% ($425 Million), and public colleges have been cut 12.8% ($153 Million) in program and lottery funds.  Further cuts will force layoffs of faculty and a collapse of many programs.  In order words, students who are enrolled at a Florida university and have made financial sacrifices for an education will have to defer their dreams.   Supporting higher education means retaining the faculty that students need to get their degrees.