Vol. XXXVII, No. 10, March 17, 2008

This Week at Valencia

Monday, March 17

Instructional Affairs Committee, 8:30 a.m., West Campus, 6-202

Tuesday, March 18

Senior Staff, 1 p.m., West Campus, 14-100

Wednesday, March 19

Learning Evidence Team, 2:30 p.m., East Campus, 3-113

Thursday, March 20

Faculty Council, Winter Park Campus, Rm. 108 (no time listed on Web calendar)

2008 Nutrition Fair at West Campus

The 2008 Nutrition Fair will be held on March 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the West Campus in the breezeway between buildings 2 and 4. Visit us for free nutrition information, give-aways, healthy food samples and door prizes. What are your health risk factors? Get your blood pressure checked. Learn about your BMI. Find out how exercise, activity and good nutrition can help to prevent and reduce your risk for certain types of diseases. Sponsored by Dr. Pat Smith, professor of Nutrition and the Health Science Dept.

News from Procurement

Attention Procurement Cardholders - If a transaction appears in PaymentNet under your account and you have not received the items and/or an invoice, or you do not recognize the charge, please contact the responsible vendor immediately to rectify the problem. In good practice, a vendor should not charge your account until the items have been shipped. If this is a continued problem for you despite attempts to remedy the situation, you may want to consider obtaining your items from another vendor.

Procurement Language - Ever wonder about some of the language you hear from us? For example, “piggyback.” This term simply means that we may utilize an existing (competitively solicited) contract from another governmental organization. Many government solicitations contain a clause that requires the vendor to extend the resulting contractual pricing to other governmental agencies. This option often allows the college to take advantage of competitive pricing obtained by larger organizations. There are additional cost savings through reduction in administrative expenses. For example, we often “piggyback” on State of Florida term contracts. Just another way we are able to obtain goods or services quickly at a good price.

Going Green Collegewide - Procurement recently established a collegewide contract with Peninsular Paper as part of the college’s efforts to go green. As you might imagine, it takes a lot of manpower and supplies to keep our campuses looking good. Procurement, in close collaboration with Plant Operations, developed specifications and solicited a bid on custodial materials and supplies. These products include paper towels, toilet tissue, multi-fold towels and foam soap. These are environmentally preferred products which have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment. All products are Green Sealed Certified. Green Seal is a non-profit organization which works with manufacturers, industry sectors, purchasing groups and governments at all levels to "green" the production and purchasing chain. They utilize a life-cycle approach, which means they evaluate a product or service beginning with material extraction, continuing with manufacturing and use, and ending with recycling and disposal. Products only become Green Sealed Certified after rigorous testing and evaluation, including on-site plant visits. If the product meets the organization's high standard, it will be awarded the Green Seal. Once certified, products are subject to annual monitoring to ensure that the product offered for sale continues to meet the Green Seal standard.

Leadership Valencia

Formation: A Little Lunch, A Little Literature, and A Lot of Lively Discussions - Bring your lunch and join us for lunch and literature. This is a one-hour relaxed discussion with colleagues around poetry or short prose chosen each meeting by one of the group. We will discuss educators' stories and poems and prose they have chosen that gives sustenance and courage to continue their work with others. March 18, 1-2 p.m., East Campus, Room 4-212B, registration code: LFORM-10.

Student Assessment of Instruction Tool: Class Climate - This is a face-to-face, hands-on professional development section that will support administrative assistants with entering and administering student evaluation of instruction surveys using the Class Climate system. Choose from one of the following:

• March 18, 1-4 p.m., East Campus, Room 4-133C, Registration Code: TCC-1
• March 19, 1-4 p.m., West Campus, Room 6-326A, Registration Code: TCC-2
• March 20, 1-4 p.m., Osceola, Campus, Room 2-116, Registration Code: TCC-3

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Training – Part One - Planning to conduct a study involving Valencia students or employees? Not sure if your study needs to comply with Valencia's new mandatory Institutional Review Board (IRB) process for research projects? The Valencia IRB process is designed to encourage faculty, staff and student research while protecting the participants, the college, and even the researcher. Part one will provide an overview of human search protection; and how our IRB works with an aim to be as unintrusive as possible while complying with federal regulations. Completion of this workshop satisfies the IRB training requirement for investigators of Valencia projects that have been approved through expedited or full review. March 21, 9-11 a.m., East Campus, Room 3-113, Registration Code: PIRB1-2.

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Training – Part Two - Planning to conduct a research project that will require completing the application for Valencia's new Institutional Review Board (IRB) process? Part two will take you through the Valencia IRB application process with interactive discussions, including questions and discussion of examples. (Recommended pre-requisite: IRB Training - Part One.) March 21, 11 a.m.-12 noon, East Campus, Room 3-113, Registration Code: PIRB2-2.

Podcasting 101 - Podcasts and vodcasts can deliver educational content for listening or viewing on students' computers and MP3 players, freeing learning from constraints of the physical classroom. There is a required face-to-face orientation to this introductory course, which begins on March 25. The remainder of the coursework will be completed online using WebCT. Participants who have never used WebCT are strongly encouraged to attend. Please contact the instructors if you have any questions. March 25, 1-2 p.m., East Campus, Room 6-326A, Registration Code: TPC101.

Podcasting 201A: Apple Users - This is a face-to-face course that will cover the basics of developing podcasts using Apple computers. Participants will have access to additional learning materials and reference documents online via WebCT. For more information, please contact the instructors. March 26, 2-4 p.m., West Campus, Room 6-326A, Registration Code: TPCAPP.

Podcasting 201W: Windows Users - Learn how to create and distribute your classroom lectures, meetings and materials to students using Valencia iTunes University on software for Windows users. Although this is a face-to-face course, participants will have access to additional learning materials and reference documents online via WebCT. For more information, please contact the instructors. March 27, 2-4 p.m., Osceola Campus, Room 2-116, Registration Code: TPCWIN.

Juggling Elephants - Juggling Elephants is a wonderfully lighthearted guide for everyone who feels like they're about to be squashed. It will help you better focus your time and energy, so you'll be able to enjoy more of things that are important to you. Above all, it will teach you how to run your circus instead of letting the circus run you. March 27, 2:30-4:30 p.m., East Campus, Room 5-112, Registration Code: GJE.

Visit the Leadership Valencia Web site at http://valencia.cc.fl.us/leadership to register for all Leadership Valencia workshops and additional information.

Destination 2008

Teaching and Learning Support would like to invite you to join us this summer in Destination 2008, Valencia’s annual faculty development opportunity which brings educators together to define outcomes, design lessons, and learn techniques that will lead to improved student learning. All faculty, full and part-time, including counselors and librarians, are eligible to participate. 

Destination 2008 is designed to offer different programs to faculty who wish to experiment or are curious about various tools to improve student learning. We are able to provide the following tracks this summer:  Action Research, LinC, Alternative Delivery, and General Education Outcome. A full schedule, online application form and flyer are all available at http://faculty.valenciacc.edu/destination/

A Warm Welcome to…

Joannie Castro, Financial Aid/Scholarship clerk, Financial Aid Office, West Campus, mc 4-17, ext. 1168

Sunni Favali-Prevatt, coordinator, Advising/Activities, Winter Park Campus, mc 5-1, ext. 6889

Gary Kokaisel, manager, Learning Technology Center, Osceola Campus, mc 6-6, ext. 4812

Ian OToole, instructional assistant, senior, Computer Program, West Campus, mc 4-41, ext. 1484

A Fond Farewell and Best Wishes to…

Curnife Buchanan, Custodial Services, Winter Park Campus, retiring 4/30/08