Vol. XXXVI, No. 02

January 22, 2007

This Week at Valencia

Monday, January 22

Instructional Affairs Committee, 8:30 a.m., East Campus, 3-113

Wednesday, January 24

Commencement Committee meeting, 3 p.m., West Campus, TBA

Thursday, January 25

College Planning Council, 2:30 p.m., East Campus, 3-113 

Friday, January 26

Collegewide Student Development Team, 9:30 a.m., Osceola Campus, 1-258

Valencia's Vision, Values, and Mission Statements - January 2007 Discussion

Vision - Valencia Community College : an extraordinary learning community

Statutory Purpose - Valencia is a publicly supported, comprehensive community college that continually identifies and addresses the changing learning needs of the communities it serves. The college provides associate-degree programs that prepare learners to succeed in university studies; courses and services that provide learners with the right start in their college careers; and associate degree, certificate, and continuing professional education programs that prepare learners for entering and progressing in the workforce.

Mission - Valencia supports the success of each learner by embracing our values and committing to partnerships with public, civic and workforce organizations throughout our communities. Our mission is to provide opportunities for academic, technical and life-long learning in a collaborative culture dedicated to inquiry, results and excellence.

Values - We value learning by committing to Valencia 's core competencies - Think, Value, Communicate and Act - and the potential of each person to learn at the highest levels of achievement for personal and professional success. We value people by creating a caring, inclusive and safe environment that inspires all people to achieve their goals, share their successes, and encourage others. We value diversity by fostering the understanding it builds in learning relationships and appreciating the dimensions it adds to our quality of life. We value access by reaching out to our communities, inviting and supporting all learners and partners to achieve their goals. We value integrity by respecting the ideals of freedom, civic responsibility, academic honesty, personal ethics, and the courage to act.

How did the initial discussion draft version of the Vision, Values and Mission statements come about? Responses from full-time college employees were collected during the morning Visioning Session on Learning Day, October 31, 2006. Two activities during that session produced over 1,200 comments on Valencia 's existing Vision, Values and Mission statements.

An initial sort of those responses was conducted by the Vision, Values and Mission Task Force Core Editing Team. The team sorted responses based on the existing Vision, Values and Mission statements to identify duplications and additions.

In November the Vision, Values and Mission Task Force identified six emergent themes in the sorted data and recommended the Core Editing Team perform another sorting around those themes. The Task Force reduced those six themes to five at their December meeting. There was consensus that these five, with brief explanatory statements, addressed both the comments received on Learning Day and the spirit of the existing Vision, Values and Mission statements. The revisions presented the concepts in a simpler and more direct format. The Task Force authorized the Core Editing Team to proceed with a draft of the explanatory statements.

Preliminary drafts of the edited Values, Vision and Mission statements were shared with the Vision, Values and Mission Task Force for review and comments in mid-December and on January 16, 2007. This initial discussion draft was the product of that review.

Why do we need Vision, Values and Mission statements? One of the primary ways that our accrediting body, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, evaluates the integrity of "educational quality" is by examining how well the college's defined learning mission and core values impact student learning. When serious discussions of mission, goals, teaching, student aspirations, learning outcomes and support services are regular and productive, college processes are more coherent, more meaningful and more useful to students, employees and the local community.

The Vision, Values and Mission statements should guide discussions and actions toward improving learning, realizing aspirations and identifying challenges and solutions. They should drive strategic thinking at Valencia .

Comments are welcome. In the coming weeks, opportunities for discussion on these draft revisions will be available on all campuses. For more information, for comments, or for scheduling a discussion time for your department or group, please contact David Rogers, special assistant, Learning-Centered Initiative at extension 3223 or email drogers@valenciacc.edu.

Endowed Chairs for Learning Leadership Program

Applications are now being accepted for the 2007-08 Endowed Chairs for the Learning Leadership Program. The program provides resources to full-time teaching faculty for the advancement of instruction and learning. This year the Valencia Foundation is offering 40 chairs, altogether totaling $130,400. The guidelines and application package with complete program details can be found on the foundation's website at   or by calling Becky Gallup at extension 3218. Application packets must be received in College & Community Relations by February 28 at 5:00 p.m

Class C Travel Update

Upon further research of the Florida Statute related to travel, it has been determined by Legal Council that the college is not able to reimburse meals for Class C travel defined as short day trips (no overnight stay) outside of Orange and Osceola Counties

Effective immediately, Class C travel will not be reimbursed. If you need additional information, please contact Jackie Lasch at ext. 3300. We apologize for any inconvenience or confusion caused by the Class C travel change.

Upcoming Leadership Valencia Workshops

Word Styling Online (4 Week Online Workshop) - Go beyond word processing to word styling.  Avoid the common word-processing mistakes most people make, such as multiple spaces, poor use of tabs, and too many fonts.  By making use of styles in Microsoft Office, you can easily change the look of your document, coordinate your fonts and appearance across multiple documents, and increase compatibility with the web.  With word styling, you will soon be creating documents with a consistent and professional look.  Note: This is a four-week online course, requiring approximately 60 minutes each week.  You will be required to log on and participate with assignments and interactive learning tools.  Once you sign up, you will be e-mailed additional information regarding how to proceed. January 22 - February 19.  Access available online anytime during this period. Registration code: TWSOL .

AccuTrack9 Overview - This powerful database software automates the collection of data and creates reports as required. Its unparalleled functionality allows great flexibility to meet the needs of various types of academic centers.  AccuTrack9 can be used by tutoring centers, advising centers, writing labs, computer labs, financial aid offices, gyms, student support services, and learning centers to name a few.  January 24, 1-2:30 p.m. Osceola Campus, Room 2-116. Registration code: TAT91 .

Tips & Idea Exchange for Support Staff - Valencia employees hold a wealth of information and ideas.  Come share and exchange these ideas and tips with your co-workers.  Note: Sponsored by the Collegewide Career Staff Council. January 26, 9-11:30 a.m., East Campus, Room 3-113. Registration code: PTIES1 .

Formation is For Everyone - Bring your lunch and join us for ongoing, relaxed conversations around Parker Palmer's essay, "13 Ways of Looking at Community."  The first meeting will introduce you to Parker Palmer and Formation.  We will then meet every other week on the East Campus to talk with others about one of the 13 Ways. This is a time for faculty, staff and administrators to practice ways of speaking and being heard that allow a group to become a deeply respectful and caring community-in-learning where each person has a voice. January 30, 1-2 p.m., East Campus, Room 4-212B. Registration code: LFORM2.

Help, How do I Transfer This Call? - Do you notice that Nortel telephone sitting on your desk?  Do you know how to use all of its features? Have you ever lost a call? What are all those buttons for anyway?  Spend a little time with Ted, our telephone guy, and learn how to use the phone's many features that will make your job easier. Find out about other resources you may not be aware of. Join us for an informative and fun telephone refresher. January 31, 3-4:30 p.m., Winter Park Campus, Room 221. Registration code: PTTC.

Excelling with Excel: Introduction to Microsoft Excel - Back by popular demand, this session will provide participants with basic Microsoft Excel worksheet skills including entering and editing data, navigating, formatting and printing the worksheet, along with basic functions and formulas. February 2, 1-2 p.m., West Campus, Room 6-326A. Registration code: TIE1.

To register for Leadership Valencia classes, go online to http://www.valenciacc.edu/leadership .

Does Your R.S.V.P. Matter?

People sometimes ask why an R.S.V.P. to college events, workshops and seminars is critical. Well, the answer lies in the acronym R.S.V.P. It is an abbreviation of the French term répondez s'il vous plaît which means please reply. And when an invitee replies -yes or no- the event planners can accomplish two things: (1) make hospitable preparations (copies, catering, nametags, seating, etc.) and (2) save money.

Events that include catering can carry a price tag of $5 to $40 per attendee, and the caterer usually requires a guaranteed head count at least 48 hours before the event. If folks who have replied yes don't attend, the college is still required to pay for each no-show. If folks show up who have not responded yes, there may not be a place for them. In addition, a reply of no from those who don't plan to attend is critical for an accurate head count. If an invitee's status changes any time prior to the function, the planners will always want to know.

Please remember that your yes or no truly counts!

Human Resources News

Is your W-4 up to date? You may need to file an amended W-4 form - Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate, if your filing status, exemption allowances or exempt status has changed since the last W-4 you filed.

If you need to make a change, the W-4 form can be picked up in the finance offices on each campus or contact the payroll department at ext. 8160.

Do you have direct deposit? Did you know that employees who use direct deposit:

•  can access their entire paycheck on payday
•  can save up to 26 hours per year not standing in check cashing line
•  are paid when on vacation or out of the office
•  never worry about a lost paycheck

Contact Payroll Services at ext. 8160 to sign up.

A Warm Valencia Welcome to These new Full-time Employees

Diane Gomez , professor, Nursing-West, rm. 4-229, mc 4-14, ext. 1571
Marc LoCascio , professor, Biology-West, rm. 2-208, mc 4-3, ext. 1407
Brent Nakagama , director, Staff and Organizational Development Program, Leadership Valencia, DTC, rm. 204, mc DTC-3, ext. 3338
Juan Olvera , data warehouse/reporting specialist, CW SAS Data Warehouse Project, West, rm. SSB-171G, mc 4-12, ext. 1877
Patricia Smith , professor, Nutrition-West, rm. 3-249, mc 4-14, ext. 1214
Lisa Wiese , professor, Nursing-West, rm. HSB-222, mc 4-14, ext. 1951

A Fond Farewell and Best Wishes to These Retirees

Terry Findley , office systems manager, Staff Support Services-East, retiring 1/31/07
L.C. Jones , custodian-West, retiring 1/31/07
Richard Stout , television/video production specialist, Television Production, retiring 1/31/07
Elbert Walker , lead custodian-West, retiring 1/31/07