Vol. XXXIV, No. 15

April 25, 2005

This Week at Valencia.

Monday, April 25:
Instructional Affairs Committee, 8:30 a.m., West Campus 6-202

Career Program Advisor meeting, 3 p.m., Osceola Campus 1-258

Tuesday, April 26:
Professional Staff Luncheon, 12 noon, West Campus, Bldg 2 Terrace Room

Thursday, April 28:
College Planning Council, 2:30 p.m., East Campus
3-113

Saturday, April 30:
A Taste for Learning, 7 p.m., Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center

"Anton in Show Business," a comedy, Thursday, Friday & Saturday 8 p.m. and Sunday 2 p.m., Osceola Campus Auditorium

Annual Student Juried Exhibition, Anita S. Wooten Gallery, East Campus runs through May 20

Meeting Summary available next week

The summary of the April 19, 2005 meeting of the Valencia Community College District Board of Trustees will be published in the May 2 edition of the Bulletin.

Valencia to Hold Commencement Off Campus Due to Growing Number of Grads

On May 7 a total of 4,659 Valencia Community College students will receive their associate's degrees at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, in a departure from the school's tradition of holding the ceremony in its West Campus gymnasium. The 37th spring commencement ceremony was moved off campus this year due to an ever-increasing number of graduates and a limited amount of space in the school's gymnasium, which is currently being converted to classroom space.

All ceremony participants are to wear full academic regalia and report to room number 157, at 9:00 am at the Silver Spurs Arena. Staff will be available at the main entrance to direct you to this room.

Please remember that a ticket is necessary for each family member, including children, regardless of age. If you wish to obtain tickets for guests, please contact Renee Simpson, Director of Admissions and Records, extension 1506.

Academic Regalia Has Arrived

The academic regalia that was rented for faculty and staff has arrived and can be picked up at your campus Business Office. Please be sure to pick up your regalia before the end of the day on May 6. The regalia is to be turned in following Commencement in Meeting Room 1 at Heritage Park.

Hello and Goodbye.

A warm Valencia welcome is extended to Berneice Ferber, Library Technician, Senior, mc 4-4, ext. 1576; Alexandra Cordero Miles, Learning Consultant, Valencia Enterprises, mc 8-1, ext. 6628; Brenda Hernandez, Learning Consultant-Bilingual, Valencia Enterprises, mc 8-1, ext. 6628; Mary Beth Marlow, Security Office, East, mc 3-14, ext. 2000; and Tamla Thomas, Staff Assistant, College Transition Programs, mc 4-40, ext. 1965.

A fond farewell and best wishes to Cliff Morris who is retiring 5/31/05.

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

People sometimes ask why an R.S.V.P. to college events, workshops, seminars and the like 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 (catering, nametags, seating, etc.) and (2) save money.

Events that include catering can carry a price tag of $3-25 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, then the college pays 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: YOUR Yes or No truly counts!

Task Force Positions Open for Leadership Valencia

Leadership Valencia offers professional development programs designed to enhance job performance and career growth for Valencia staff and faculty. The Leadership Valencia Task Force, which meets once each term, is made up of four committees who develop and implement workshops. The task force meeting to plan for Fall Term is scheduled for Monday, May 9, 2:45 p.m. on the West Campus, Room 9-110. If you are interested in joining the Leadership Valencia Task Force, please contact Donna Dudash, extension 3128. If you are unable to participate on the Task Force but have a topic you think might be addressed through Leadership Valencia, please forward the topic with a brief description to Donna Dudash, DTC-1 or email ddudash@valenciacc.edu.

Reminder for Supervisors, Managers, and Administrators

Please be sure to notify Human Resources when a student or part-time hourly employee working for you resigns. If HR is not notified and doesn't terminate their employment, the student or part-time hourly employee will remain "active" in the Oracle HR/Payroll system until no pay has been processed for them for 6 consecutive months.

Please contact Human Resources at extension 1333 if you have any questions.

Submissions to the Bulletin are encouraged, so please e-mail your achievements, awards, recognitions, and relevant information for the college community to Mary Jane Jones, Staff Assistant in Marketing and Media Relations. Deadline for submission is 5 p.m. on the Tuesday preceding each Friday's distribution. Mary Jane can be reached at ext.1017, or mjjones@valenciacc.edu.