State College
PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE
AUGUST 2019
Welcome to the 20192020 Ac a demic Ye a r! The new academic year has arrived and we foresee a very successful year of growth and advancement ahead of us. Over the past few years, our strategic plan guided us to construct a launching pad that will effectively prepare the College to meet the demands of the future. We observed; we listened; we learned, and now we are ready to SOAR.
Our College, as documented by EMSI in their recent impact report, makes a significant regional economic impact of more than $326 million annually. To ensure this continued impact and our relevancy in the community, the College will focus on the following priorities during this new year. These priorities will give Northwest Florida the wings necessary to take flight and SOAR! (continued on next page)
VO LUME 3, NO. 06
BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVES BUDGET
NO INCREASE IN TUITION AND FEES
In a unanimous decision, the Northwest Florida State College’s Board of Trustees voted to approve the College’s budget for the 2019-2020 academic year with no increases to tuition or fees. This will be the sixth consecutive year the Board of Trustees has held tuition flat for students. “Northwest Florida State College remains committed to being the first choice for accessible, affordable and relevant higher education,” said Brian Pennington, chairman, NWFSC Board of Trustees. “On behalf of the College’s Board of Trustees, we will continue to make every effort to remove financial barriers so we can be an open door for anyone who wants to improve their lives through higher education.” The College is also focused on decreasing general education textbook costs for students. The average cost of a new general education textbook decreased from $87.03 in Spring 2018 to $79.29 in Spring 2019. To ensure consistency in instruction and reduce costs to students with bulk pricing, the College requires all sections of a general education course to utilize the same textbook. Exceptions are only granted for pilot projects or student benefit. One hundred percent of general education textbooks and instructional materials remained and will remain in use for more than one term. “We want to provide the absolute best educational experience for our students,” said Dr. Devin Stephenson, president. “Students can attend Northwest Florida State College and learn from our world-class faculty and experience the best in academic and student development services. We are proud to positively impact our region by providing affordable and high-quality education to improve the quality of life and quality of place in STRATEGIC PLAN: Northwest Florida.” Goals 1, 2 and 3