State College
PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE
AUGUST 2019
Welcome to the 20192020 Ac a demic Ye a r! As we soar into the new academic year, we celebrate the innovative spirit of our faculty and staff both inside and outside the classroom. I am incredibly proud to report NWFSC’s completion rate increased from 40% in 2016-17 to 58% in 2017-18, as reported by Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. This figure represents a combination of the graduation and transfer rate. Nationally, the 2-year completion rate average is 40%, making it evident our team is focused on helping students achieve progress toward their degree. I commend the nursing faculty on their 100% pass rate for the National Counsel Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). This national exam is required before students can practice nursing in the United States or Canada. Further, I applaud Dr. Liz Robison, simulation coordinator and nursing professor, for her election to the International Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning’s Board of Directors to serve as the Vice President of Finance. These distinctions demonstrate our faculty’s commitment to excellence, and I know you join me in congratulating them. Our College campus infrastructure is more than 50 years old and with waning state funding for renovations, our team researched options to address inefficient equipment and long overdue capital improvements. With support from the Board of Trustees, NWFSC entered into a contract with Johnson Controls, Inc. (JCI) to address the aging infrastructure. This agreement allowed the College to replace the 25-year old central HVAC as well as air handlers for which parts are no longer (continued on next page)
VO LUME 3, NO. 07
NWFSC
EXCELS WITH NURSING PROGRAM Spring 2019 saw the largest graduating cohort ever for Northwest Florida State College’s Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) degree, with 56 students graduating. If that was not enough good news for the ASN program at NWFSC, every student who attempted the National Counsel Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) this spring (55
of 56), passed the test and obtained their license. “Our nursing program is a reflection of our College’s goal, to be the best at what we do,” said Dr. Devin Stephenson, president of Northwest Florida State College. “I am pleased to see our students and faculty members rising to the challenge and creating one of the most successful nursing programs in the country.” The NCLEX-RN is a nationwide examination for the licensing of nurses and must be passed before being licensed to practice nursing in the United States and Canada.
Photo: May of 2019 saw the largest class of graduates for the Associate of Science in Nursing degree from Northwest Florida State College with 56 students. STRATEGIC PLAN: Goals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6
BLACKBOARD CATALYST AWARD
The College was recently named a winner of the Blackboard Catalyst Award for Optimizing the Student Experience. Blackboard is a provider of learner success-focused technology solutions and services. Their award honors institutions whose educational and administrative innovations have markedly improved the total learner experience by leveraging technology in the areas of student recruitment, financial aid, enrollment, retention and assessment, graduation and beyond.
Photo: The NWFSC team was honored alongside other Blackboard Catalyst Award winners during BbWorld 2019, Blackboard’s annual user conference held July 23-25 in Austin, TX.
STRATEGIC PLAN: Goals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6