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Poinciana Campus Details Revealed at Board of Trustees Meeting

May

31

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With the Poinciana Campus groundbreaking now behind us, excitement about the opportunities this campus will create for the more than 53,000 residents of Poinciana and the 80,000 residents in the greater Poinciana area continues to grow. At the Wednesday, May 25, 2016, District Board of Trustees meeting at the Osceola Campus, Kathleen Plinske, president, Osceola, Lake Nona and Poinciana Campuses, and Jennifer Robertson, executive dean, Poinciana Campus, shared specifics about what the new campus will offer.

The new Poinciana Campus, with a projected credit enrollment of 2,500, will offer in its first building: 12 classrooms, a culinary teaching kitchen, a science lab, two computer labs, a library and tutoring center, an indoor/outdoor cafe area and a multipurpose room. The campus will also incorporate Blackboard Collaborate, under the Title V grant, to increase distance learning.

Schedules at Poinciana will be cohort-based to foster learning communities and a supportive environment among students. Rather than build their own schedules, students will choose from a selection of course packages. Program course sequences and schedules will be mapped out in advance for the entire length of the program to accelerate degree completion.

Valencia has conducted surveys, community forums and focus groups with students in the Poinciana area to determine what types of programs would serve them best. The following degree offerings are proposed:

• Associate in Arts (General Studies)
• Associate in Science in:
  -Business Administration
  -Computer Programming
  -Computer Information Technology
  -Criminal Justice Technology
  -Culinary Management
  -Hospitality Management
  -Office Administration

Continuing education offerings will include:

• Intensive English Program
• English Speakers of Other Languages
• Spanish
• Portuguese
• Basic Welding
• Construction – Basics and Special Topics
• Certified Logistics Program
• Commercial Truck Driving
• Gardening
• Medical Coding
• Weekend Home Improvements

For information on Poinciana’s demographics, economics, educational attainment and college-going rates, view the presentation.

The trustees approved the College to enter into a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) contract for construction manager at risk with Clancy & Theys. This is for a Phase 1 early work package of $4,956,159, which includes all of the earthwork, utilities, structural concrete, structural steel and elevator work items. The final GMP for the remaining work items will be brought to the board at the Wednesday, July 27, 2016, meeting.

2016-2017 Preliminary Budget
Loren Bender, vice president, operations and finance, presented a preliminary budget of $193 million and design principles that will be used to create the final budget. Trustees approved this preliminary budget and principles. To view the budget overview, click here. The final budget will be presented to the board for approval in the Wednesday, June 22, 2016, meeting.

2016-2017 Student Fees
Student tuition and fees will not increase in 2016-17. To view the student fee rate schedule, click here.

Osceola Campus Report
Kathleen Plinske also presented an update on the Osceola Campus and was joined by students from the Student Government Association to speak on the organization’s initiatives.

For a full report on the items discussed at this meeting, click here. The next board meeting will be held Wednesday, June 22, 2016, at 9:30 a.m. on the East Campus in Building 5, Room 112.

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