CF Commencement Ceremonies Dec. 10 WEC

The College of Central Florida will hold its fall 2021 commencement ceremony at 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 10, at the World Equestrian Center, Expo Center 1, 1750 N.W. 80th Ave., Ocala. For easiest access, graduates and their guests should use the entrance on State Road 40.

“We are excited to invite CF graduates and their loved ones to celebrate their success at this new venue,” said Dr. Saul Reyes, vice president of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs. “It’s an opportunity to honor our students’ hard work and share their stories with our community.”

Carolyn Barton Grissom will be honored posthumously with the CF Foundation’s Distinguished Service Award, and student Edgar Soto will be the graduation speaker.

The in-person ceremony also will be webcast live at CF.edu/graduation.

For more information, call the Ocala Campus at 352-854-2322, ext. 1391 or ext. 1739; Citrus Campus at 352-746-6721; or Levy Campus at 352-658-4077.

HEERF/Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds Cumulative Report

September 30, 2021 Report (Revised November 23, 2021)

The College of Central Florida (CF) has signed and returned the Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF) Certification and Agreement Form. CF has used, or intends to use, no less than the required amount of funds received to provide HEERF grants to students.

CF has been awarded HEERF allocations in three phases:

HEERF I/CARES Act – Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, & Economic Security Act, CF was awarded $5,063,708. Fifty percent of those funds ($2,531,854) were required to be distributed to students. The other fifty percent will be allowable for institutional needs.

HEERF II/CRRSAA – Under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, CF was awarded $5,063,708. The college is required to disburse the same amount in student grants under CRRSAA as was required under the CARES Act. Therefore, $2,531,854 (50 percent) of CRRSAA funds is to be distributed to students. The other fifty percent will be allowable for institutional needs.

HEERF III/ARP – Under the American Rescue Plan, CF was awarded $18,645,368 and is required to distribute fifty percent ($9,322,684) of the awarded funds to students. The other fifty percent will be used for allowable institutional needs.

In addition to the funds listed above, CF has received three installments of Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) allocations totaling $1,455,860.

Funding methodology (eligibility and funding amounts) for HEERF I, II and III awards and SIP awards can be seen at Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Required Reporting. For HEERF I allocations, eligible students were awarded HEERF funds and were instructed to submit a HEERF application for consideration for additional funds. An application process has not been used for HEERF II or HEERF III distributions. Students receiving distributions receive an email notification.

Cumulative Report – As of September 30, 2021 (and restated as of November 23, 2021):

  • CF has been allocated a total of $28,771,524 in HEERF grants, of which $14,386,392 must be distributed to students.
  • CF has distributed $7,640,708 of HEERF and $676,846 of SIP funds to a total of 7,629 students.

CF Nursing Program Among Most Affordable in the Nation

“We set out to find schools that are making online education a priority,” said Wes Ricketts, founder of EduMed.org. “Each school in our rankings has a winning combination of flexibility, affordability, academic rigor and student support. This is a tall task in a field that leans on face-to-face interaction and hands-on training.”

This recognition of CF’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program comes at a time when students across the country are taking more of their courses either fully or partially online. According to data from the Education Department’s National Center for Education Statistics, enrollment in online courses increased by 93% between Fall 2019 and Fall 2020. Nearly two-thirds of college students took at least one online course in 2020.

Schools were selected for the ranking based on government data provided by the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System and Institutional accreditation from an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Schools were ranked on a mix of affordability, support services, and online program availability metrics. Affordability metrics received the heaviest weightings.

CF offers more than 150 academic pathways including college credit certificates, postsecondary adult vocational programs, associate and bachelor’s degrees. To learn more about CF, visit www.CF.edu.

CF International Film Series 60th Season

The CF Ira Holmes International Film Series will kick off in January with a collection of films that debuted in 1962, the year Professor Holmes began this long-running program.

“The purpose of the international film series is to educate and inspire audiences by introducing them to films that are culturally, historically and artistically important,” Holmes said.

Holmes served as director of the series for more than 30 years. Since 1962, he has taught for the CF Humanities and Social Sciences Department and he served as the department chair and then division dean from 1978-1998. He established the college’s first study abroad course and led more than 25 study tours to Europe. His interests include film, theatre, art, travel and historic preservation, and he has served on the Ocala Historic Preservation Advisory Board since it was founded in 1984.

This year’s first film will be Agnès Varda’s “Cléo from 5 to 7,” with screenings on Tuesday, Jan. 25, at 2 p.m., at the Appleton Museum, and at 7 p.m., at the CF Ocala Campus. Dr. Rebecca J. DeRoo, author of “Agnès Varda between Film, Photography, and Art,” will host an online film talk and question and answer session on Wednesday, Jan. 26, at 12:30 p.m. via Zoom.

In “Cléo from 5 to 7,” Agnès Varda eloquently captures Paris in the ‘60s with this real-time portrait of a singer (Corinne Marchand) set adrift in the city as she awaits test results of a biopsy. A chronicle of the minutes of one woman’s life, “Cléo from 5 to 7” is a spirited mix of vivid vérité and melodrama, featuring a score by Michel Legrand (“The Umbrellas of Cherbourg”) and cameos by Jean-Luc Godard and Anna Karina.

Series Schedule:

Jan. 25 – Agnès Varda, “Cleo from 5 to 7”

Jan. 26 – Film talk by Dr. Rebecca J. DeRoo

 

Feb. 8 – Ishirō Honda, “King Kong vs. Godzilla” (special location: Ocala Drive-In)

Feb. 9 – Film talk by CF Associate Professor Jay Thompson

 

Feb. 22 – Andrei Tarkovsky, “Ivan’s Childhood”

Feb. 23 – Film talk by Professor Delmar G. Jacobs Jr.

 

March 8 – Mario Monicelli, Federico Fellini and Luchino Visconti, “Boccaccio ’70”

March 9 – Film talk by Dr. Silvo Gaggi

 

March 29 – Robert Mulligan, “To Kill a Mockingbird”

March 30 – Film talk by Dr. Gilbert B. Rodman

 

April 12 – Bonus 1962 Film Shorts Festival, featuring Chris Marker’s “La Jetée,” Louis Malle’s “Vive le Tour” and more

 

All films will be shown Tuesdays at 2 p.m. at the Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, and at 7 p.m. at the College of Central Florida, 3001 S.W. College Road, Building 8, Room 110, unless otherwise noted. Films at the Ocala Campus are free and open to the public. Films at the Appleton are free to all museum and film series members; nonmembers pay museum admission. Films may contain mature content.

For more details, visit cf.edu/filmseries.

CF Among Top 15% of Colleges in the Nation

In each two-year cycle, a jury of national experts selects 10 finalist institutions, and, ultimately, one winner of the prestigious award. CF was also recognized and deemed eligible for the $1 million prize in 2011, 2013, 2017 and 2021.

“Recognition by the Aspen Institute reflects the commitment by CF faculty and staff to our students and our belief in the power of education to transform lives and enrich our community,” said Dr. James Henningsen, CF president. “We are looking forward to providing the additional documentation to show that we are one of the best colleges in the nation.”

The Aspen Prize spotlights exemplary community colleges in order to elevate the sector, drive attention to colleges doing the best work, and discover and share highly effective student success and equity strategies. Since 2010, Aspen has chosen to focus intensively on community colleges because they are, as First Lady Dr. Jill Biden stated at the 2021 Aspen Prize ceremony, “a powerful engine of prosperity.”

The 150 colleges selected for this honor stand out among more than 1,000 community colleges nationwide as having high and improving levels of student success as well as equitable outcomes for Black and Hispanic students and those from lower-income backgrounds. Located in urban, rural, and suburban areas across 34 states, these colleges serve as few as 230 students and as many as 57,000.

“In an era of persistent inequity and workforce talent gaps, our nation’s best community colleges are stepping up to deliver more degrees to increasingly diverse students so they are prepared for the good jobs waiting to be filled,” said Josh Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. “Leaders of exceptional community colleges understand that achieving excellence requires expanding college access and increasing degree completion, but it doesn’t stop there.  They are committed to ensuring that all students – including students of color and those from low-income backgrounds –graduate with the skills needed to secure a job with family-sustaining wages or successfully transfer to and graduate from a university. That same commitment that stands at the center of the Aspen Prize: to advance the goals of social mobility and equitable talent development.”

The top 10 finalists for the 2023 Aspen Prize will be named in summer 2022. The Aspen Institute will then conduct site visits to each of the finalists and collect additional quantitative data, including employment and earnings data. A distinguished jury will make award decisions in spring 2023.

Previous winners of the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence are: Miami Dade College and Indian River State College, 2019; Lake Area Technical College (South Dakota), 2017; Santa Fe College, 2015; Santa Barbara City College (California) and Walla Walla Community College (Washington), 2013; Valencia College, 2011.

For a full list of the top 150 eligible institutions and to read more on the selection process, visit www.highered.aspeninstitute.org/aspen-prize.

The Aspen Prize is generously funded by Ascendium and the Joyce Foundation.

The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program aims to advance higher education practices, policies, and leadership that significantly improve student outcomes, especially for the growing population of low-income students and students of color on American campuses. For more information, visit www.highered.aspeninstitute.org and www.linkedin.com/showcase/aspenhighered, and follow @AspenHigherEd on Twitter. The Aspen Prize hashtag is #AspenPrize.

The Aspen Institute is a community-serving organization with global reach whose vision is a free, just, and equitable society. For 70 years, the Institute has driven change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the world’s greatest challenges. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Institute has offices in Aspen, Colorado, and New York City, and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.

Levy Campus Open House Nov. 30

Future students are encouraged to tour the campus and learn about more than 150 academic pathways, including 70 job-training programs. Attendees can receive assistance with the application process, financial aid, placement testing, academic advising and registration for the spring semester, which begins Jan. 10.

Everyone who completes an admissions application at the event will have the $30 admissions fee waived and will be entered to win free tuition for a 3-credit-hour class at CF’s standard tuition rate.

Additional open house events will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 1, at the Ocala Campus, 3001 S.W. College Road, Ocala, and Wednesday, Dec. 8, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., on Zoom.

For more information, visit www.CF.edu/openhouse or call 352-875-5800, ext. 1379.

Citrus Campus Open House Nov. 18

Future students are encouraged to tour the campus and learn about more than 150 academic pathways, including 70 job-training programs. Attendees can receive assistance with the application process, financial aid, placement testing, academic advising and registration for the spring semester, which begins Jan. 10.

Everyone who completes an admissions application at the event will have the $30 admissions fee waived and will be entered to win free tuition for a 3-credit-hour class at CF’s standard tuition rate.

Additional open house events will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 30, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Jack Wilkinson Levy Campus, 15390 N.W. Highway 19, Chiefland, and Wednesday, Dec. 1, at the Ocala Campus, 3001 S.W. College Road, Ocala. A virtual open house will take place Wednesday, Dec. 8, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., on Zoom.

For more information, visit www.CF.edu/openhouse or call 352-746-6721, ext. 6179

CF Open House

Future students are encouraged to tour the campus and learn about more than 150 academic pathways, including 70 job-training programs. Attendees can receive assistance with the application process, financial aid, placement testing, academic advising and registration for the spring semester, which begins Jan. 10.

Everyone who completes an admissions application at the event will have the $30 admissions fee waived and will be entered to win free tuition for a 3-credit-hour class at CF’s standard tuition rate.

A virtual open house will also be offered on Wednesday, Dec. 8, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., on Zoom.

For more information, visit www.CF.edu/openhouse or call 352-875-5800, ext. 1379.

Holiday Train Display Returns to CF for 25th Season

The Webber Gallery is located at the CF Ocala Campus, 3001 S.W. College Road.

This display will feature model train layouts built and maintained by the Ocala Model Railroaders’ Historic Preservation Society. Every year, CF is honored to partner with the society to bring their beautiful model train collection to the community. As Jim DeLawter, OMRRHPS president, said, “The CF Express has been chugging along for 25 years!”

Viewing the trains is a holiday tradition for many local families, and thousands of patrons, young and old, visit each year. The display features modular train layouts and railroad memorabilia. Many of the layouts are inspired by historic Ocala landmarks, such as the Six Gun Territory theme park that operated in Marion County until 1984.

The display will open Saturday, Dec. 18, and will be on view from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. through Jan 2, with holiday hours of 12-3 p.m. on Dec. 24 and 31. The gallery will be closed Dec. 25-27 and Jan. 1. Admission is free. Visitors are highly encouraged to wear masks inside the gallery, and masks are provided at the front desk. For more information, call 352-854-2322, ext. 1664, or visit cf.edu.

CF Presents ‘Back on Stage: an Evening of Musicals and Zombies’

CF Theatre and Musical Theatre will present “Back on Stage: An Evening of Musicals and Zombies” on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 5-6, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 7, at 3 p.m., in the Dassance Fine Arts Center, 3001 S.W. College Road, Ocala.

The performance will include four 10-Minute Musicals: “A Most Average Musical,” book and lyrics by Jonathan Keebler and music by Bob Kelly; “The Hipster Sister” by Andy Roninson; “Pellets, Cherries, and Lies” by Erik Przytulski; and “Any Ordinary Sunday” by Joshua L. Mazur. Students will also perform the one-act play “10 Ways to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse” by Don Zolidis.

“A Most Average Musical” finds college freshman Jenny spending her first Friday night at college alone. “The Hipster Sister,” set in Brooklyn in 2015, is the story of Chelsea, who’s fed up with her slacker singer-songwriter sister and roommate. “Pellets, Cherries, and Lies” takes a look at addiction through the life of a video game golden boy struggling to keep his family together while dealing with late-night binges. “Any Ordinary Sunday” is the work of Florida singer, composer and musician Joshua L. Mazur.

The comedy “10 Ways to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse” invites the audience to consider what to do when it’s the end of the world and hordes of rampaging zombies are about to attack.

The 10-Minute Musicals are presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International. The play “10 Ways to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse” is produced in special arrangement with Playscripts Inc.

Tickets are free and no advance reservations are required. Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.

For more information about CF events, visit CF.edu.