Best of Florida Schools 2005
General Categories—Page 4

Best Work Studies Program
Not Another Number
Ever felt like just another number at your college? You might have if you’ve ever applied for a work-study job—unless you attend the University of West Florida.

Through Federal Work Study, students at UWF receive financial aid in exchange for work hours. Students often work at on-campus jobs, but at least 7 percent of those who receive aid must have a job in the community. Here’s where UWF’s community-service program, Volunteer UWF, comes into play.

Most schools just assign students to jobs without giving them a say in what they do, says Tiffany Killam-Jurey, program assistant for Volunteer UWF. UWF does things a little differently.

Killam-Jurey and her staff meet with the 15 to 20 students who have work studies each semester and want to find a job in the community rather than on campus. At their meeting, they try to pair students with agencies that fit with the students’ personal interests. “I think it’s better here because we interview with the students first,” Killam-Jurey says. “We don’t make the choices for them, but we give them some options that fit more in their area. I think it’s more personal.”

UWF has a long list of available jobs for students to choose from, including a crisis hotline, the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society, and the Runner’s Association. The possibilities are endless. However, because students are choosing a job that fits more into their field of study or interest, they’re getting more experience than they would if they were at an office job. “It’s more like an actual job,” Killam-Jurey says. “For 240 hours, they actually get this job experience that’s more than just sitting at a desk, answering the phone, or filing something.”

For example, UWF had a psychology student doing a work study. Through the UWF program, she was able to work at a bereavement center. Because the student was able to tailor a job that suited her best, she gained valuable work-experience within her field of study. She’s going to be ahead when she goes to graduate school, Killam-Jurey says. “The program builds relationships that they can use in the future,” she says.

Most importantly, the students feel like they matter. They’re in a working environment where they might get a name tag or have the same duties as a paid employee. “They feel like they’re needed,” Killam-Jurey says.

To make sure they’re sending students to the right agencies, Volunteer UWF has a reflection meeting at the end of the semester. The students discuss their experiences with the different agencies. “We want to make sure that as the times change, we change,” Killam-Jurey says. “We want to make sure we’re serving the students in the best way possible.”—JW

Contact Killam-Jurey at tkillam1@uwf.edu.

Best Emergency Addition
PCC Jolted to Action
For Matt Furjanic, the difference between life and death was a bright yellow talking box. Luckily, there was one on hand and someone who knew how to use it.

Furjanic, the Polk Community College head basketball coach, had just finished speaking at the annual athletics banquet when he went into cardiac arrest. Bystanders rushed to the EMS classroom to get help. An adjunct professor, who’s also a trained paramedic, got the defibrillator off the wall and shocked Furjanic, ultimately saving his life.

This was the second heart-stopping experience to take place on PCC’s campus in a period of two years. The first incident occurred in 2003 when an adjunct professor died from a heart attack on campus. After the first tragedy, a plan was set into motion, but Furjanic’s close call made PCC speed things up.

The plan was to install automated external defibrillators, like the one that saved Furjanic, on campus to be used by trained faculty and staff in emergency situations. Defibrillators are machines that use a controlled shock to help regulate the heartbeat. Newer versions of the machine are smaller and use computer chips to measure the rhythms instantly, making it possible for anyone to administer the life-saving jolt. The machines that PCC chose give audio instructions detailing each step.

The administration agreed that the machines were necessary, but they simply didn’t have the money. When the defibrillator saved Furjanic’s life, its importance became clearer than ever.

“We all agreed in our administrative group that we should do it, but we needed to wait for the new budget year,” says Debra Daniels, vice president of academics and student services. “After this happened, we all got together and pooled our resources. We managed to come up with the money to fund them.”

PCC installed 10 AED machines on its two campuses in August 2004. They’re now working on training the faculty and staff to use the equipment. To date, 20 percent of the employees have been trained, and PCC continues to offer regular training in hopes that all employees will be trained by next year.

“It’s important to have the technology because it could be the difference between life and death, and the technology can be utilized by the trained public, not exclusively by trained medical technicians and doctors,” Daniels says. “Our training goal is to have a cadre of individuals that can respond anytime the college is open.”

If anyone understands the importance of that goal, it’s Furjanic. He was one of the first in line to take the training course. “I just felt that if I’m ever in that position, and I’m standing there, and it happened to someone else, what would I do? I would freeze,” he says. “You never know when that one time might happen that you can respond and not stand there helpless.” —MM

Contact Daniels at ddaniels@polk.edu.

Best Overall Student Activities
The Fun Never Ends
Students at Southeastern College are too busy with on-campus activities to even think about being homesick.

The year starts off with “Super Seven” activities where students get to enjoy a movie at the “Car-less Drive-in Theatre,” put their stand-up comedian skills to the test during "Thursday Night Live,” participate in the city-wide celebration “Celebrate Southeastern,” and be introduced to people they’ll come in contact with while in college at “Survivor Night.” “My personal favorite activity would have to be our TNL,” says Kacey Walton, Student Body Leadership Council administrator. “This night is full of unending laughter as students take the stage and act out various skits.”

Some of the biggest events are “Southeastern American Idol,” where students belted out “Old Hollywood” tunes for cash prizes, the “Moonlit Masquerade” costume contest that the sophomore class put together, and the Junior/Senior Banquet, which will be held at the Gaylord Palms Hotel in Orlando.

SBLC plans and executes all the activities. “Dr. Mike Rakes, the vice president of Student Life, enables the students to have a huge say in what we want the culture of Southeastern to look like,” Walton says.

Even during this past hurricane season, Southeastern made an impromptu movie night to give students stuck on campus something fun to do. When students find themselves bogged down with schoolwork or missing home, they can rely on activities to take their mind off these stresses.

“These events build community within our campus while uniting students and igniting friendships that will last a lifetime,” Walton says. “The students who lead the activities learn leadership qualities that will be used throughout their lives, and the ones attending find themselves having a wonderful time at this incredible college.” –RG

Contact Walton at klwalton@secollege.edu.

Best Late-Night Breakfast
PBA Provides Study Break
When finals week inevitably creeps up at the end of every semester, many students grumble about their professors. From too many assigned readings to inadequate review sessions, students typically find something to blame on their teachers. However, there’s one night that you might hear several Palm Beach Atlantic University students singing their professors’ praises—during the “It’s Midnight Somewhere” breakfast. “We’d heard this was going on at other colleges and universities, so we decided to try it,” says Dr. Burt Miller, professor and creator of the breakfast.

First started 12 years ago, PBA professors prepare a full breakfast for their weary students at 9:30 on the first Monday night of each finals week. The spread usually consists of all the essentials: pancakes and waffles, biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs and grits, and more. “I’m an Alabama boy, so we go back to our roots,” Miller says about the cuisine. “We have everything. Kids say it’s the best breakfast they have all year.”

The breakfast’s organizers hope that the brain food will help students study a little harder and give them the ability to concentrate better on their exams. Also, the late-night meal serves as a quick break to relieve some of the stress that accumulates that time of year. “Our idea is that it’s a study night, and we want to give them a break,” Miller says. “It’s grown from 60 students to 460. So, we’ve had more and more of them coming by the next day and showing their appreciation.”

Not only do students enjoy a bite to eat and a minute to unwind, but they get a chance to chat and hang out with their professors in a more casual setting. However, most teachers try to prevent conversation from veering off into classroom talk. “It’s totally outside the classroom—it’s a really relaxed atmosphere,” he says. “The faculty and the staff just really love serving the kids, and the kids love seeing them in a different way.”

But, the teachers are serious when they call the breakfast only a study break, Miller says. Any lollygaggers are sent on their way after the full hour of dining is up. “They eat their food and relax—but then we run ‘em out,” he says. –CG

Contact Miller at burt_miller@pba.edu.

Copyright © 2006 Oxendine Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved