CF Unveils Plans for Building 6 Renovation

The College of Central Florida has unveiled plans for Building 6, which is being renovated to accommodate four Associate in Science allied health programs that have been identified as high-demand programs by community partners: Surgical Services, Cardiovascular Technology, Respiratory Care and Sonography. The renovated building at the Ocala Campus will open in January 2023 and will serve 200 students each year.

“We are committed to serving the health care needs of our community as we provide opportunities for high-wage careers for our graduates,” said Dr. Jim Henningsen, CF president. “The project supports our mission of transforming lives and preparing students to excel in work and life in our community.”

Chad Christianson, CEO of HCA Florida Ocala Hospital and HCA Florida West Marion Hospital, has said: CF has done “a fantastic job getting people ready to take great care of this community. If you think about the people who care for you while you’re in a facility, whether that’s nurses, cath lab techs, scrub techs, respiratory therapists or lab techs, they’re doing a great job of educating those people.”

Joe Johnson, president and CEO of AdventHealth Ocala, has said: “We depend on our relationship with CF as a vital partner in allowing us to serve our community. We rely on the college to provide us with outstanding candidates who are well prepared for the next steps into their clinical careers as nurses, technicians, or therapists.”

The $7.8 million Building 6 renovation is made possible by the Florida Legislature and the generous support of the Marion County Hospital District.

CF Commencement Ceremony April 29

The College of Central Florida will hold its spring 2022 commencement ceremony at 5 p.m. on Friday, April 29, 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 spring and summer graduates and their loved ones to celebrate their success,” 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.”

Dr. Jennifer Sumner will be honored with the CF Foundation’s Distinguished Alumni Award, and student Brian Stoothoff 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.

Levy Open House May 12

The College of Central Florida invites anyone thinking about college to an open house on Thursday, May 12, from 3-5 p.m., at the CF Jack Wilkinson Levy Campus, 15390 N.W. Highway 19, Chiefland.

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.

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 for the fall semester.

For more information, visit www.CF.edu/openhouse.

Clay Electric Donates $10,000 to the CF Patriot Fund

The College of Central Florida Foundation received a $10,000 donation from the Clay Electric Foundation on April 7. The funds were raised through Clay Electric’s Operation Round Up campaign and will support the CF Foundation’s Patriot Fund.

The Patriot Fund is an important initiative that provides financial assistance to help keep CF students in school and on track when emergencies arise.

“Clay Electric is a proud supporter of College of Central Florida students,” said Derek Hembree, Salt Springs district manager for Clay Electric. To date, Clay Electric has donated $40,000 to the Patriot Fund.

“Our long and continued relationship with Clay Electric is much appreciated and allows us to help students remain in college even when they experience unforeseen circumstances,” said Chris Knife, vice president of Development and CEO of the CF Foundation.

Clay Electric Cooperative is an incorporated, member-owned, not-for-profit electric power supplier. Their Operation Round Up program for customers allows the cooperative to award grants to organizations that serve the community.

For more information about the CF Foundation, visit CF.edu/foundation. For information about Clay Electric Cooperative, visit clayelectric.com.

Friday Talks Highlights Onboarding Best Practices

The Friday Talks Business Advancement Series, a program of the Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership and the College of Central Florida, will feature CF’s Kim Sellers, Ed.D., on April 22, presenting “Putting Your Best Foot Forward: The Importance of a Strong, Comprehensive Onboarding Process.”

“Day one for a new employee is not only an introduction to their job responsibilities but also an introduction to the culture of the organization,” Sellers said. Attendees will learn how to create a more comprehensive onboarding process that fully assimilates a new employee to their organization. Sellers will also discuss how a solid onboarding process can increase both productivity and retention.

Attend in person at the CF Hampton Center, 1501 W. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, or virtually at Facebook.com/OcalaCEP. The in-person event will begin with a continental breakfast at 8:15 a.m. and the presentation will begin at 8:30 a.m. RSVP to andrea@ocalacep.com.

For more information about CF, visit CF.edu. For more information about the Ocala CEP, visit ocalacep.com.

CF Earns Marketing and Public Relations Honors

The College of Central Florida Marketing and Public Relations Department was honored with a bronze award at this year’s National Council for Marketing and Public Relations Paragon Awards.

The bronze award recognizes CF’s website, CF.edu, for outstanding achievement in design and communication in this national competition for community and technical colleges.

To learn more about CF, visit www.CF.edu. For more information about the Paragon Awards, visit www.ncmpr.org/paragon-awards.

Louise Nevelson Sculpture Now on Display at CF Appleton Museum of Art

The Appleton Museum of Art, College of Central Florida, announces the acquisition and display of an important work by Louise Nevelson, a leading artist of the 20th century. On view for the first time, the relief box is a fine example of her recognizable sculptural interpretations of wood and the natural world and can be seen in the second-floor Modern & Contemporary Galleries through the end of 2022.

Titled “Sun-Set,” the work exemplifies the artist’s fascination with the play of light and shadow on various forms. The piece consists of a black rectangular box with curved, round and other geometric shapes in a grid-like assemblage. These block-like, interlocking forms of various heights are evocative of Central American sculpture that the artist saw on a 1940s visit, which set the creative idealism for the rest of her artistic career.

Born Louise Berliawsky in 1899 Kiev, Ukraine, the artist’s family emigrated to Rockland, Maine, when Louise was 6 years old. Married in 1920 to Charles Nevelson, the artist eventually left the marriage to pursue her artistic career and moved to Germany to study under Hans Hoffman. After her return to the United States, she settled in New York. Following years of poverty and critical neglect, Nevelson gained recognition in the 1950s and focused almost exclusively on her signature abstract sculptural assemblage forms. By the 1960s, she completed numerous high-profile commissions and was featured in important solo shows. Nevelson died in 1988 at the age of 88 as one of the most respected artists of the 20th century.

The Appleton Museum, Artspace and Store are open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. A campus of the College of Central Florida, the Appleton Museum of Art is located at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, east of downtown on SR 40 (exit 352 east off I-75 or exit 268 west off I-95). Parking is free. For more information, call 352-291-4455 or visit AppletonMuseum.org.

HEERF III/American Rescue Plan Report: March 31, 2022

March 31, 2022 Report

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 $18,645,368 under the American Rescue Plan (ARP). It is our goal to reach as many students as possible and comply with all U.S. Department of Education guidelines. Under the ARP (a)(1) program, as authorized under section 2003 of the ARP, fifty-percent ($9,322,684) of the awarded funds is to be distributed to students. The other fifty percent will be used for allowable institutional needs.

As of March 31, 2022:

CF has disbursed a total of $9,283,133 to 5,398 students under the ARP (a)(1). Funds have been disbursed in two phases in the Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 semesters.

In Fall 2021, CF disbursed $4,772,113 to 4,453 students (restated/see Dec. 31, 2021 report for award levels.)

  • In Spring 2022, CF has disbursed $4,510,620 to 4,066 students.
  • Eligible students were not required to apply to receive funds.
  • Federal Pell Eligible students received $1,540.
  • Non-Federal Pell Eligible students who are eligible for other Title IV funding received $1,000.
  • Non-Title IV Eligible students received $500.

HEERF/Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds Cumulative Report

March 31, 2022

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 Emergency Financial Aid 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 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) allocations, of which $675,933 has been designated for student assistance.

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.

First Quarter 2022 Results:

  • The estimated number of students eligible to receive HEERF assistance is 4,226.
  • CF has disbursed $4,526,420 of CRSSAA and ARP funds to 4,077 students.

Cumulative Totals as of March 31, 2022:

  • CF has been allocated a total of $28,772,784 in HEERF grants, of which $14,386,392 must be distributed to students.
  • CF has distributed $14,346,841 of HEERF and $675,933 of SIP funds to a total of 9,180 students.

HEERF II/CRRSAA Report: March 31, 2022

March 31, 2022 Report

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 $5,063,708 under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA). It is our goal to reach as many students as possible and comply with all U.S. Department of Education guidelines. The college is required to disburse the same amount on 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 used for allowable institutional needs. In addition, the institution received $427,179 in Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) funds.

As of March 31, 2022:

CF has disbursed a total of $2,959,033 to 4,895 students under Section 314(a)(1) of CRRSSA. Funds have been disbursed in four phases:

In Spring 2021, CF disbursed $2,222,800 to 4,128 students (restated/see Mar. 31, 2021 report for award levels.)

In Summer 2021, CF disbursed $673,046 to 2,164 students (restated/see June 30, 2021 report for award levels.)

In Fall 2021, CF disbursed $47,387 to 37 students (restated/see Dec. 31, 2021 report for award levels).

In Spring 2022, CF has disbursed $15,800 to 12 students.

  • Eligible students were not required to apply to receive funds.
  • Federal Pell Eligible students received $1,540. Total student-level award may be a combination of HEERF II and HEERF III funds.
  • Non-Federal Pell Eligible students who are eligible for other Title IV funding received $1,000.
  • Non-Title IV Eligible students received $500.

This is the College of Central Florida’s final report of the student portion funds for HEERF II.