Tom Dowling
(863) 297-1051

President Looks Back At Successes; Forward To A Better Future

In an address on Jan. 2 in the PCC Fine Arts Theater, Dr. Durrence informed the faculty and staff about PCC's "Celebrations and Opportunities."

With the state slicing $914,000 from the college's budget, Dr. Durrence said "cutting almost $1 million is not easy especially when 80% of the budget is personnel costs. My philosophy is that our personnel are the most essential resource." So while other businesses in Polk County have had layoffs, PCC managed to trim its budget by freezing some vacant positions, but no one was laid off. "We'll have to do more with less, but I'm confident we can do this without reducing quality," PCC's President said.

"We'll work to deploy the funds better. We have the human resources to make things better," Dr. Durrence said. He emphasized that the college's strategic planning process is integral at times like this. He directed everyone toward achieving the goal of the College's Vision Statement, which says, "Polk Community College will be a world class college and Florida's leader in workforce development."

He went onto highlight some of the college's major accomplishment this year:

• Accreditation Reaffirmation,
• Community Partnerships, and the
• Major Gifts Campaign.

He termed the accreditation reaffirmation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) a "significant institutional achievement" and a tribute to its faculty and staff.

PCC's partnership with area companies and other educational institutions continued to expand this year. These partnerships, many funded by grants, have resulted in increased educational opportunities for citizens of Polk County. PCC received two training grants totaling $1.1 million from Work Force Florida, Inc. one trained high tech employees and the other trained future job seekers. Florida issued an $8,500 grant to PCC to tutor students at Haines City and Ft. Meade high schools. PCC also received a $760,000 federal grant known as Trio Student Support Services and has established a student retention program.

As part of the PCC Foundation's Major Gifts Campaign, Dr. Durrence has met with 60 community leaders to discuss the important role PCC has in the local economy. "People all over Polk County have a good opinion of PCC. While many of them were unaware of the diversity of our programs and resources, they recognized the positive impact PCC has on the county," he explained.

The PCC President then examined the college's goals and strategies. They are:

· Increase enrollment
He said while enrollment has taken a slight dip the past year, preliminary summer and fall figures show that PCC's enrollment is up 4 percent.

· Academic excellence
Indicators of excellence include: PCC's 78 percent pass rate on the College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST), 97 percent passing rate on licensure exams and a 96 percent placement rate of workforce graduates.

· Improve image
Dr. Durrence said the results of a 2001 survey shows 73 to 100 percent of curent students are more satisfied about the "college environment" than students questioned in 1997. Also "business partner opinion surveys reflect strong support for PCC workforce development initiatives," he said.

· Workforce education
The President said all PCC workforce programs are recognized as high skill, high wage. PCC's licensure pass rate and vocational placement rate are among the top seven community colleges in Florida. He also noted that over 150 local business people are working with the college to create a Workforce Development Plan.

· Improve/Expand facilities
Monies to design and plan a PCC/USF technology building on the Lakeland campus were approved by the legislature this year. "We hope to get funding for construction this year," Dr. Durrence said.

· Partnership with Polk County Schools (PCS) and University of South Florida (USF)
PCC doubled the number of dual enrollment students this year. A recruitment plan has been developed to focus on attracting more PCS graduates to go to college and enroll at PCC. The President also said that there is continued emphasis on preparing PCC graduates for success at USF and other state universities.

Dr. Durrence concluded his speech with a quote from German novelist and scientist Johann Goethe: "I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand as the direction we are moving." PCC cannot stand still, the President maintained. "We either slide back or we move forward. I ask you to join me in moving PCC forward for the sake of our students, our community and for ourselves."