"Redesigning SCC ... The First Step"

Welcome...

• After days - weeks - and months of speculation and rumors, we are here at last to talk about "Redesigning Seminole Community College" ...

We all know that even a lengthy journey begins with just one step. And that's where we are today - we're taking the first step in a thoughtful, collaborative, collegewide journey to transform our College.

First, let's review the reasons for a Redesign...

We've been operating for years with an organizational structure that was created in 1996

• Today we're in a new place, with new challenges
• Our growth, not decline, is our issue
• Our community has changed, and will continue to change
• We are only one academic year away from expanding to four distinct sites, necessitating new infrastructure
• We need to look ahead, to become even more collaborative
• Educating today's students is requiring new technologies, new processes, and new perspectives to ensure they succeed

Indeed, we are increasingly hearing from our students and our community that they are expecting SCC to become an even stronger conduit for opportunity, access, and success throughout Seminole County.

So what has taken place, leading up to our meeting here today?

• First of all ... we certainly have not rushed through this process
• We have approached every facet of the Redesign very thoughtfully - not hastily...

As you can see from this timeline - we have had you involved, and have heard from many of you what you would like to see...

• Notified BOT last May
• About the same time, SCC joined the Strategic Horizon College network, out of the University of Michigan, made up of 14 community colleges
  
  • June 04 - CyFair visit ... found things liked / didn't like
  • Summer 04 - Sent data and documents to consultants
  • Nov. 04 - Many of you attended 41 internal / external focus groups
  • Dec. 04 - Consultants analyzed all SCC / focus group feedback
  • Jan. 05 - Collegewide retreat
  • Feb. 05 - Consultant's final recommendations receive
  • Feb. 05 - Diversity retreat ... of parallel importance
  • Feb. - March ... Task Force of 29 SCC faculty / staff worked very hard to make this SCC's own document ... developed new Strategic Plan Framework outlining nine priorities

And it was very important to develop the framework before the redesign took shape, to reflect the new priorities.

These priorities - that you saw in the Open Forums before Spring Break - concentrate on quality, community, plus four of the nine concern capacity.

One of these priorities in the area of "Capacity" is very clear ... it's critical that we balance growth and quality.

How do we do that? This priority outlines our journey for us:

• "By aligning the organizational structure of SCC with conditions that:
  
  • Encourage diversity
  • Consider optimal growth
  • Respond to changing infrastructural needs
  • And reflect available resources"

Just as important - we heard loud and clear - the priority: "Create a comprehensive personnel development program"

• One that will allow people to grow, to progress professionally
• Within a structure that will support everybody's strengths

• Increase institutional effectiveness and performance
• And enhance the strategic capabilities of SCC faculty and staff"

These new priorities - and the entire Strategic Plan Framework that our SCC Task Force Developed - have truly become our "road map" on this journey to Redesigning SCC.

So after the Framework was developed, we zeroed in on the process of Redesigning SCC's Organizational Structure.

• Over the past year, I have examined other institution's models and I've talked to other presidents.

After Strategic Plan Framework was developed, Executive Staff and I met for six intense, very collaborative days.

• Guided by these principles that we set out early in our process, our new organizational structure will:
  • Facilitate achievement of SCC's Mission and Vision
  • Facilitate achievement of new Strategic Plan Framework priorities
  • Create diverse learning communities that focus on success of students and constituents
  • Be the glue that holds our "One College" together
  • Provide growth and development of current / future SCC leaders
  • Clarify roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities
  • Streamline decision-makin

During several of those six days, our U. of Mich. consultants facilitated our discussions and one of their principles is called "Lead From Where You Are," which encourages the leadership capabilities of every single employee - because every College employee truly can contribute to the strategic future of this institution.

• I'm very proud of the work that Executive Staff accomplished during those six days - and in many ensuing meetings over the past several weeks. I can tell you that there has been some tremendous growth in our Executive Staff because of this Redesign, and we have really come out of this process much stronger and a much better team because of this process. And these are the preliminary decisions we came up with:
• Our new organizational structure will:
  
  • Emphasize diversity
  • Emphasize retention and student success
  • Place greater emphasis on learning
  • Enable SCC to be more responsive to community needs
  • Encourage cross-college collaboration and teamwork
  • Foster greater internal community building
  • Provide more local decision-making
  • Provide growth opportunities for SCC employees
  • Create critical positions, with the preference to fill positions internally

So now it's time for you to see what we've been working on - the first step in Redesigning SCC concerns some changes at the College's senior leadership level.

• There is much, much more to this journey that will flow from the decisions you are about to see
• We want you to be involved - giving your ideas and input as we flesh out the rest of the College's organizational structure.
• You're about to see some newly-created positions that are open, that we're encouraging you to apply for ...
• And you'll see some positions that I am appointing specific individuals to fill - based on their strengths and proven capabilities here at SCC
• Met earlier today with many of those affected ... now want to unveil to you

Current Organizational Structure

The first change I'm very pleased to announce, is a change in Yolanda Williams' title and responsibilities:

• In handling our equity issues for a number of years, Yolanda knows our College and our community well
• It was recommended at our Diversity Retreat in February that we have a person with administrative responsibilities for diversity issues at the College - and Yolanda will do a great job
• In this new role, Yolanda will sit in Executive Staff meetings so the perspective of equity and diversity are present in all our decisions and deliberations
• We will also be hiring a FT equity coordinator to work for Yolanda, to enable her to assume her new diversity responsibilities

Next, I'm pleased to announce a change in Michael Garlich's title and responsibilities:

• AVP title is not new to our institution
• Michael will be working closely with me, helping me develop our positioning strategies and visibility opportunities throughout the community
• Since communications will also play a huge role - internally and externally - as we expand to four sites, Michael and his entire department will be working with me to continue raising our College's profile, to communicate our successes, and to engage our College and our employees with our community
• He will also be supporting our role in fund-raising, and will help carry the cause to increase our resources
• Also, I'll touch more on this later, but Michael will join Yolanda at Executive Staff each week to assist us in improving our internal communications between Executive Staff and the College community

Matt Hodge will continue as Executive Director - SCC Foundation

• There will be two new positions in the Foundation, but they will be funded by the Foundation. Matt and his team are really stepping up to the plate to increase our resources.

Don Payton will continue as Legislative Liaison and you all need to know what a great job Don is doing for all of us up in Tallahassee - even as we speak!

Which brings us to the VP positions. We've been very sensitive to not increasing the number of VP's. Our intent has been to maximize the talents we have. From the beginning, we've felt that keeping the number of VP's to four would be best for our institution.

• And the first VP position we're going to talk about is our VP, Educational Programs
• Since last summer, Suzanne Tesinsky has done an outstanding job as Interim VP, but now we need her talents in a new role to be disclosed in a moment
• Who is best to lead as our Chief Learning Officer?
  
  • I believe we have the perfect fit ...
  • Someone with 10 years experience as FT English faculty member at the community college level
  • Someone who brought that perspective to the next 15 years of successive administrative responsibilities at two expanding Florida community colleges
  • Someone who led our SACS accreditation process and whose faculty roots and breadth of administrative experience will be a tremendous asset to Educational Programs
  • Carol Hawkins

Next is our VP, Student Success Services. We were so fortunate Jim Henningsen came back to us last year.

• Since then, Jim and his team have continued to sharpen our focus on student success, with increasingly positive results.
• I'm pleased to announce a title change for Jim
• VP, Student Success and Chief Student Affairs Officer

Next is our VP that's been charged with Administrative and Business Services

• Joe Sarnovsky joined us three years ago and is doing a great job of leading all our business and administrative processes.
• So we're adding Chief Financial Officer to Joe's title
• Now called VP, Administrative Services / CFO
• You also need to know that Joe is now on the all-important Funding Committee for the State, we're doing all we can to control our destiny

The fourth VP position needs to be recast in the context of the growing importance of technology

• So I'm pleased to announce Dick Hamann's promotion to VP, Information Technology and Resources / CIO
• Dick has really put SCC on the national map with his unique combination of skills negotiation, innovation, technology vision, and the ability to make things happen
• As we continue to expand to multiple sites, if we are to achieve a "One College" vision, advances in our technology will be absolutely essential
• With our resource constraints we must make innovative use of technology for communicating, for our administrative processes, and for teaching and learning
• We are truly fortunate to have someone of Dick's caliber to "get things done"

In a moment, each of these VP's will walk you through their respective areas.

But as you look at this new organizational chart for the President's direct reports I'd ask that you keep this in mind:

• These changes at the senior leadership level are just The First Step. There is much, much more that will flow from what you are seeing today.
• That is why we are asking for your involvement, your ideas, and your input as we collaborate to examine the rest of the College's organizational structure.

Now, you're going to hear from each of our four VP's. It's my pleasure to introduce Carol Hawkins, to walk through the proposed redesign of Educational Programs.

And now Jim Henningsen will walk through the proposed redesign of Student Services.

Joe Sarnovsky will share with us the proposed redesign of Administrative Services.

And Dick Hamann will elaborate upon the proposed redesign of Technology Services.

So there you have it, here is another look at the new organizational chart for the President's direct reports.

• But there is more to a great team than just "reporting" the best teams are those that truly collaborate and bring a great diversity of perspective, experience, and capabilities.

So in addition to the four VP's at our weekly Executive Staff meetings we will add:

• Yolanda Williams
• Michael Garlich
• and Suzanne Tesinsky - whose experience at bringing up a new campus and oversight of Oviedo, Altamonte, and Heathrow will bring so much to the table. Suzanne will also lend us a great historical perspective, since she's been at SCC since the 1970's and has truly seen it all!

And we will also increase our across-the-College meetings and collaborations...

• For instance, the President's Council will begin meeting about once a month during the Academic Year in September, October, November, January, February, April, and May plus a summertime meeting.
• The President's Council is comprised of representatives of faculty, career service employees, students, and administrators. Meeting so often throughout the year will truly enhance our cross-college collaborations

Here is one more recap of newly-created positions that are open, that we're encouraging you to apply for.

• Remember, strong preference will be given to filling positions internally, to provide career path and growth opportunities for SCC employees.
• And since these positions will be posted internally, you may see other openings across these charts as positions are filled July 1st, opening up other growth opportunities throughout the College
• The expenses for all these moves will be costed out by May 18th and we'll better know then what pieces can be put in place, and when
• In our opinion, this is what we feel is the best design for our institution
• And it will be phased in as funds become available.

We know this is a lot to digest so we are making this presentation available online for you by tomorrow.

• We're also scheduling four special Q and A open forums throughout the day tomorrow to give you the opportunity to ask questions
  
  • Sanford / Lake Mary at 9 a.m. in the Board Room
  • Hunt Club at 12:30
  • Oviedo College Center at 2 p.m.
  • Back to Sanford / Lake Mary at 4 p.m. in the Board Room
• Or if you prefer, you can e-mail me or communicate to me in writing your input regarding this first step, just get it to me by May 9th
• Also on the Web tomorrow or pick one up as you leave here today, we have a special "Internal Application" available to express your interest in any open or new position - in fact, some of you may be interested in even more than one position
  
  • This "Internal Application" process will also need to include ...
    
    • Your updated resume
    • And we ask you to communicate in writing why you believe you're qualified for the position, and what is your vision for the position and our College.
  • Then, send this "Internal Application" to HR by Monday, May 9
  • I strongly encourage you to give me your feedback and to indicate your interest in any new opportunity

On May 10th the newly-expanded Executive Staff and I will review all input and expressions of interest in new /open positions, and make final recommendations about the organizational structure.

• Everything will then go to the BOT for their approval on May 17th.
• Remember, we are making the recommendations but the Board has final approval
• Assuming Board approval, on May 18th all unfilled new and open positions from this first step will be posted until June 3rd, whereupon Executive Staff will review the applications and recommend selections for Board approval at the June 21 BOT meeting
• Again, assuming Board approval, the appointments we recommend will become effective July 1 - at the start of our new fiscal year

In closing, we all know that change is never easy. As our consultants told 70+ faculty and staff at our January retreat : "It will be hard for so many different employees throughout the College to relinquish their many different mindsets. So this process will be uncomfortable. It will not be beautiful, or perfect."

• And he was right. This has not been a comfortable or easy process. Trust me ... it would have been much easier to have some "hidden plan" I could pull out of my drawer this morning to unveil. But this is too important a step for our institution and our community to have taken such a cavalier approach.
• Instead we have devoted important, long hours and days over the past several weeks deliberating ... discussing ... sometimes even disagreeing ... but always collaboratively and always with one overriding principle ... "To do what's best for our institution and for our students."
• We know you may have questions or concerns. That's why we're having the "Q and A" sessions tomorrow - to begin addressing and answering them as best we can.
• So now you know our first step on this journey ... and you might ask, "what is our destination?"

Well, from what has taken shape from our Strategic Plan Framework, I believe that becoming "One College" is our destination for this journey...

• What is "One College"?
• And what will we find there?
• We are finding those answers together ... and will continue to find them as we journey together through this new place and time.
• In fact, very soon new teams and new task forces will begin to tackle the many facets of continuing to develop SCC's 2005-2010 Strategic Plan and all that comes with it

So I'll leave you now with one final certainty I have - borne out of so much work done by so many over this past year, with sincere care and concern for our students, our institution, and our growing, changing community ...

• In my office there's a large plaque that reads "Joy For The Journey" ... that I've had since early in my career.
• Now, more than ever, I am filled with joy for this journey we are undertaking together
• Because I know that this journey will enable us to continue distinguishing ourselves in our State and in our nation ...
• And to truly lead our region in higher education, in community enhancement, in economic development, in diversity, and in cultural enrichment throughout the years and decades ahead.

Did you know?

SCC's Heathrow facility is conveniently located in the heart of the I-4 high tech corridor.