|
In the News... Lake-Sumter Community College Develops One College Concept LEESBURG - During the past three years, Lake-Sumter Community College has seen a continuous growth in its enrollment, culminating in a 15% increase this year. With this growth comes a greater demand for faculty, staff, student services, facilities, and modern equipment and technology throughout the college campus locations. It is well known that funding from the state legislature has not, and most likely will not, be able to cover these needs, so LSCCs administration has taken the initiative to address the ever increasing needs of the college district through a reorganization plan. The community listening sessions, conducted last fall in each area of the college district, indicated that the success of the college was dependent upon the availability of highly qualified faculty and student services staff in all college campus locations. With this in mind, LSCC President Dr. Charles Mojock has defined a term called the One College Concept. The one college goal in this concept will be strengthened by increasing the resources for direct services on all campuses, while minimizing administrative overhead. This will be accomplished by assigning senior staff to oversee the operations of all campuses, including the South Lake and Sumter. With many responsibilities such as, academic scheduling, human resources, facilities, marketing, purchasing, financial aid, and accounting already being performed on a college-wide basis, the merging of the remaining individual campus administrative duties will create a more efficient and streamlined operation. While this new organization will mean the elimination of the full-time campus administrator positions, the management plan for the regional locations will include the assignment of current employees to serve as advisors, reporting directly to the President to advocate for the community. Other employees will act as liaisons in the coordination of campus activities. Senior administrators, from the President to the Vice-Presidents and Deans, will be on the campuses on a regular weekly schedule, assisted by newly-selected faculty department chairs. The reorganization, which also includes eliminating positions of director of purchasing, database coordinator, accounting coordinator, and switchboard operator on the Leesburg campus, will allow reallocation of funding for much-needed faculty positions. Three full-time and one part-time instructor will now be hired to serve the needs of the South Lake and Leesburg campuses in nursing, microbiology, business/computers, and accounting and a South Lake Campus academic/financial aid advisor position will be created. Other administrative positions in human resources and admissions, vacant due to budget restraints, will also be filled. Current staff affected by the reorganization will be provided the first opportunity to assume new or existing positions. New to LSCCs organization plan will be a Director of Corporate Training and Community Services. Due to the fact that state funding is not keeping up with LSCCs growth, financial support from the community and the development of corporate partnerships are increasingly important. This position will develop these relationships, as well raise the visibility of LSCCs new Business Assistance Center. The role of the new Director of Budget and Management Reports will be to lead the budget development process and to insure that LSCC maintains accurate and complete data for management analysis and state and federal reports. These reports are very crucial to the funding, accreditation, and evaluation of the college. Dr. Mojock, President of LSCC states, Bonnie Finsley Satterfield and Jim Thigpen have built a good foundation as campus administrators and we will find a place within the organization to utilize their talents. The benefits of the reorganization plan, which will be felt in all areas of the college district, will enable LSCC to add 3.5 faculty positions in nursing, microbiology, business and accounting, plus a student services position; add three direct instructional/service positions on the South Lake Campus, improve interaction between the senior administration and the Sumter and South Lake communities and campuses, and fill critical vacancies all without any increase in personnel cost. Though such a plan involves hard decisions, its implementation is needed to enhance and expand Lake-Sumter Community Colleges reputation for high quality cost-effective academic and administrative services to the entire college service district. Announcements of staff assuming new responsibilities as Advisors, or being hired into new positions should be made by the June 18 meeting of the LSCC Board. |
