Dental Clinic Offering Free Oral Cancer Screenings

AVON PARK, Fla.–Sept. 25, 2015–This year alone, oral cancer will be diagnosed in over 45,000 Americans and cause 8,650 deaths – or one every hour of the day – according to the Oral Cancer Foundation. Because patient survival rates improve when oral cancer is detected early, the South Florida State College Dental Education Clinic is offering free oral cancer screenings on Thursday, Oct. 15, 3:30-6 p.m.

The signs and symptoms of oral cancer are often missed by the naked eye and not detected until the cancer has advanced to the point that patients only have a 50 percent chance of survival. Oral cancer screenings are painless and take only a few minutes, but they can catch the disease early when it is in its most treatable stage. Everyone over age 17 should be screened annually.

The screenings help SFSC’s Dental Hygiene students as well by giving them real-world experience detecting oral cancer under the supervision of a licensed dentist and dental hygienists.

Appointments are required by calling 784-7020. SFSC’s Dental Education Clinic is located in Building T-1 on the Highlands Campus, 600 West College Drive, Avon Park.

AVON PARK, Fla.–Sept. 22, 2015–Heartland residents who missed out on signing up for classes at South Florida State College in August now have a second chance to jump-start their education.

Registration for SFSC’s Fall B Flex Session is now open.

Classes scheduled for Fall B Flex Session run eight weeks, from Oct. 19 – Dec. 16. Registration for the session closes Oct. 18, and fees are due at the time students register.

New students may apply for admission to the college by clicking the “Apply Now” button at the top of SFSC’s home page at www.southflorida.edu. Returning students may register and pay for classes through the college portal, Panther Central.

The Fall B Flex schedule of classes is available online at www.southflorida.edu/current-students/class-schedules.

SFSC’s Advising and Counseling Center accepts walk-in registrations 8 a.m. – 6 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Fridays. Students can register in Building B of the Highlands Campus in Avon Park, at the Hardee Campus in Bowling Green, at the Lake Placid Center in Lake Placid, or at the DeSoto Campus in Arcadia.

SFSC offers two-year associate degree programs and numerous occupational training programs for people who wish to enhance their employability skills through shorter courses of study. The college offers a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Supervision and Management (BAS-SM), a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program.

Financial aid is available to those who are qualified. For more information about financial assistance and scholarships, contact the SFSC Financial Aid Office at 863-784-7134. For further information about registration, call 863-453-6661 (Highlands Campus), 773-3081 (Hardee Campus), 993-1757 (DeSoto Campus), or 465-3003 (Lake Placid Center). For information about SFSC and its programs, visit www.southflorida.edu.

AVON PARK, Fla.–Sept. 18, 2015–Timothy Hall knew he had to start college. He knew getting ahead in an increasingly competitive economy required a college education.

He hadn’t finished high school, and his academic skills needed brushing up. Hall turned to South Florida State College (SFSC).

The 21-year-old Hardee County resident signed up for SFSC’s GED class at its Hardee Campus in Bowling Green.

But there was one problem.

The cash-strapped Hall could not cover the state-mandated $28.50 tuition required to enroll in the class, an amount not covered by traditional financial aid programs.

Now, because of grant funding from Suncoast Credit Union, Hall has enrolled in class this fall and is on track to start college credit work at SFSC in the spring.

“One of our adult education instructors, Vent Crawford, saw that too many prospective students were not signing up for GED classes because they couldn’t afford the nominal tuition and testing fees,” said Teresa Crawford, the director of SFSC’s Hardee Campus.

Crawford said the instructor took the initiative last year by seeking grant aid from Suncoast to fund GED tuition and testing fees for students who had no other avenue open to them for assistance.

The Tampa-based credit union awarded SFSC’s Hardee Campus initiative $1,000 last year to target assistance to these students.

“With that seemingly modest award, we were able to help more than a dozen students enroll in adult education classes,” Crawford said.

Now, with a follow-on award of $500 this summer, Hall and other students at SFSC’s Hardee Campus are working toward their GED, making a college degree or occupational certificate possible for them.

To receive assistance, students complete an application to determine whether they are eligible.

“Suncoast recognized that investing a small sum per student could yield impressive results,” Crawford said. “Because they stepped in, $28.50 won’t stop Timothy Hall from getting an education.”

AVON PARK, Fla.–Sept. 18, 2015–South Florida State College’s 2015 Health Sciences graduates taking their licensure examinations came out on top, with as many as 100 percent of some graduating classes passing their national board examinations.

This year, nearly all of the graduates of the two-year program leading to employment as a registered nurse passed the NCLEX-RN, the national board examination required to work as a registered nurse.

At this juncture in the year, 100 percent of the dental assisting and dental hygiene students have passed their respective board examinations.

Same, too, for the radiography students—100 percent of the students who have taken the board examination have passed.

“We set the bar high for students entering our Health Sciences programs,” said Rebecca A. Sroda, SFSC’s dean of health sciences. “As health care consumers, patients can be confident that our graduates are well-prepared.”

Health science professionals include nurses, dental assistants, dental hygienists, radiologic technologists, physical therapists, and related fields, all of whom work in clinical settings as part of a health care team.

SFSC offers three nursing programs. An associate degree program prepares students to pass the NCLEX-RN and work as a registered nurse.

The pass rate for U.S. nursing graduates taking the NCLEX-RN is 84 percent. Among SFSC’s 2015 associate degree nursing graduates, 97 percent passed the licensure examination.

This year’s graduating class of practical nurses posted a 100 percent pass rate on their examination. Practical nurses, who complete an 11-month program, provide basic nursing care under the direction of registered nurses and physicians.

Employed practical nurses looking to work as registered nurses can enroll in SFSC’s Transition LPN to RN program. The one-year program builds on a practical nurse’s current fund of nursing knowledge, with graduates earning an associate degree in nursing and the right to sit for the NCLEX-RN.

The 2015 graduating class of practical nurses who completed the transition program achieved a pass rate of 92 percent on the NCLEX-RN, eight percentage points above the national pass rate.

“While passing the national board examination qualifies a graduate to work, landing a job is another matter,” Sroda said. “All three of SFSC’s nursing programs can boast of a 100 percent placement in 2015—every graduate got a job in their field.”

Sroda said admission to SFSC’s Health Sciences programs is competitive, with students required to earn a grade of B, or higher, in college algebra, microbiology, and anatomy before their applications for entry into the programs are reviewed.

Graduates of SFSC’s dental assisting and dental hygiene programs also scored well on their national examinations. In 2015, every graduate who has completed the three-part licensure examination had passed.

Graduates of SFSC’s dental assistant program complete a 16-month occupational certificate course. After passing the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) examination, graduates work alongside a dentist providing basic care to patients.

Dental hygienists complete a two-year associate degree program. Once they pass an examination administered by the Florida Board of Dentistry, graduates find jobs in dental offices performing direct patient care, taking X-rays, and educating patients about oral hygiene.

Sroda said all the graduates who passed their examination have found employment with a dental practice.

In July, SFSC graduated a class of radiologic technologists. By the end of August, all the graduates who had completed their national board examination had passed.

The examination, administered by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists, has a national pass rate of 88.9 percent. SFSC’s graduates have posted a 94 percent average pass rate for the past five years.

Radiologic technologists work in hospitals and clinics performing diagnostic imaging examinations, such as X-rays.

Sroda, who also oversees SFCS emergency medical services (EMS) program, attributes the high pass rates not only to the quality of classroom and clinical instruction that she said prepares graduates for the examinations, but also to a mindset the competitive programs foster among the students.

“In the classroom and clinical training sites, we endeavor to turn students into professionals by holding them to high standards,” Sroda said. “In turn, they begin to hold themselves to the same standards and in doing so become high-performing professionals.”

AVON PARK, Fla.–Sept. 11, 2015–The South Florida State College (SFSC) Museum of Florida Art and Culture (MOFAC) announces its 2015-16 season of exhibitions and programs.

MOFAC, in addition to its permanent collection of contemporary Florida regional art, provides an exhibition venue for established and emerging regional artists and preserves Florida’s history and heritage through art. The museum also serves as a repository for the historical artifacts unearthed by members of the Kissimmee Valley Archaeological and Historical Conservancy.

“MOFAC features an exciting and varied group of artists this season, from local and emerging artists to internationally recognized Clyde Butcher,” said Mollie Doctrow, MOFAC’s curator. “Visitors will be inspired by the vibrant creativity of these Florida artists.”

MOFAC is located adjacent to the SFSC Theatre for the Performing Arts, Highlands Campus, 600 W. College Dr, Avon Park. The museum is open to the public Oct. 9 – May 4. Visitors can view the exhibitions on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 12:30 – 4:30 p.m., or by appointment for group tours. Patrons of the SFSC Theatre for the Performing Arts may visit the museum one hour prior to matinee and evening performances.

MOFAC 2015-16 Exhibition Season

“Coming Home 2015: SFSC Alumni Exhibition” will be on display Oct. 7 – Dec. 2. SFSC MOFAC celebrates the college’s 50^th anniversary with its annual exhibition featuring the work of distinguished SFSC alumni, including Max Gooding and Cody Coltharp.

The exhibit will also feature the work of SFSC alumni: Katie Jane Altvater, Whitney Broadaway, Joe Colangelo, Caroline Colby, Gabe Clogston, Kiri Crommet, Hope Flowers, James Futral, Allen McPherson, Quinn Miller, Emmie Pereira, Jayma Sacco, Holly Scherlacher, Chase Smith, and Laura Wolfe.

An alumni artist program and reception is scheduled for Oct. 15. The artists will assemble for a program at 5:30 p.m. in SFSC’s University Auditorium, which is short walk from the MOFAC gallery. At 6:45 p.m., the artists will be available for a meet-and-greet in the lobby of the SFSC Theatre for the Performing Arts. The exhibition is co-sponsored by the SFSC Alumni Association and the SFSC Foundation, Inc.

“Leaf and Branch and Log and Stump: Landscapes of Jerry Cutler” will be on display Dec. 9 – Feb. 4. Cutler achieved notice for his decades-long study of Florida’s landscapes, with a unique focus on the Everglades. His paintings have been exhibited at more than 200 group and solo shows. His landscape paintings are on display in state office buildings as part of Florida’s Art in State Buildings Program.

Cutler, a retired professor of art at the University of Florida, will lead a talk titled “What a Landscape Painting Should Be,” Jan. 21, 1 – 2 p.m. in MOFAC’s main gallery.

“Emerging Voices of Artistic Expression” will be on display Dec. 9 – Feb. 4. “The need to create is inherent in everyone, young and old,” said Mollie Doctrow, MOFAC’s curator. “The artists’ works in this exhibit will speak to visitors through metaphor, communicating visually through the personal forms and style of each artist,” Doctrow said. The exhibit includes local artist Ronnie Fuertes, and regional artists, Kendal Hanson, Dawn Marie Lee, and Jake Noland.

“Visions of Florida: The Photographic Art of Clyde Butcher” will be on display Feb. 10 – April 28. Visitors to this exhibition will discover an undisturbed paradise that is rapidly disappearing. Through the eyes of one of America’s finest landscape photographers, patrons will journey into the realm of natural Florida—a world seldom seen either by tourists or longtime residents. This exhibition is on loan from the Museum of Florida History.

“Celebrating Florida Archaeology,” on display Feb. 10 – March 31, celebrates Florida’s archaeological history by showcasing images of the state’s archaeological resources and the people who have explored, preserved, and interpreted the archaeological record to better understand the millennia of human occupation of the Florida peninsula.

“SFSC’s Juried Student Art Exhibition” will be on display April 6 – 28. The annual exhibition features outstanding artistic achievements from the academic year. Students co-organize the exhibition and assist with the framing, installation, and promotion of their work. A Student Art Awards and Reception will be held Thursday, April 21, 12:30-2:30 p.m. The sponsors for the exhibition are Joe and Suzanne Wright, the SFSC Foundation, Inc., and Doug and Elizabeth Andrews.

Special Programs

MOFAC invites the public to a series of special programs throughout the year.

“The Artists’ Group at SFSC” exhibition will be held Oct. 9, 2015 – Jan. 9, 2016, in the lower lobby gallery of MOFAC. It will feature the work of resident artists at SFSC who make up The Artists’ Group (TAG). The TAG is a community of artists who are committed to developing their individual talents and promoting an appreciation for art.

A selection of paintings by Peter Powell Roberts will be on display Jan. 15 – April 30. Roberts was an acclaimed Florida artist who taught at the Ringling College of Art for 23 years, where he founded the design and computer graphics departments. Roberts’ deep reverence and love for nature is reflected in this selection of oil paintings and mixed media works from MOFAC’s permanent collection.

Catherine Parker, with the Archaeology Institute at the University of West Florida, will lead a talk titled “Spanish Colonial Foodways,” Feb. 18, 1 – 2 p.m., in Building G, Room 102, on SFSC’s Highlands Campus. Food is an important part of our heritage and culture. Parker will demonstrate how information from the written historical record, together with evidence from archeological findings, opens a window on the place of food in the early life of “La Florida.”

Mollie Doctrow, MOFAC’s curator, will lead a talk titled “Lunch ‘n Learn: Arts in the Parks,” Nov. 5, noon – 1 p.m., in Building G, Room 101, on SFSC’s Highlands Campus. Doctrow, an award-winning artist, will share her experience as an artist-in-residence at the Petrified Forest National Park, an ancient landscape more than 200 million years old.

The “Pygmy Fringe Tree Wildflower Festival” will be held on March 10, 11 a.m. – noon, at SFSC’s MOFAC. The Pygmy Fringe Tree Wildflower Festival celebrates native wildflowers of the Lake Wales Ridge with guided walks on the Wayside Shrine Trail. This year’s festival includes a literary interpretive walk, singing by Florida Seminole songwriter Rita Youngman, and storytelling by Florida folklorist Carol Mahler. For additional information, visit www.waysideshrinetrail.com.

For more information about SFSC MOFAC and its programs or to request a museum tour, contact Mollie Doctrow, curator, MOFAC, at 863-784-7240 or email mofac@southflorida.edu. Visit the MOFAC website at mofac.org.

AVON PARK, Fla.–Sept. 4, 2015–Learn how to create a beautiful stained glass window with local artist Coye Brenner-Mann, an expert in mosaic media.

The two-session workshop runs two Fridays, Dec. 4 and 11, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., in Building A, Room 16, at South Florida State College, Highlands Campus.

The workshop will introduce participants to the art of stained glass. Each participant will design and create an 11-by-14-inch stained glass window.

Participants are encouraged to bring simple designs and ideas to the first session, although pre-made patterns will be available.

At the first session, Dec. 4, participants will work on simplifying designs for windows, gather materials, cut glass, fit to pattern, and grind pieces.

During the second session, Dec. 11, participants will pick up where they left off by completing the assemblage, foiling, and soldering of their stained glass window.

The cost of the two-session workshop is $75 per person and includes all materials. Participants are asked to bring a packed lunch.

Participants can download a registration form at mofac.org/education and email it to SubmissionsMOFAC@southflorida.edu or mail it to SFSC MOFAC, 600 W. College Drive, Avon Park, FL 33825. For more information, call the SFSC Art Department at 863-784-7195 or 863-784-7240.

AVON PARK, Fla.–Sept. 3, 2015–The Museum of Florida Art and Culture at South Florida State College is looking for volunteer docents.

If you have an interest in Florida history, art, or archeology, then MOFAC invites you to attend a luncheon that will introduce volunteers to the role docents play at MOFAC and how they can contribute their time.

The luncheon is Friday, Sept. 18, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., in the lobby of the SFSC Theatre for the Performing Arts on the college’s Highlands Campus.

A docent serves as a guide to visitors, helping them understand and better appreciate the art and items on exhibit.

“Our docents provide an interesting, entertaining, and educational aspect to the viewing experience,” said Mollie Doctrow, MOFAC’s curator. “They are an integral part of MOFAC and we rely on them to enrich our visitors’ interaction with the collection.”

Docents need not have in depth knowledge of MOFAC’s collection. The museum will orient docents on the collection and provide training workshops.

Docents typically volunteer one hour or more a week during regular museum hours.

MOFAC is a cultural program of South Florida State College.

Those who have volunteered as MOFAC docents in prior years are also invited to the luncheon.

RSVP to MOFAC’s curator, Mollie Doctrow, by email at doctrowm@southflorida.edu or call her at 863-784-7240.

AVON PARK, Fla.–Sept. 2, 2015–Fourteen years after terrorist attacks killed more than 3,000 people and sent a stunned nation into mourning, South Florida State College will pause to honor the sacrifices made that day and reaffirm the American spirit of compassion and resilience in the face of adversity.

Now known as Patriot Day, SFSC’s Sept. 11 observance will begin at 8:40 a.m. in front of the flag poles on the Tower of Enlightenment circle at the Highlands Campus. The time is significant as it coincides with the first of four terrorist attacks, when American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center.

Along with remembering the 2,996 civilian victims of the Sept. 11 attacks, SFSC will honor the 342 firefighters and 72 law enforcement officers who lost their lives while attempting to rescue survivors.­­

SFSC invites the public to join its students and staff at the Patriot Day observance.