The greatest challenge a college student encounters should be the academic rigor in the classroom, not navigating the processes it takes to get there. At the State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota, we have world-class faculty and staff members who can compete with any institution in our region, state and nation, but one area we can and must improve is being more student-centered in how we recruit, advise and serve our students on and off campus. 

At SCF, we believe that you can get anywhere from here. In our 2015-2020 strategic plan’s Strategic Priority No. 2, we are concentrating our efforts to help our students complete their desired program with SCF, move on to continue their education elsewhere, enter their chosen career or advance within an existing job in our community. Although we are only at the beginning, I have set a goal for where we want to be by 2020—a unique and innovative student experience—but we will only arrive there by boldly engaging one student at a time.

We will develop a concierge-style experience focused on enhancing student recruitment and performance outcomes. Students have a great deal of choice today for higher education. We cannot simply sit back and wait for students to choose SCF. This priority builds on Strategic Priority No. 1, to ensure that SCF programs are available to students in all geographic locations of our service region. As we make our programs available, we will make our processes simple and manageable to enroll, retain and graduate our students – the challenge must be in the classroom, not in getting to it. 

Retention and completion rates are key indicators of our ability to effectively engage students and educate them in a way that guarantees the desired result – graduation and a direct pathway to a student’s desired future. Last year the Florida legislature introduced performance funding for the Florida College System, and retention rates and completion rates are two of the measures. SCF finished sixth among the college system’s 28 schools and scored well in those two measures. We are already committed to student success, and through this plan, we will find innovative ways to enhance our abilities.

We will also develop partnerships in our business community to enrich opportunities for students and employers alike. We want businesses that have job openings or require internships to think of SCF first.  We are going to make significant improvements in how we connect our current students and even our alumni to the employers in our region.  When employees need continuing education we want our partners to think of SCF first.  We are in the same community and we are both committed to the economic development of our region.  

This is not our college—it is your State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota. We have been here 58 years and we have produced more than 45,000 outstanding graduates. We are proud of our past and together we are the future.

Dr. Carol Probstfeld is president of State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota.