Accolades and Honors
Students State NFC Stands Out Among Universities on Social Media
MADISON, FL – In their annual Student Sentiment ResearchTM, Eduventures at Encoura reviewed the best social media communicators of the year and, according to high school students, North Florida College is in the Top 3 of standouts.
According to their website, Eduventures’ annual Student Sentiment ResearchTM provides first-hand insights on student perceptions about institutional marketing and communication as well as students’ inherent college search behaviors. This research is based on a national survey of college-bound high school seniors, juniors, and sophomores. Invitations are distributed in the spring via email. Respondents are asked questions about their college search experiences, use of specific communication channels, and reactions to institutional outreach.
Within the survey, students provided open-ended comments offering what impressed them the most from a college’s social media presence, which were categorized as:
- Community and Inclusivity,
- Authenticity and Student Voice, and
- Information and Transparency.
Rising to the top, North Florida College was one of three institutions that was frequently mentioned and more often praised for their social media presence than any other.
Along with NFC, the two other institutions that made a lasting social media impression among high students were the University of Miami and the University of California, Los Angeles.
To press the point of distinction for NFC, Eduventures stated the following in its article, Rising Stars in College Communication: The Power of Social Media in Student Search: “It’s rare to see a two-year college praised for its communication, but North Florida College breaks this pattern...”
“Our student workers are the reason NFC has received such praise,” states Allison Finley, Director of the Office of Communications and Recruitment. “They provide the true voice, sentiment, and authenticity of college life because they are living it in real time. What better way for high school students to relate to a college than by seeing it through the eyes of another student.”
Over the past three years, NFC’s Office of Communications focused on the importance of student workers; where they are included in weekly department meetings, provide concepts for trending posts, and establish a student-view consistent with NFC’s strategic plan and brand.
NFC student workers are content creators for three of NFC’s social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube.
“From the start of an idea to posting a finished product online and everything in between, our student workers are true professionals. They do it all. And, we couldn’t be prouder of them for receiving such recognition,” states Finley.
According to the article, and as evident from their student survey, Eduventures states “Clearly, North Florida College recognizes the importance of using student ambassadors in its content creation.”
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Encoura provides custom technology solutions that combine Eduventures research, data science, strategic enrollment services, and multichannel marketing to serve over 2,000 higher ed institutions. For more information on Encoura or Eduventures, go to https://www.encoura.org/contact-us/.
North Florida College is a member of the Florida College System and accredited by
the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. NFC proudly
serves the distinct educational needs of its six-county district, including Hamilton,
Jefferson, Lafayette, Madison, Suwannee and Taylor counties, and beyond. For more
information on NFC, contact news@nfc.edu or call
850-973-1613.
The Bellwether Award Announces North Florida College as Finalist
Finalists representing 18 states and 29 community colleges were selected to compete
SAN ANTONIO, TX – The Bellwether College
Consortium announced 30 Bellwether Finalists will compete for the 2024 Bellwether Award at the 30th Annual Community College Futures Assembly (CCFA). This nationally recognized award identifies and honors outstanding and innovative community college programs in three award categories.
“The ingenuity and innovation demonstrated by these community colleges make them shining examples of the solutions-focused culture prevalent in these organizations,” said Rose Martinez, Ph.D., director for the Bellwether College Consortium. “The consortium looks forward to hosting 30 award-winning finalists at the Community College Futures Assembly.”
A Bellwether Finalist is a community college with a program that scores highest in the first round of competition and is invited to compete in the final round of award competition. Finalists were announced on November 15, 2023. The Bellwether Award categories are instructional programs and services, workforce development, and planning, governance, and finance.
North Florida College is a finalist in the Instructional Programs and Services category, which recognizes programs and services that foster or support teaching and learning. Other finalists in this category of distinction are:
Reading Area Community College (PA)
Hudson County Community College (NJ)
Ventura College (CA)
Columbia Basin College (WA)
Leeward Community College (HI)
Cerritos College (CA)
Allan Hancock Joint Community College District (CA)
Northwest Mississippi Community College (MS)
Pima Community College (AZ)
Finalists representing 18 states and 29 community colleges were selected to compete from a pool of submissions. College teams will conduct presentations to a jury of anonymous judges and fellow community college practitioners and CEOs and share how they significantly addressed a critical issue affecting community colleges.
In the competition, NFC will present the success of the iCARE Mentoring Program, with a project titled "Mentoring: Low-Cost Initiative with Immediate Results". NFC recognized a need to support underperforming subgroups within its student body to achieve equitable outcomes. College leadership formed the iCARE Mentoring Program and gained remarkable improvements in at-risk subgroups without placing limitations on participation and simultaneously engaging over 30% of faculty and staff.
To represent NFC in the competition will be Dr. John Grosskopf, President; Dani Mays, Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Research; Ellie Morgan, Director of Learning Resources; and Cheri Green, Associate Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Research.
“While this event is a competition to be nationally recognized for our efforts,” states Morgan, “it is an opportunity to share significant achievements of NFC students who benefited from a dedicated and concerted effort by multiple departments.”
“Without the iCARE Mentoring Program, these students may have continued underperforming and potentially decide college isn’t for them,” states Mays. “NFC is proud to showcase that with the help of a mentor, students are performing at average and in some cases higher rates than that of their peers.”
Event co-sponsors include the National Council of Instructional Administrators, the National Council for State Directors of Community Colleges, and the National Council for Continuing Education and Training. The national competition will be held February 25 - 27, in San Antonio, Texas. The 2024 Bellwether Award recipients will be named at the event.
The Community College Futures Assembly convenes annually as an independent national forum for innovators to work as a think tank. It identifies successful responses to critical issues facing the future of community colleges and hosts its national award competition annually.
Visit the Bellwether College Consortium website for more information, www.bellwethercollegeconsortium.com, or email rmartinez1702@alamo.edu.
The Aspen Institute Names North Florida College as a Top 150 U.S. Community Colleges Eligible for the
2025 Aspen Prize
$1 Million Prize Recognizes Excellence in Equitable Outcomes for Students in and After College
WASHINGTON D.C., October 31, 2023 – Today, the Aspen Institute named North Florida College as one of the 150 institutions eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation's signature recognition of high achievement and performance among two-year colleges. The institutions selected for this honor stand out among more than 1,000 community colleges nationwide as having high and improving levels of student success as well as equitable outcomes for Black and Hispanic students and those from lower-income backgrounds.
NFC President John Grosskopf to Receive Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction
JACKSON, MS (February 8, 2024) – Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (PTK) will recognize John Grosskopf, President, North
Florida College (FL), along with 18 other college administrators with the Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction during PTK Catalyst 2024, the Society’s annual convention in Orlando,
Fl, April 4-6, 2024.
To be eligible for this award, college presidents and CEOs must have served in their role for at least five years. Recipients are nominated by students on their campus and are only eligible to receive the award once over the course of their career.
8th Consecutive Year, NFC named “2023 Great College to Work For”
MADISON, FL (October 18, 2023) – For the eighth consecutive year, North Florida College has again been named one
of the best colleges in the nation to work for, according to the Great Colleges to
Work For® program.
The 2023 results, released in a special insert of The Chronicle of Higher Education, are based on a survey of colleges and universities across the U.S. In all, 72 institutions achieved “Great College to Work For” recognition for specific best practices and policies.
NFC won honors in three categories this year:
- Faculty and Staff Well-being
- Shared Governance
- Supervisor/Department Chair Effectiveness
“Our faculty and staff matter,” states John Grosskopf, President. “NFC is a great place to work because our small, intimate environment and supportive culture of teamwork and respect create an institution where every employee is able to make a productive contribution to our mission and goals.”
NFC Jumps to No. 2 in Top Public Schools – Regional Colleges South, U.S. News & World Report
MADISON, FL (October 12, 2023) – North Florida College is among the nation’s best colleges, according to the 2024 Best Colleges rankings by U.S. News & World Report (U.S. News). Among the highly sought-after report released on September 18, NFC earned multiple spots on the list of 2024 Best Colleges, including Regional Colleges South #13, Top Public Schools – Regional Colleges South #2, and Social Mobility Regional Colleges South #6.
U.S. News Best Colleges ranking methodology uses a variety of metrics to determine the overall quality of each institution. It evaluates measures reflecting academic quality and graduate outcomes, campus culture, strength in specific programs and degrees, and financial aid offered.
“We are in this business for the students,” said NFC President, John Grosskopf. “Our mission is to place them at the forefront of every strategic decision we make. This ranking reflects our efforts to support, encourage, and prepare NFC students to take the next step towards continuing their education or entering the workforce.”
NFC Receives Award and Staff Present During Annual Northeast Florida Library Information Network Meeting
MADISON, FL (September 21, 2023) – On September 15, during the Northeast Florida Library Information Network (NEFLIN) Annual Meeting at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, North Florida College received the Continuing Education Award for Making the Most of NEFLIN.
This award is given to a NEFLIN institution member that uses all its many Continuing
Education services, limited to only three recipients.
NEFLIN’s award recognized the use of the Innovation Grant for over $7,000 by NFC’s Marshall W. Hamilton Library (Library) to assist the purchase of sixty additional TI-84 calculators for students to borrow. Grant funds also included piloting a "Calculator Cart" to be placed outside math classrooms during the first week of classes. Students take advantage of the new items when they arrive.
NFC Director of Learning Resources, Ellie Morgan, and Coordinator of Library Resources, Jamen Brock attended the meeting, where Brock presented on the recent success of the NFC Library's "Calculator Cart" to over three dozen other NEFLIN members from the region. In Fall 2023, the “Calculator Cart” contributed to a 225% increase in calculator loans compared to Fall 2022.
NFC Recognized as Top 10 for Excellence by Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society
MADISON, FL (April 20, 2023)– North Florida College was named as a Top 10 REACH Chapter by the
Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (PTK); honoring NFC’s highest membership acceptance
rates of 2022. This recognizes NFC’s effort to bring life-changing benefits and opportunities
of PTK membership to even more students on campus in 2022.
NFC’s PTK Chapter, named Mu Xi, received this honor among 294 PTK chapters as part of PTK’s REACH Rewards program, which celebrates and rewards excellence in chapter membership development by achieving exceptionally high rates of membership acceptance in the 2022 calendar year.
In addition to this honor, NFC’s Mu Xi Chapter student members will receive graduation stoles that may be worn during graduation.
“Thank you, PTK, for recognizing our chapter with the REACH recognition, providing our students with community service opportunities, and making scholarship money available to many of our graduates,” stated Greg Molnar, Ph.D., NFC Biology Instructor and Mu Xi Chapter Sponsor. “We look forward to continuing our relationship with this outstanding organization.”