Kenneth Walker: Edison State College helps more students achieve their dreams
May 20, 2011
Written by Kenneth P. Walker
Opinion
May 18, 2011
While many institutions are scaling back, Edison State College remains the people’s college, where students come first and all who apply are given a chance to succeed. Our enrollment growth testifies to the fidelity of our mission to provide an affordable education that prepares students to be enlightened and productive citizens.
In just five years, our student body has grown from 15,949 to 24,577.
We accomplished this, even in difficult economic times, thanks to the dedication and hard work of our faculty and staff.
While holding true to our founding purpose, we have expanded opportunities to include baccalaureate degrees and charter high schools, as authorized and encouraged by the Florida Legislature and the State Board of Education.
We awarded 2,215 associate degrees and certificates this year, many in occupations of critical need such as nursing, respiratory care and emergency medical services. We have also awarded 188 baccalaureate degrees, in the fields of education, nursing, public safety administration, and supervision and management.
Our first class of charter high school students scored in the top 2 percent in math, and the top 3 percent in writing on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). Despite the economy, we continue to expand facilities, faculty and staff to ensure excellence and access to learning.
We recently completed the Lee Campus Nursing Building, and a new classroom building will provide needed lecture, laboratory and office space by fall.
On the Collier Campus, we are constructing student services and allied health buildings, and we plan additional classrooms on the Charlotte Campus and the Hendry/Glades Center.
To accommodate our growing enrollment, we are adding student services staff as well as 18 full-time professors this fall.
Recognized for quality instruction, we actively recruit faculty with a passion for teaching.
In the words of Professor Joyce Rollins, “It is our goal to teach our students to think intensively and critically. We know that many of them have stories of courage, hope and triumph.”
Take graduate Susie Rosabella, who received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education last week.
She spent her first semester in college prep courses, but with help from encouraging faculty, she graduated magna cum laude.
To help incoming college students acclimate to campus life, we are developing a First Year Experience program that will foster the acquisition of knowledge and connect students to the tools and resources essential to their success.
A native of Mexico, Honors student Marisol Gomez credits Edison’s student support services with helping her achieve her goals. “The wonderful thing about Edison’s diversity,” she says, “is that we all have a powerful story to tell.”
Tanoha Joseph overcame the challenges of immigration from Haiti to earn the Outstanding Business and Technology Student Award, along with degrees in accounting technology and business administration and management in May. “Our world offers so much hope and promise,” she says. “These degrees will open doors.” To show our commitment to helping students with financial need, the college has granted more than $41 million in federal financial aid this year, and $1.7 million in scholarships awarded by the Edison State College Foundation.
We also provided job training to over 400 unemployed workers who became Edison students through the Rapid Recovery Job Training Program.
Throughout its history, Edison State College has given generously to our communities by enriching the lives of our graduates.
We are champions of change, empowering our faculty and staff to innovate, advance, and achieve a sense of accomplishment.
We are committed to our vision, and we are truly changing lives for the better.
— Kenneth P. Walker, Ph.D, is the district president of Edison State College
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Last Updated: July 8, 2020
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