See photos below See the Welcome Back photoessay
Daytona State’s third Falcon Victory Flag celebration, held on Aug. 16, honored six teams for their exemplary work on behalf of students, faculty and the community.
“Today, we celebrate student success and program excellence at Daytona State College,” said President Carol W. Eaton, leading the victory flag ceremony from her location at the Advanced Technology College. Similar ceremonies were held simultaneously at all the campuses.
“Congratulations to all of our victory flag champions, and to all of our nominees,” Dr. Eaton added. “As you can see, our collective achievements as an institution not only impress me, but are impressing others at a local, state and even national level.”
The Falcon Victory Flag program recognizes and honors accomplishments by Daytona State departments, groups, clubs or teams that highlight the college.
This quarter’s Victory Flag Champions are:
- The School of Biological and Physical Sciences, which re-established the Physics Olympics on campus last spring. This year, 150 students from six high schools participated in 10 events and competitions, challenging their abilities to solve problems creatively. Thirty of Dr. GajendraTulsian’s physics students served as judges for the events. Due to its tremendous success, the event already is scheduled again for next spring.
- The Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Talent Expansion Program (STEP) Grant for hosting the college’s first STEM Expo in February at the News-Journal Center. The expo was a combined effort of faculty and administrators from the Math, Science and Technology departments, as well as the College of Education. Nearly 700 students attended, 40 Daytona State faculty and staff provided event assistance and 24 STEM-related area businesses and universities participated. The day also included presentations by Mad Science, NASA, the STEM Cheerleaders, motivational speaker Kantis Simmons, and Daytona State faculty, who informed students of STEM opportunities available to them now and in the future.
- The School of Hospitality and Culinary Management for selection by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation as one of four sites in America to train and certify 26 high school faculty from 21 states in the ProStart Hospitality Curriculum. This is the third year Daytona State has been chosen as a training site, bringing national recognition to the college’s hospitality program.
- The College Connections Committee for its continuing commitment to the College Day Experience, in which up to 70 faculty promote the importance of a college degree when Daytona State hosts high school and middle school students each semester. The College Connections Committee has reached over 3,000 potential students, with 600 students participating in 13 events in 2013 thus far. Visiting students spend the day partaking in scholarly activities, which range from science labs and poetry writing to photography lessons. The committee also was recognized for its expanded efforts in marketing to potential students by coordinating the college’s Speakers Bureau, giving college prep seminars at area high schools and leading the EDPASS program for Daytona State Adult High School students.
- The Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervision and Management Program, which surpassed its 1,000th graduate during the May 2013 commencement. The BAS program began in 2006 as the first baccalaureate program offered at Daytona State, with its first graduating class of 12 students in 2007. As of spring 2013, a total 1,089 graduates have earned their BAS degree from Daytona State. These graduates not only enhance our overall completion rate at the college, but they are enhancing their own career paths, becoming entrepreneurs and attending graduate schools.
- The College of Education for its ongoing efforts in achieving academic excellence. This was evident when eight of 24 teachers nominated for this year’s Volusia County First-Year Teacher Award were graduates of one of Daytona State’s seven BS in Education programs.
Each campus displays the Falcon Victory Flag for five days to celebrate the accomplishments of the respective award recipients. Winners receive a certificate to commemorate the honor, and are presented a Falcon Victory Flag facsimile to post for a period of time.
Nominations for the next round should be submitted to the Human Resources Department by Oct. 31 for consideration in November. They will be reviewed by a task force of college faculty, administration and staff, then forwarded to Dr. Eaton and her executive staff for approval.
Any college employee may submit an award nomination. Forms are available by visiting FalconCentral’s People Power section or Human Resources on the college portal. Nomination timelines are:
- July 15 – Nov. 15 for consideration in December
- Nov. 15 - March 15 for consideration in April
- March 15 - July 15 for consideration in August
For more information about the award, contact Courtney Burton, 506-3496, burtonc@daytonastate.edu.
###
(Aug. 16, 2013)
