CFK Keys Currents-2020-21

From The Bench
News Briefs
A Message
from the
President
What’s NEW!
DRIVING HOME NEW
WORKFORCE TESTING
Dear community, students,
alumni, and friends,
I am pleased to share with you CFK’s
second annual Keys Currents magazine.
Inside you will find uplifting stories of
success and triumph. Some of the stories
are even more remarkable in light of the
incredible challenges we continue to
endure in 2020. The world, our nation and
indeed, our island chain are suffering from
medical, economic, social, and political
upheavals. The pandemic has certainly
been a catalyst for some of our struggles.
We have lost family members and friends.
Entire neighborhoods buckle as our
incomes and fortunes decline. Confronting
an infectious disease with no reliable cure
has led to complex realities for educators
at all levels. Physical isolation and other
stressors compounded by COVID-19 have
exacerbated most problems within our
view. Notably among those issues was the
digital means used to mourn the loss of
beloved CFK family members, President
Emeritus Dr. William Seeker and alumnus
Lexi Hoyes.
At the College, we were already reimagining
the ways in which we operate
and engage; COVID-19 has pushed us
to an entirely new level. Early in the
pandemic, CFK was one of the first Florida
College System institutions to transition
to remote operations and virtual learning.
It was a quick and relatively smooth
change (thanks to post Hurricane Irma
preparations) to prevent the initial spread
of the virus. When our economy was shut
down, we offered free hospitality classes
to help affected employees gain skills
during the down time. CFK also donated
from our stock of medical supplies while
our medical practitioners and student first
responders volunteered and/or worked
in the trenches to provide care for the
Keys. As soon as CARES Act funds were
released, we began its distribution to help
students cover the cost of pandemic related
expenses or losses. Additionally, CFK
launched Rapid Credential programs and
expanded our Construction Apprenticeship
programs to the middle and upper Keys.
Students in these programs will not pay
tuition as the College’s grants will help
individuals, particularly those who have
lost employment, quickly train for careers
without the burden of tuition. Despite
the challenges we face, CFK completed
construction projects on the Key West
Campus, began construction for the Upper
Keys Center, launched a new Bachelor of
Science in Marine Resource Management,
and continued efforts to recruit for the
start of the new academic year.
In August, we opened our doors safely
to the public and ushered in record student
enrollment. As the College improves
upon safety measures and as we learn more
about the COVID-19 virus, we plan to
offer more classes and activities in-person
next semester. We are not in a position
to declare victory over the virus and new
obstacles are inevitable. Nevertheless, I am
incredibly proud of where we stand today.
Our students and employees have risen to
every challenge and we have persevered
and thrived. It is with a great deal of
dedication, creative-thinking, vigilance,
and care, the College’s team is navigating
this uncertain time. We have remained
this community’s college — steadfast to
our mission to serve the people, businesses,
and economy of the Keys.
Please read every part of the Keys
Currents. You will see that the College and
its people are accomplishing great feats and
contributing to the greater good with an
inspirational level of positivity. We do so
despite the challenges and with incredible
support from our partners, donors, alumni,
friends, and families. I extend my gratitude
to them as well as to our students and their
families for choosing CFK to improve
their lives. Through our collective efforts,
The College of the Florida Keys sails ahead
towards an even brighter future.
Jonathan Gueverra, Ed.D
President & CEO
The College of the Florida Keys
CLEARING THE AIR
CFK is now 100% smoke- and tobaccofree.
With a $19,624 grant from the Truth
Initiative’s Tobacco-Free College Program,
CFK implemented an institution-wide
tobacco-free policy that applies to all CFK
locations and facilities. The new rule is
supported by projects that address tobaccorelated
issues on campus, educate students
and employees about the health benefits
of a tobacco-free lifestyle, and support
treatment for those interested in quitting.
CONQUERING A NEW DOMAIN
This summer CFK unveiled a new
website along with a new domain
name: CFK.edu. It features new
components and tools to excite
prospective students, including a
“What Floats Your Boat?” program
search tool and photo galleries
of CFK academics and student
activities amid a beautiful Florida
Keys backdrop. Designed with
accessibility in mind for persons with
and without disabilities, content is
robust and understandable across
a variety of technology platforms,
including mobile devices.
TEACHING A NEW LEVEL OF CARE
Last Fall, CFK launched a new baccalaureate degree: A Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science
in Nursing (RN- BSN). The two-year program provides an opportunity for practicing registered
nurses to further their education, advance in their career, and earn higher salaries. Designed
for busy professionals, the 100% online program includes coursework and field experience in
leadership, community health, and evidence-based nursing practice. As healthcare evolves,
nurses need advanced training to thrive in their careers. Communities across
the globe also need more and more highly-skilled nurses.
CFK “CARES” FOR STUDENTS
CFK was awarded $240,928 for Emergency Financial Aid Grants for students through the Coronavirus
Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the economic relief package that Congress passed
in May to protect the American people from the public health and economic impacts of COVID-19.
CFK is actively promoting and distributing grants to students who have experienced a loss of income
in their household due to the COVID-19 pandemic and are in need of assistance for expenses such
as housing, utilities, food, transportation, and/or daycare expenses.
With help from a fleet of community
partners, CFK drove home a new
workforce development opportunity
for professional vehicle drivers in the
Keys. As an official Third Party Test
Administrator for Commercial Driver
Licenses (CDL), approved by the Florida
Department of Highway Safety and
Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), the College
will now be able to provide testing for
A, B, and C class CDL licenses. The
special license is required to operate large
vehicles used in a variety of essential
functions in the community — ranging
from transporting people to maintaining
utilities to collecting trash.
4 KEYS CURRENTS A PUBLICATION OF THE COLLEGE OF THE FLORIDA KEYS
A PUBLICATION OF THE COLLEGE OF THE FLORIDA KEYS KEYS CURRENTS 5