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Two new residence halls will be built on the north end of Wake Forest University’s campus, pending approval from the board of trustees at its February meeting.
If the trustees approve the project, officials will move quickly to begin construction, with the goal of having the residence halls ready for students by fall 2013, said Jim Alty, the associate vice president for facilities and campus services.
The residence halls, which would each measure 75,000 square feet, would be built on 10 acres between a large parking lot off Wake Forest Road and the Polo Residence Hall.
Alty declined to say how much the project would cost.
Trustees are expected to vote on the project at their meeting on Feb. 1 and 2.
The residence halls would add a combined 480 beds, fulfilling a need to provide more on-campus living space for students, said Donna McGalliard, the dean of residence life and housing.
Under a policy that began with this year’s freshman class, students are required to live on campus for three years, a move that officials hope will discourage students from leaving campus for social events and build community on campus.
Other schools, including Duke and Vanderbilt, have similar residency requirements.
“Research proves that having more of your population live with you creates a greater sense of vibrancy on campus,” McGalliard said. “Upperclassmen can act as role models for students younger than them. It’s about being engaged not just academically but out of the classroom as well.”
The new residence halls would be for upperclassmen, creating an intentional geographical divide with freshmen who live on the south end of campus, she said.
Many sophomores live in residence halls on the main quad in the central part of the campus.
In response to input from students, the new residence halls would be suite-style rooms for groups of four, six or eight people, McGalliard said.
“You do get to live with friends in smaller areas as opposed to those long hallways, which are great for building community for first-year students, but as students progress, they want to live with a smaller friendship group,” she said.
The spot that was chosen for the planned residence halls comes from the university’s master plan, which identified potential building areas on campus.
To serve the students who may one day live in the new residence halls, a new dining hall may be added, but that idea is still being explored, McGalliard said.
If the project is approved, it would represent another shift in the landscape on the campus’s north side. Farrell Hall, the new business school, is also expected to be ready for the start of the 2013-14 school year. The 120,000-square-foot building will be near the Polo Road entrance to the school.
Dudley Goodlette is a longtime Naples resident, attorney and public servant, but on today he accepted a short-term position that could be among his most challenging jobs.
Goodlette, 63, signed a contract to serve as interim president at Edison State College, starting Saturday and running through Aug. 1. He will earn $16,667 monthly, equivalent to an annual base salary of $200,000, plus an $800 monthly vehicle allowance.
Goodlette is heading Edison as it makes a last-ditch effort to avoid sanctions from its accrediting agency, a decision that comes in June, and expedite a much-needed national accreditation for the baccalaureate nursing program. The college expects another cut in state funding, a shortfall that could be magnified if a slight enrollment decrease intensifies.
The most pressing issue, though, could be restoring Edison States image. It took a hit in 2011 after a string of revelations exposed a practice of graduating students who didnt complete required courses, lavish spending of executives and a bitter battle between faculty and administration.
The quality of the education here has not diminished at all, Goodlette said. Its the character of the institution that has been challenged.
Goodlette moved to Naples at 6, and recalls hearing in junior high about Edison Junior College, its name back then, opening in Southwest Florida. That was 50 years ago. Now, after decades of experience in business, government and the not-for-profit sector, Goodlette believes he can redirect Edison back toward its mission of changing lives for the better.
I think I can provide leadership, he said. I think I can provide collaboration.
Goodlette also provides a recognizable name and face to start the colleges healing process, and those local ties are what trustees cited in choosing him over higher education consultant Kathie Sigler. Both were recommended by Randy Hanna, chancellor of the Florida College System, and answered a half-dozen questions during brief interview sessions Saturday.
Board members spent little time debating the merits of each candidate, though, selecting Goodlette with a 7-0 vote; trustee Julia Perry was absent and another seat is vacant. But the board didnt want to bid adieu to Sigler, debating whether to offer her a position as interim executive vice president or provost to handle academic and operation issues while Goodlette worked on legislative matters and image building.
I just think that would be a dynamite team, trustee Chris Vernon said.
No offer was made, and Sigler later told The News-Press she declines being considered for an alternate role.
I would not be comfortable doing it with a division of responsibilities, said Sigler, who previously worked as president of Miami Dade Colleges medical campus. They need one leader who is responsible for all of the issues.
Experience
Goodlette is best known as an attorney and state representative, serving from 1998 to 2006. He was on the Florida Gulf Coast University Foundations board of directors from 1994 to 2007, and on FGCUs presidential search committee in 2007. He was a member of Edisons Board of Trustees from 1990 to 1994, selecting Kenneth Walker as president in 1991. Walker has been on paid suspension since Nov. 29 as the college builds a termination case, and Charlotte Campus President Patricia Land was acting president for the past six weeks.
Florida law limits public colleges and universities from paying presidents more than $200,000 in salary and benefits from public funds. Because Walker remains on Edisons payroll, according to vice president of financial services Gina Doeble, Goodlettes salary must derive from private donations or auxiliary funds, which include revenue from the bookstore, cafeteria and facility rentals. Trustees ordered Goodlettes salary be withdrawn from $1.4 million thats sitting in a board-designated reserve fund, which is separate from the colleges overall reserve fund.
In addition to his paycheck, Goodlette will receive five paid personal days through his initial term, plus sick days, vacation leave, health insurance and retirement benefits available to other employees. He will not be paid for unused sick or vacation days after ending his appointment, and Goodlette agreed not to pursue the post on a permanent basis.
Trustees on Saturday also reviewed materials submitted by three potential presidential search firms, but have asked each consultant to have a representative present at their Jan. 24 meeting. The firm, trustees and Goodlette will be crafting a presidential profile and launch a national search, with a target start date of Aug. 1.
As an outsider to higher education, Goodlette isnt proposing any immediate changes at Edison, but plans to spend the next two weeks speaking to everyone with a stake in Edisons future before developing his to-do list.
I have to get a better sense of where we are before I know where were going, Goodlette said.
The Board of Trustees has approved a contract with Dudley Goodlette that runs today through Aug. 1. Beyond that term, the contract continues on a month-to-month basis, with both parties required to provide a 30-day notice to terminate the contract.
Goodlette will earn $16,667 monthly, along with an $800 monthly vehicle allowance. He also will have five paid personal days at his disposal, plus receive health and retirement benefits eligible to other employees.
11:23 a.m. - Dudley Goodlette tentatively has agreed to accept the position of interim president at an annual rate of $200,000, although he likely will only serve six to eight months. Goodlette and general counsel Mark Lupe have left the board room to draft a contract, which will be approved later today.
Meanwhile, three presidential search firms will send representatives to the Board of Trustees meeting on Jan. 24, when trustees will choose one to help recruit, screen and sign a new president. The firms — Academic Search Inc. (Washington, D.C.), Pauly Group (Springfield, Ill.) and R. William Funk & Associates (Dallas) were among nine firms that submitted proposals earlier this month. A four-member trustee committee narrowed the list on Thursday.
Trustee Marjorie Starnes-Bilotti estimates the total cost of the presidential search will fall around $100,000. The new president is expected to start work in July or August.
11:03 a.m. - Trustees have voted 7-0 to hire Dudley Goodlette as interim president at an annual base salary of $200,000, plus up to $25,000 for benefits such as vehicle and development allowances.
The board plans to consult with Goodlette on the hiring of Kathie Sigler as a second-in-command. They have yet to ask Sigler if she would accept that role.
Although the board has selected Goodlette and made a salary offer, he has not yet agreed to the deal or signed a contract.
10:05 a.m. -The Board of Trustees have heard from both candidates, but they may not choose one today. They could choose two.
Trustee Chris Vernon proposed hiring Dudley Goodlette as interim president to develop connections in the community and Tallahassee, but also hiring Kathie Sigler as a second-in-command or interim provost to oversee academics and daily operations.
I just think that would be a dynamite team and I think people would embrace them, Vernon said.
Several other trustees have chimed in, agreeing the college should hire both. They havent discussed job titles, duties or salaries yet, but general counsel Mark Lupe said trustees expect to have a contract signed today.
10:04 a.m. - Kathie Sigler, of Miami, retired in 2006 as provost and chief operating officer at Miami Dade College, but quickly returned to serve as president of its medical center campus. She now is president of Higher Education & Technology Consultants.
Sigler, too, sees much work ahead as Edison tries to repair its image before it can get back to the business at hand changing students lives for the better. A big pressing issue, she said, is responding to 14 violations cited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, which is Edisons accrediting body.
We have a very short period of time in order to get the SACS response done, Sigler said. That, and the nursing accreditation, are both doable.
She wants the college to begin telling positive, success stories, and says improving Edisons reputation is something staff and trustees must focus on day after day after day after day. Sigler also encouraged college employees not to let accreditation struggles get them down, even if SACS requirements are causing them much stress.
They are not an organization that is trying to put schools out of business, Sigler said.
9:49 a.m. - Dudley Goodlette, of Naples, said hes interested in the position of interim president to help Edison State settle some matters before the new president is installed.
Ive had an interest in this institution since junior high, said Goodlette, who moved to Collier County at age six.
Goodlette started by acknowledging the strengths of the other candidate, Kathie Sigler, who has spent her career in higher accreditation and is familiar with academics, college operations and accreditation. What he brings, Goodlette said, is knowledge of the community and issues impacting the college, as well as an outside perspective.
I think I can provide leadership, said Goodlette, who served eight years in the Florida House. I think I can provide collaboration,
Goodlette, an attorney, was a member of Edisons Board of Trustees from 1990 to 1994, serving at the time Kenneth Walker was selected as president. Goodlette also was a community representative on the search committee that chose Wilson Bradshaw at Florida Gulf Coast University.
Goodlette said Edison remains a strong institution, but needs to repair the colleges image in the community after a series of problems unraveled in 2011.
Restoring integrity is vitally important, he said.
8:57 a.m. update - The Board of Trustees at Edison State College has convened this morning for a special meeting and orientation workshop.
The biggest item on todays agenda is selecting an interim president. Two candidates former state representative Dudley Goodlette and higher education consultant Kathie Sigler will interview for 30 minutes each. The interim is expected to serve until a new president is seated in July or August.
Board members also will hear an update about three firms vying to lead a national search, but no decision will be made until Jan. 24.
Parents are able to find out how their childrens school has performed in exams relative to local and national averages
A newly updated Scottish government website indicates that pupils in East Renfrewshire have the best chance of leaving school with good exam results.
The postcode-searchable tool showed that 55% of teenagers studying in the council area stayed on at school and secured three or more Highers.
In East Lothian, where there is a similar demographic, 27% of pupils secured three or more Highers.
The special website can search independent, state and special schools.
Schools in the East Renfrewshire Council area have had a long-held reputation for delivering the best exam results in the country.
Its education convener, Councillor Alan Lafferty, said: “The performance of our schools right across the board is cause for celebration. They have delivered for yet another year with superb results and are an inspiration to us all.”
He added that the approach of the council – which has 9.7% of pupils claiming free school meals – was to focus on the “needs of every individual pupil” and to “direct our attention and expertise on encouraging each to achieve their potential”.
Mr Lafferty put the results down to dedication, hard work and partnership between schools, pupils, parents and the education service.
On the east coast of the country, East Lothian Council – which has 9.5% of pupils claiming free school meals – saw 27% of pupils secure three or more Highers, a figure just above the national average of 26%.
A council spokesman explained that the indicator it used to measure exam success was the “cumulative attainment” of three or more Highers at the end of sixth year, which currently stands at 39%. That compares with a Scottish average of 35%.
The spokesman added: “Of course, East Lothian Council will continue to work closely with school staff, parents and the wider community to improve educational attainment in all of its schools.”
Aberdeen
75
27
Aberdeenshire
82
29
Angus
78
25
Argyll and Bute
79
27
Clackmannanshire
76
20
Dumfries and Galloway
80
24
Dundee City
70
18
East Ayrshire
74
19
East Dunbartonshire
92
45
East Lothian
82
27
East Renfrewshire
88
55
City of Edinburgh
77
28
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
86
27
Falkirk
80
24
Fife
76
23
Glasgow City
72
16
Highland
82
27
Inverclyde
82
26
Midlothian
77
22
Moray
81
22
North Ayrshire
74
20
North Lanarkshire
77
22
Orkney
84
30
Perth and Kinross
81
31
Renfrewshire
81
26
Scottish Borders
80
29
Shetland
88
27
South Ayrshire
80
30
South Lanarkshire
77
26
Stirling
79
34
West Dunbartonshire
76
21
West Lothian
78
23
