OLLI Registration opens December 1, 2014

Winter 2015 Catalogs on their way to members!

That nip in the air signals that Winter is on its way. So are your UNF OLLI catalogs for Winter 2015!

Thanks to your intrepid Curriculum and ED-ventures team volunteers and your generous volunteer instructors more than 100 fun and interesting programs await you next term. Print catalogs are currently  on their way to you! 

Can’t wait to get started planning your Winter OLLI schedule? Click here for a digital page turning copy of the catalog (Adobe Flash required) or download the attached PDF.

We’re doing our part to engage you. Won’t you do your part to ensure your enrollment success?

What we’re doing to ensure your enrollment success:

Florida Ready to Work®: An Economic and Community Approach to Improving the Workforce in Florida

by +Robert Wood, Dean of UNF Division of Continuing Education

Leaders throughout the state of Florida have indicated that in order to stay competitive in recruiting industry and in expanding existing industry we must have a well trained workforce.  Michael O’Leary, President of the Grimes Companies, said; “One of the problems that we are facing is to make sure that the workforce of tomorrow will have the basic skills to compete in the new high tech based economy.”  This is indeed an economic issue in Florida.  We must have a well trained workforce to keep up with the new cluster based economy that we are striving to develop. It is important that when companies are seeking to expand or move to Florida the workforce is capable and ready.  There must be a systematic approach to improve the workforce in the state and in K-12 to ensure that students that graduate have the necessary skills to compete for the available jobs in Florida. This is absolutely critical in recruiting high tech manufacturing companies to the state and Northeast Florida.

Seasons of Change: Education, Career and Life

As fall unfolds, we here at Continuing Education are struck by the many facets of change which take place in life. Whether it’s a sometimes not so simple time shift due to Daylight Savings or a brave leap into a new career objective, change is as inevitable as the passage of time itself. Dealing with these metamorphoses is another matter. According to a recent article in the New York Times, "In the field of positive psychology, the hedonic treadmill is the idea that people have a set point of happiness throughout the course of their lives and are able to return to it from major positive or negative changes or events. Thus, while some people eagerly jump into a new pile of foliage, ready to tackle the new situation with great gusto, others may shuffle a few leaves around and hesitantly begin to adjust to the new status quo."

Despite some common changes which are experienced throughout the journey of life, it seems we are each capable of getting back to our happiness level. To aid in the bounce back to bliss, we've identified a UNFCE counterpart to each type of change, so read on to discover how we can help navigate the inevitable changes of life.

Fall KickOff Isn't Just for Football

If you’ve ever attended a football game, then you know what happens immediately after the singing of the national anthem. All of the pregame, anticipation and preparation culminates in that one glorious act: the kickoff! Fans cheer and gaze in unison as that small object soars through the air and breaths are held as the receiver catches the ball with a thud and takes off running. In that one moment anything can happen, both sides have an equal chance of a winning outcome and hopes are high, both on and off the field. It’s electric and exciting!

We are feeling the same way about our new fall term! We’ve been pregaming and preparing all summer to bring you an exciting fall season of lifelong learning opportunities to enhance your personal and professional journeys. Just as your favorite football team might be unveiling new uniforms, new coaches and kickoff events to make your participation more enjoyable, we have new things to share with you too. 

Here are five things to look forward to as our fall term kicks off on September 1:

Three Ways to Extend Your Summer

by +Sonja Rocha 

Just because summer is ending soon and kids are back to school, you don't have to fall back into the dull drum pattern of Work - Home - Sleep - Work - Home - Sleep. Hasn't it been nice to enjoy a slower pace at work and home? The end of summer often has us preparing for the hectic pace of fall with the holiday season close at the heels. We invite you, however, to pause that preparation and consider stretching those summer vibes a bit longer. Here are three ways to take the spirit of summer into fall.

#WellnessU: Let's Get Started!

Were you one of the millions of Americans that made a New Year's resolution to be healthier? According to the University of Scranton Journal of Clinical Psychology, the top two resolutions made in January 2014 were to (1) lose weight and (2) get fit and healthy. That's great news!

UNF Continuing Education would like to do our part in helping our community keep those resolutions and become fit and healthier. Today we are kicking off our month-long #WellnessU campaign on social media, and we couldn't be more excited! We are having a hard time restraining ourselves from sharing all of the great content at once! Here is an overview of what to expect:

Is it Time to Plus Your Google? Five Reasons to Say Yes

The alarm clock rings and before the coffee has time to perk, many of us reach for our smartphones  or boot up our computers to reconnect with the world and prepare for our day. We scroll through our Facebook and Twitter feeds, read our e-mail and texts, consult the calendar for our daily agenda and check the weather forecast to help us make informed wardrobe choices. Through technology we are better connected and better informed than we have ever been and we are “wired” nearly every minute of our day.

The downside is that we are having to use multiple platforms, services, and logins and sometimes they just don’t play well with each other. We diligently try to separate work from personal and aren’t quite sure what is getting shared with whom.

What if there was a way to integrate all those productivity services with a smart social networking layer and you only had to remember ONE login? Would you give it a try?

Beverly Colfry Celebrates 24 Years with the State of Florida, most at UNF

On this #ThrowbackThursday, we’re taking a trip down memory lane with Beverly Colfry, who recently celebrated her 24th year of employment with the State of Florida--all but a few with the University of North Florida. She found her “home” as she says at the UNF Division of Continuing Education more than 13 years ago and has seen 80+ coworkers come and go. She takes pride in the fact that she was the person who recommended her boss, Tim Giles, to then interim dean and says that she has been immensely blessed by his leadership. 

Steve J. Borowiec – A Colleague, Boss and Friend

by +Anna Khorosh 

“Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.”
-Albert Einstein

Lifelong learning is a term often heard around the Continuing Education offices. Often times, it is said so often that it might have a tendency to lose its personal impact on others.

Former UNF Continuing Education director and interim dean, Steve Borowiec believed passionately in the idea and its impression on others. He himself began his ascent to his eventual leadership role in the 90s, coming into the division as a student assistant. Working his way up, Steve was very active in Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity, went on to earn his Masters in Public Administration from UNF and was honored as the 1996 UNF Outstanding Alumnus of the Year for the College of Arts and Sciences. He dedicated time and energy to the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) as local chapter president, while also holding positions on numerous national committees.

Your Mountain is Waiting!

Congratulations!

Today is your day.

You’re off to Great Places!

You’re off and away!

-Dr. Seuss

 

Summer and travel are natural companions. The long anticipated family vacation or adventure with friends is close at hand. We seem to successfully navigate the packing, the driving, the budget, the unexpected calamity with ease and return home exhausted but somehow refreshed.

Somehow, though, our professional journeys don’t always go as well. Sometimes we just stop moving forward in our careers. According to a recent Forbes magazine article, the top two reasons that people stay stuck in their careers are (1) they are afraid of change, and (2) they resist growth and maturity i.e. new skills and capabilities. The article suggests asking yourself the questions, “Have I worked smart enough to improve myself significantly over the past month?”  “Am I getting trained in skills and competencies that will advance me?”