Request for 2005-06 I. Board of Governors’ Strategic Priority: Access to and Production of Degrees undergraduate student targeted student financial assistance: $2,500,000

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  Provide supplemental salaries for nursing faculty in order to recruit, hire, and retain qualified faculty. Current faculty salaries are non-competitive in the current market.
  
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  Establish scholarship support for masters and doctoral students studying to become nurse educators. Without an increase in the number of nurse educators, universities will be unable to find qualified faculty to instruct the increasing numbers of students we hope to attract to the profession.
  
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  Establish earmarked funds annually for adding faculty positions to the College of Nursing in order to increase the teaching staff to keep up with enrollment demand.
  
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  Establish an Institute for Professional Nursing Development, which would serve as a regional resource center for nurse-educators throughout Southeast Florida to assist nurse educators and practicing nurses to increase their knowledge base through continuing professional education and career development.
  

FAU has been a leader in developing high quality, innovative programs in nursing education and is poised to increase enrollments and nursing degree production given the added resources.

technology-related research and training, especially in ocean engineering, biotechnology, wireless communications, computer security, and imaging technology. Other areas under development include nanotechnology as well as more traditional, but nonetheless high demand, areas like civil engineering. Funding for engineering and related areas will further Florida Atlantic University's efforts to assist the state in meeting personnel demands in critical growth areas. For example, FAU's Imaging Technology Center (ITC) specializes in digital imaging R&D for government and commercial applications in the areas of surveillance, communications, education, inspection, scientific observation, manufacturing, visual recognition/identification, medical technology, and motion picture and digital video industries. The Center is the only university laboratory of its kind in the nation whose efforts include hardware development. The Center is engaged in cutting-edge research for sponsors such as NASA and the Office of Naval Research and has trained many of the skilled engineers now employed in this field. Funding for this item will enable the ITC to broaden the scope of its educational and research efforts through implementation of existing plans for graduate course offerings in imaging technologies and by adding senior leadership positions and technical staff.

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  Transportation is a critical part of the school’s budget to ensure access to a truly diverse student population.
  
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  Students attending the DRCS will be drawn primarily from St. Lucie County, but there will be no restrictions on students from other counties attending, particularly if they improve the school’s demographic composition. The student body must reflect the state’s grade K-12 public school students in terms of family income, academic ability, race, and gender.
  
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  Core Communities, Inc., through this partnership arrangement, will provide sufficient land with appropriate off-site infrastructure to meet construction and operational requirements as well as state and university construction standards reflective of “best practices” for K-12 facilities in Florida.
  
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  Florida Atlantic University will operate all facilities and administer all programs as required to conform to state law, university policy, and sound fiscal stewardship of public funds.
  

FAU requests funding in three phases, which are necessary to enable the equipping of the school facility, development of the curriculum, meeting staffing needs, providing transportation, initiating requisite operating support services. This request for $4,050,000 includes initial start-up staffing, training and support costs ($245,000), furnishings and equipment ($3,155,000), and transportation ($650,000). Funding for years 2-4 of operation are estimated to be $1,300,000 annually to cover costs in excess of state funding formulas, including transportation ($800,000) until projected enrollment of 1580 daily attendance is reached. Permanent on-going support requests will include only those costs attributable to FAU’s administration of a separate DRCS district in the absence of sparsity funding, provide adequate student transportation and to support the DRCS mission of the university.

There are three primary objectives for this initiative:

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   Improve access to educational and clinical services for people with autism and their families by expanding current CARD services
   
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   Strengthen educational programs for students with autism in area school districts (including an expansion of professional development offerings for area teachers, paraprofessionals, counselors, social workers, principals, and others) while increasing school-based research, development, and evaluation that will have a positive impact on schools throughout the state.
   
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   Enhance FAU’s undergraduate and graduate program in ESE by establishing (a) specialized coursework in autism and related disabilities, (b) a masters degree track with an endorsement in autism for teacher education majors, (c) community and school based practicum opportunities for undergraduate students, and (d) fellowships for full-time doctoral students.
   

This designation requires approval by the State Legislature. It confers not only recognition of the work we are doing as a diagnostic evaluation center but also inclusion in the network of other ADI centers, connecting FAU more closely with potential partners for research and providing us with a dependable source of financial support.

 Advanced Geriatric Nurse Practitioner-Based Model: this is the only center using Advanced Geriatric Nurse Practitioners, some of whom are graduates of FAU’s own master’s program, to lead the diagnostic evaluation team;

 Partnership with Boca Raton Community Hospital: the hospital provides laboratory and MRI testing for our clients and will provide food service for the new day program as well. We hope to conduct a joint study of post-surgical delirium next year;

 Caring philosophy of the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing: caring informs every patient encounter, influencing the type of programs offered and even the design of the building under construction. Respect for the individual is particularly important with a disease such as Alzheimer’s that robs adults of their independence;

 Actively therapeutic, wellness-oriented programs: these are sought by many of our clients after diagnosis and are unique in the State. We offer such programs as cognitive rehabilitation, communication skill training, exercise and support groups within a warm, caring environment and avoid the cold, sterile atmosphere of most hospitals and medical offices as much as possible.
The existing memory disorder centers in the state use these funds to support nursing and social work staff to conduct initial assessments and provide community education. They are also expected to conduct research, but the two closest to us (St. Mary’s and North Broward) are not university-based and primarily conduct contract research with pharmaceutical firms. We have just begun a study in cooperation with staff at St. Mary’s funded by the new Florida Institute for Alzheimer’s Research in Tampa.
The Memory and Wellness Center is designed to be a place to which one can return for help along the way, for counseling, support, retesting and programs that reduce isolation and depression, maintain or improve function and enhance remaining cognitive abilities. In addition to diagnostic evaluation, we offer the following services to clients and their families:
 In-home cognitive retraining;

 Cognitive stimulation group that meets twice a week for three hours for individuals with mild memory problems;

 A stimulation program for individuals with somewhat more advanced memory impairment;

 An “alumni” stimulation program for those who complete the original program but want to continue this type of intervention;

 Individual client and family counseling and psychotherapy;

 Older driver evaluations and alternative transportation counseling

 Client support group;

 Caregiver support, education and stress reduction programs.

Fire alarm system replacements

Carpet replacements

Air handlers and support systems replacements

Road improvements

ADA compliance, repairs and improvements

Elevator enhancements and replacements

Spalling concrete mitigation

Utility system controls upgrades

Exterior lighting improvements in the interest of safety and security

Revised June 21, 2004