Horizons Fall 2015

34 NSU HORIZONS BY OLINE H. COGDILL NSU students and employees consider being an active part of the community a vital aspect of Nova Southeastern University’s Miami Campus in Kendall. “NSU’s Fort Lauderdale/Davie Campus is in Broward, but by getting involved with the community, we show we are also a Miami-Dade university, a Florida university, and that we care about the area,” said Ricardo Belmar, M.I.B.A., executive director of NSU’s Miami Campus. Community is one of NSU’s Core Values, embraced by those on each of the university’s campuses. “For anyone at NSU, the community core value is not a phrase but a reality,” said Belmar. “Whenever my team and I are par- ticipating in community events, we always wear our Shark gear with pride, so others can connect with NSU and the Miami Campus.” NSU’s Miami Campus immediately began to invest itself in the area when it opened in 1999. The campus belongs to approximately 20 area chambers of commerce and business and community-based organizations. Staff and faculty members actively participate in these orga- nizations, serving on a variety of education, business, and nonprofit committees. In addition, Miami Campus staffers serve on the Hispanic Scholarship Fund Advisory Board; as part of the leadership committee of the economic development agency Beacon Council; and enFAMILIA, Inc., which provides counsel- ing services to migrant families living in South Dade. Community projects have included toy, food, and cloth- ing drives in conjunction with WeCare of South Dade, a nonprofit social service agency. NSUMiami Campus staff members, in collaboration with the College of Psychology, facilitated at seminars about suicide awareness and sexual abuse in Kendall and Homestead. The Miami Campus also hosts the annual Principals Breakfast for high school leaders, working through the Chamber South. Nursing students participate in area health expos, engage in clinical rotations at local homeless shelters, and regu- larly offer life skills education at Kristi House’s Project Gold, which provides outreach and services to exploited or at-risk young women. “Nurses need to be well rounded to relate to their patients. When nurses apply for jobs, they are not only asked about their education, but also how involved they have been with the community,” said Donna Shaw, M.S.N., clinical coordinator and assistant professor of nursing at the Miami Campus. “Volunteer work exposes nursing students to the needs of the diverse population in their community,’’ she added. “Part of being a nurse is being aware of the community you serve and giving back to the community.” The largest program at the Miami Campus, nursing has nearly 400 students. About 3,000 students, in general, receive their education through the Miami Campus. All of the campus’s involvement has been noticed. James Jackson III, Ed.D., assistant director at the NSU Miami Campus, was honored by Ronald McDonald House Char- ities of South Florida as one of 12 Good Men for outstand- ing community and civic service. During the South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s Hispanic Leadership Awards, Belmar received the Chairman’s Higher Education Award for his commitment to serving the Hispanic community. “The more we work in the community, the more expo- sure we bring to NSU. And, we involve the entire campus in these projects,’’ said Belmar. n Community involvement par for the course at Miami Campus