required course for both Seminole State and transfer destinations.“If they want to transfer to the University of Central Florida as a psychology major, in our platform they can see every course that they need to take here at Seminole State as well as what will be expected of them at UCF,” Dr. Lorenz explains. Through DirectConnect to UCF®, graduates receive guaranteed admission to the university. Personal connections distinguish the experience. “One of the distinguishing characteristics that students reflect back to us about Seminole State is that they feel that personal touch,” says Dr. Lorenz. “It’s a really strong community that they feel a part of.” Leadership development retreats run each semester. “Those are always oversubscribed. Students really appreciate the opportunity to get that development and to network with their peers.” AI AND AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES A striking statistic drives Seminole State’s newest program: “They gave us a statistic, something like there’s a thousand vehicles deployed and only four technicians, nationwide” Dr. Lorenz recounts. “Technicians literally have to fly from place to place to fix these vehicles.” The shortage gained urgency when HOLON announced plans for a 500,000-squarefoot manufacturing facility in Jacksonville, expected to produce 5,000 autonomous shuttles annually starting in 2026. Seminole State partnered with Florida State College at Jacksonville to develop the nation’s first Autonomous Vehicle Technician program.“Between us and Florida State College at Jacksonville, we hope to initiate training for autonomous vehicle technicians that could even be replicated nationally,” says Dr. Lorenz. “I think this is going to happen.” The partnership includes HOLON, manufacturer of the vehicles, and Beep, which operates autonomous shuttle services across Florida, and the city of Altamonte Springs where the service has launched. Students will train on actual equipment used in the field, preparing for careers in an industry that barely existed five years ago. AI education takes a different approach. Rather than creating standalone programs, the college integrates artificial intelligence across disciplines. “We’re working on a certificate program called Artificial Intelligence Awareness with a course that will be focused on AI Across the Curriculum,” Dr. Ovueraye explains. “The healthcare team will look at all the different tools that impact healthcare that are AI influenced. The education faculty are doing something similar.” Employer expectations shifted rapidly. “A couple of years ago,employers weren’t really expecting students 7 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 07 SEMINOLE STATE COLLEGE OF FLORIDA
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