About Us
Florida Association for Student Success is a state chapter of the National Organization for Student Success. We are an organization that represents and supports educators, students, student support specialists, and administrators dedicated to promoting student success for all students, including the underprepared and underrepresented. We advocate for holistic solutions to facilitate student success and college completion.
Purpose
The Florida Association for Student Success is committed to improve the professional capabilities of educators, the programs designed to prepare educators, and the practice, theory, and delivery of education to the students of the State of Florida.
Goals
FASS's goals are to:
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Identify practitioners in developmental education through print and electronic directories.
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Sponsor an annual conference and other professional development events to share effective methods and materials in education.
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Serve as a liaison to appropriate state agencies to increase awareness of the significant contributions being made in education programs throughout Florida colleges.
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Promote collaboration between secondary and post-secondary institutions to enhance college readiness.
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Publish and distribute a newsletter.
History
The idea for organizing developmental educators around the State of Florida began with Reginald Touchton of then Florida Junior College at Jacksonville. In the spring of 1977, he met with a group of instructors and administrators involved with developmental courses, all of whom were interested in forming a statewide grassroots group to help faculty, counselors and learning lab staff share information, ideas and success stories. Administrators were invited to provide an insight into the larger political, fiscal, and structural issues associated with developmental education.
Based on this perceived interest in establishing a formal group, an Executive Board of volunteers was established to plan a statewide conference. Members of that initial planning board were as following:
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Reginald Touchton – President
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Shelby Lee – Vice-President and Program Chair
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Elaine Greenwood – Secretary and Site Chair
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Dora Mae O’Brien – Treasurer
The Division of Community Colleges heard about the organizers and sent Dr. Stafford Thompson to assist the group and test their reactions to some of the Division’s plans for developmental education efforts. Stafford met with the Executive Committee for several years and was one of the guiding influences in FDEA’s formation.
The first statewide FDEA conference was held in March 1978. Annual conventions have been held almost every year since, with panel discussions, presentations, and seminars covering topics such as reading, English, mathematics, study skills, counseling, and current social and public policy issues.
The Florida Developmental Education Association's name was changed to Florida Association for Student Success (FASS) in 2019 to reflect a broader focus on student success and desire to expand the organization's reach and to align with the name change of the national parent organization--the National Organization for Student Success (NOSS).
During the 26th national conference of NOSS, held in Louisville, Kentucky in March 2001, FASS was presented the Curtis Miles Outstanding Chapter Award. This prestigious award recognized the commitment and involvement of FASS members in local and regional initiatives that serve and benefit college preparatory programs in all of Florida’s community colleges.
Executive Board
Officers
Dr. Elaina Lommason, President
Florida State College at Jacksonville
Billie Jo Dunaway, President-Elect
Daytona State College
Susan Wessner, Treasurer
Tallahassee State College
Dr. Youlanda Henry, Secretary
Florida State College at Jacksonville
Members
Dr. Shama Grimmage
Purdue University Global
Tiffany Lewis
Indian River State College
Jean Marshall
Tallahassee State College
Dr. Paul Nolting
Retired/Researcher
Dr. Lynne O'Dell
Indian River State College
