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While the University is associated with a number of corporations, three substantial corporate partnerships were identified. This includes the Music department partnership with Buffet Crampton USA, the CIS Program partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida, and a Continuing Education/Coggin College of Business partnership with Russian Logistics Companies.11 The CIS Program partnership is a three-year $240,000 grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) that puts students in the Computer Information and Sciences program to work on computing applications of interest to BCBS. Since the partnership, students have spent over 10,000 hours of research, development, and deployment of computer health related applications. Upon graduation, so far six CIS students have gone to work for BCBS and 24 have used the experience to find IT jobs in the Jacksonville area.

In addition to corporate partnerships, University faculty also develop partnerships with non-profit organizations for a variety of activities. Like other types of partnerships, there are advantages to all of those involved. For example, many partnerships formed with non-profit organizations are for research purposes. Research provides learning opportunities for faculty and students and, many times, non-profits gain valuable information used to improve or focus their mission. Other partnerships simply allow students to provide a service to the non-profit, practicing the skills they have learned in the classroom.

Select Corporate and Non-Profit Partnerships

Continuing Education/Coggin College of Business, Oceanside Rotary Club and Russian Logistics Companies

ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ×ÊÁÏ and the Oceanside Rotary Club host 14 owners of Russian logistics companies for two weeks. ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ×ÊÁÏ provides educational opportunities and brings together local logistics companies to establish partnerships.

Center for Community Initiatives (CCI) and Healthy Start of Northeast Florida

The Magnolia Project is a federal Healthy Start initiative intended to decrease the high rates of infant mortality in an area of Jacksonville most affected by the problem. CCI provides a comprehensive evaluation each year, which includes ongoing work at the clinic involving conducting interviews, focus groups, and surveys with key stakeholders, coordinating data collection by project staff, performing data analysis, and preparing progress reports for the funding agency and community partners.

Center for Criminal Justice Policy Research and 

The Center worked to enhance Operation New Hope’s data management program, Ready4Work. Ready4Work Jacksonville is an offender re-entry workforce development program which mobilizes local coalitions to work together for sustainable offender reintegration, and to improve outcomes to offenders and the communities in which they live.

Florida Institute for Education and the Don Brewer Early Learning and Professional Development Center

FIE and the Don Brewer Center implements a collaborative research agenda focused on improving the readiness outcomes of children birth to five living in low-income neighborhoods. Recent projects include field-testing a curriculum intervention focusing on obesity, field-testing a hands-on science intervention focusing on improving children’s conceptual development.

In 2007 there were approximately 60 different courses offering internships at various Jacksonville area businesses and organizations. During that same time period, approximately 730 students completed an internship program. For example, the College of Computing Sciences and Engineering had 125 students working for about 45 Jacksonville area companies, including ADTEC, Bank of America, CSX, RS&H Engineering, and Mayo Clinic in the spring of 2006.

Select List of Internship Agencies

College of Arts and Sciences

• Northeast Florida Regional Planning Council
• City of Jacksonville Office of General Counsel
• Cummer Museum of Art
• Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office
• Women’s Center of Jacksonville
• Children’s Home Society
• River Region Human Services

Coggin College of Business

• Jacksonville Public Library
• Communities in Schools
• American Heart Association

College of Computing, Engineering, and Construction

• Encadria Staffing Solutions
• Bank of America
• CSX
• Ameri-Force
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida

Brooks College of Health

• Jacksonville Children’s Commission
• Addictive & Health Behaviors Research Institute
• Mayo Clinic
• Vistakon
• Family Medical Clinic of Palatka
• Jacksonville Orthopedic Institute
• Duval, Baker, and Nassau County Public Schools
• Community Hospice of Northeast Florida

Through the first and second phases of data collection, it was found that approximately 140 faculty hold approximately 223 positions as consultants or board members for Jacksonville area non-profit or business organizations. The organizations that faculty and staff work with are as varied as the individuals. They include the First Coast Manufacturing Association, Landstar Trucking, Florida Family Resource Coalition, the Military Officers’ Association of America, Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Cummer Art Gallery, and the Work Development Commission. According to the faculty survey, faculty spent approximately 1,769 hours in 2007 serving on non-profit or business boards. It is clear that these numbers will increase as more detailed data on University staff is collected in future research phases.

Brooks College of Health 

• AKH Healthcare
• Life Care of St. Johns, Inc.
• Military Officers' Association of America, Mayport Chapter
• Mission House
• Jacksonville Dietetic Association
• Nemours Children’s Clinic

Coggin College of Business

• First Coast Roundtable - Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals
• VyStar Credit Union
• Jacksonville International Business Coalition
• Federal Reserve of Atlanta – Jacksonville Branch

College of Arts and Sciences 

• Landstar Trucking
• Institute of Government in the Jacksonville Small Business Center Project
• Timucuan Historic and Ecological Preserve
• Jacksonville Community Council, Inc.
• Museum of Contemporary Art in Jacksonville

College of Computing, Engineering, and Construction 

• Jacksonville Chapter of the Institute of Electronical and Electronics Engineers
• NE Florida Executive Board of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
• KISS Institute for Practical Robotics

College of Education and Human Services 

• Jacksonville Urban League
• Literacy Pros of Jacksonville, Inc.
• Arc Jacksonville
• Women's Center of Jacksonville
• Cultural Council of Jacksonville

Continuing Education 

• First Coast Manufacturing Association
• Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce
• Statewide Banner Logistics Committee
• City of Jacksonville