C4 Initiative Gains New Support

The Consortium of Colleges on the Creative Coast – or C4 -- anticipates a productive 2017. Helping to drive this year’s ambitious agenda is newly announced support from the Manatee Community Foundation.

C4 is a higher-education collaborative of six regional institutions. It broadens educational experiences for students through unique but complementary programs and services. The effort grew out of a series of retreats, funded by Gulf Coast Community Foundation, for academic leaders to explore ways to collaborate and share resources.

Last January, the formal initiative was announced with the support of a partnership of local foundations: Gulf Coast, the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation, and the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. Now, with Manatee Community Foundation on board, C4 initiative manager Dr. Laurey T. Stryker has identified several exciting programs on tap for the new year:

•    Refining and expanding cross-registration opportunities for students among C4 colleges. 
•    Encouraging collaboration among students with regard to student life, campus recreational facilities, special activities, and campus clubs.
•    New collaboration among faculty in areas related to research, applications for private and public grants, conference participation, and involvement in campus events.
•    Expanded career and internship opportunities, with career advisors among the C4 members working together to place students into internship and career opportunities. Also, C4 will initiate a web-driven “talent-connector tool” to share internship and job opportunities that will benefit area employers.
•    Comprehensive branding to produce a cohesive identity for the Consortium.

Gulf Coast President and CEO Mark Pritchett points to early C4 successes, like shared courses and a prestigious grant to support faculty collaboration in the arts and humanities, as evidence of its potential. 

“I’m confident our region’s new ‘multiversity’ will provide us with a competitive advantage in higher education and economic development,” said Pritchett.