SPC Board of Trustees April 16 meeting recap

The St. Petersburg College Board of Trustees met Tuesday, April 16, at the EpiCenter.

The full agenda and meeting video, which is 1 hour, 54 minutes long, is available on the board’s website.

Meeting highlights included:

• The board began again on the process to choose a construction manager for the new Midtown Campus. In February, the board awarded the contract for the project but, following a protest by another company, discovered a flaw in the procedure. Rather than risk a protracted delay, the board will go through the selection process again with amended procedures.

“We find ourselves today where I think we can overcome our past difficulties, learn from some mistakes we made along the way, get the project back on track and move forward,” President Bill Law said.

Board chairman Deveron Gibbons called the new Midtown Campus “the biggest economic impact to hit this community in over 50 years…and we want to do it right.”

The board expects to have a new recommendation in about 60 days. Watch this portion of the meeting video starting at 0:28:39.

The Tampa Bay Times reported on the problem April 17.

• Approved the Classification and Compensation study as it relates to administrative and professional employees. Watch that portion of the meeting video starting at 0:47:40.
• Recognized:
  • Basketball player Lynae Richardson, winner of the Sandy Miller Scholar-Athlete Award
  • Women’s basketball coach Denisha Davidson, 2012-13 Southern Conference Coach of the Year
  • The Model United Nations students, faculty and staff who competed in New York City last month and placed among the top in the country
  • The team from the J.E. Hanger College of Orthotics and Prosthetics at SPC who participated in Wounded Warrior Kilimanjaro Research Expedition

Watch this part of the meeting beginning at the 0:02:32.

• Dr. Anne Cooper and Dr. Tonjua Williams presented information about the Survey of Entering Student Engagement, which shows how the college is doing in comparison to 245 other institutions. Watch this part of the meeting beginning at 0:48:48.
• Emergency Management Coordinator Bill Grey gave a presentation on the college’s Campus Safety and Security preparations. Watch this part of the meeting beginning at 1:02:36.
• Dr. Doug Duncan gave a preliminary look at the budget for 2013-14, which the board will discuss at its May meeting. Watch this part of the meeting at 1:24:11.

The next Board of Trustees meeting is at 8:30 a.m. May 21 at the Clearwater Campus.

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Board of Trustees March 19 meeting recap

The St. Petersburg College Board of Trustees met Tuesday, March 19 at the EpiCenter.

The full agenda and meeting video, which is 1 hour, 31 minutes long, is available on the board’s website.

Meeting highlights included:

• The board tabled until April a vote on the consultant recommendations for updating the college’s Administrative & Professional (A&P) classification and salary schedule. Board members said they would like more time to digest the recommendations, which are part of the first such comprehensive study since 1998. Part 1 of this review occurred in 2011-12 and resulted in adjustments to the Career Service portion of the classification and salary schedule in July. The A&P review is Part 2. (Faculty compensation was reviewed in 2010-11 by a collegewide committee.) When approved, any employees with pay adjustments will receive a retroactive adjustment back to the paycheck of March 8, 2013. Watch this portion of the meeting video starting at 0:47:59.
• Allstate Chief Executive Office J.C. Brock presented information about the new Firefighter Internship program. The video begins at 0:06:30.
• Dean Greg Nenstiel presented an update on the College of Business. The video begins at 0:10:32.
• SGA President Jared Ferreira introduced himself to the board and gave an update on Student Government Association activities. The video begins at 0:16:43.
• Jeff Cavanaugh updated trends and accomplishments of the Veterans Services program, with emphasis on easy access and connection. The college currently serves more than 1,830 veterans students. The video begins at 0:20:08.
• Peg Connell presented a report on highlights of Disability Resources efforts. Disability Resources serves 900 to 1,000 students each semester. More than half have been diagnosed with some sort of psychological or mental disability, such as attention deficit disorder, emotionally handicapped or autism spectrum. The video begins at 0:26:25.
• President Bill Law announced that a protest has been filed over the awarding of the bid for the construction of the new Midtown center. The discussion begins at 0:42:57.
• Senior Vice President Doug Duncan gave a financial update on the current year and a look-ahead to the budget process for the 2013-14. The college will need to find a way to cover a shortfall of between $2-million and $3-million this year. Board members supported trying to find money for salary increases in 2013-14, but emphasized that they would not be able to raise tuition to make that happen. The discussion begins at 1:16:46.
• Frances Neu, Vice President for Institutional Advancement and Executive Director of the St. Petersburg College Foundation, gave an update on the foundation’s activities. Her presentation begins at 1:16:46.

The board next meets at 8:30 a.m. April 16.

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SPC Board of Trustees Feb. 19 meeting recap

The Board of Trustees met Tuesday, Feb. 19 at the Caruth Health Education Center.

The full agenda, including all presentations, is available on the board’s website. The full meeting video (which is 1 hour and 31 minutes long) also is linked on the site.

Meeting highlights included:

• The board approved the construction manager for the new Midtown Center, Gilbane Building Company. The company was chosen from among 17 applicants and, as part of the agreement, has committed to use local minority subcontractors for at least 30 percent of the work. Watch this portion of the meeting video starting at 0:27:03.
• The board approved the purchase of the current Midtown location and a property across the street from the St. Petersburg Housing Authority. The site will continue to house the college’s Midtown operations until the new Midtown Center is built, then will be converted for auxiliary use. Watch this portion of the meeting video starting at 0:47:48.
• The board approved the sale of a small piece of land at the Tarpon Springs Campus to a developer who intends to build a Wawa on adjacent property. The item was tabled at the last board meeting while the college clarified terms of the sale, including money that will go to site improvements. Watch this portion of the meeting video starting at 0:23:55.
• Anne Cooper, senior vice president for academic and student affairs, reported on efforts for excellence in teaching and learning, new faculty evaluations and presented continuing contract recommendations, including mini-profiles of some of the faculty.
• The board agreed with a recommendation to discontinue the college’s Parks and Leisure Services associate in science degree program. Patty Jones, vice president for human resources and public affairs, gave an update on marketing efforts since February 2012 and a preview of the continuing transition of the college’s marketing.
• Downtown/Midtown Provost Kevin Gordon reported on efforts to improve the student success rate.
• Dean Kim Hartman reported on achievements by the College of Education.
• Teresa Phoenix, chair of the Career Service Council, gave an update on professional development training efforts that begin this spring.

The Board of Trustees next meets at 8:30 a.m. on March 19 at the EpiCenter.

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New St. Petersburg College trustee appointed

Jeffrey Oliver

Governor Rick Scott has appointed Jeffrey “Dale” Oliver to the St. Petersburg College Board of Trustees.

Oliver, 53, of St. Petersburg, is the vice president of strategic planning for Power Grid Engineering, LLC, a Winter Springs based engineering firm specializing in electric utility engineering consulting. Previously, he served as Vice President at Progress Energy from 2001 to 2012 and spent almost 20 years in various leadership roles at Georgia Power. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of St. Anthony’s Hospital.

Oliver received his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and his master’s degree in business administration from Georgia State University. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Florida and Georgia and a graduate of Leadership Florida.

He lives in St. Petersburg with his wife, Marie.

Oliver, whose term runs from Dec. 17, 2012, to May 31, 2015, joins trustees Deveron Gibbons, Terry Brett and Robert Fine. The St. Petersburg College Board of Trustees has one additional vacancy.

The appointment is subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.

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BOT Strategic Workshop looks at past, future

Board of Trustees Workshop

The Board of Trustees met Tuesday morning for a Strategic Workshop in the Collaborative Labs at the EpiCenter. The accomplishments of 2012 and the plans for 2013, including the beginning of the budget process, were featured. President Bill Law and members of the college’s Executive Leadership team made presentations and answered questions from the board in the three-hour session.

• Workshop Agenda
• Workshop Video

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Governor announces challenge to make college more affordable

Florida Gov. Rick Scott at St. Petersburg College Monday

On Monday, Gov. Rick Scott was joined by St. Petersburg College President William D. Law Jr. and Brad Jenkins, SPC Associate Dean of Engineering Technology & Building Arts, to announce the “Governor’s $10,000 Degree Challenge.”

At the press conference, Dr. Law announced that St. Petersburg College would be the first Florida college to accept Scott’s challenge to create a $10,000 degree program targeted at making higher education more affordable and results-oriented for Florida families.

Scott said, “I am issuing a challenge to our state colleges to find innovative ways to offer a bachelor’s degree at a cost of just $10,000 in fields that will provide graduates with the best opportunity for employment. As I travel the state, families tell me that they care about three things – getting a good job, a quality education and enjoying a low cost of living. As a former community college student myself, I know how important it is for us to keep costs low while working to connect students with degree fields that prepare them for great careers. Working with the Florida Legislature, this ‘$10,000 Degree Challenge’ will help us continue to improve the value of our higher education system for Florida families and we are pleased that St. Petersburg College is the first school to step up to the plate.”

Law said, “St. Petersburg College is once again excited about the opportunity to be part of a statewide college pilot program that lowers the cost of a college education for the citizens we serve. Affordable education always has been at the forefront of the college’s mission. SPC is uniquely positioned to build on its bachelor degree commitments and will be offering its Tech Management Program.”

Deveron Gibbons, Chair of St. Petersburg College’s Board of Trustees, said, “As the first community college in the state to offer four-year degrees, St. Petersburg College is thrilled to be part of a pilot program that lowers the cost of a bachelor’s degree for Florida’s students and their families. As Chairman of the Board at St. Petersburg College, I’d like to express our appreciation to Gov. Scott for choosing St. Petersburg College as one of the pilot project sites and as the location for making this historic  announcement. Affordable education has been the goal of St. Petersburg College throughout its 85-year history and we are prepared to work with other colleges in this challenging venture.”

Watch a video of the announcement on the college’s YouTube channel.

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SPC Midtown Center construction expected to begin in May

The college’s Midtown Center will be growing and relocating after SPC’s Board of Trustees approved plans for a new facility in St. Petersburg on Tuesday and budgeted $14-million for the project.

Construction is scheduled to begin in May and will take about a year to complete.

“The area to be served is one of the richest for 15-35 year olds in the county,” President Bill Law said.

Kevin Gordon, Provost at the Downtown and Midtown sites, said Midtown enrollment is only 8 to 10 percent of the eligible students within a five-mile radius. At most of the college’s other locations it is 12 to 16 percent.

Headcount this fall at Midtown is 457 students.

“This new campus is a very visible sign of the college’s commitment to increasing educational opportunities for all those who need it, but with particular emphasis on reaching young, African-American males,” Gordon said.

Gordon said he was especially proud of the fact that the college “is doing what it always said it would do. It started with a Collaborative Lab last November and now we’re ready to go.”

The three-story, 45,000-square foot building will be built on land leased from the city at 22^nd Street and 13^th Avenue South and will quadruple the size of the campus.

Board member Terry Brett spoke about his longtime efforts to improve the economic opportunities in Midtown and he urged the college to look for local contractors and do everything it can within the law to use local general contractors and local, minority sub- contractors. At next month’s meeting, each board member will nominate a community person to serve in an advisory capacity on the committee that recommends contractors.

Board Chairman Deveron Gibbons, a strong supporter of this effort, was appreciative of the hard work that has gone into the project thus far. “Dr Law, Dr. Duncan (Doug, Senior Vice President Administrative/Business Services and Information Technology) and Dr. Gordon and their staffs all did a great job of getting this done,” Gibbons said.  “Thank you.”

This is the the video. The Midtown discussion begins at the 32:50 mark. Here is a link to the PowerPoint presentation

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SPC Board of Trustees recognizes Transamerica for philanthropy

From left: President Bill Law; Steven Shepard, Vice President and General Counsel for Transamerica subsidiary West Reserve life; and Deveron Gibbons, Chairman of the SPC Board of Trustees.

At the Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 16, the board recognized the philanthropy by Transamerica, which has contributed $22,500 to the SPC Foundation within the past year.

The funding has been used to support:

• Men Achieving eXellence (MAX)
• Women on the Way (WOW),
• SPC Foundation Innovations Grants

Steven Shepard, Vice President and General Counsel for Transamerica subsidiary Western Reserve Life, helped develop the relationship between the company and the college. Shepard joined the Board of Directors for the SPC Foundation in May.

“As an employer of 1,000 people in Pinellas County, we recognized that it’s in our interest to support the education of our future workforce,” said Shepard, whose company has been doing it for years at the K-12 level. “Frankly, I’m not sure why it’s taken us so long to create this kind of relationship with St. Petersburg College, but we’re very glad to now be working with you and we look forward to a long and rewarding relationship.”

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SPC Board of Trustees Oct. 16 meeting

The full agenda, including all presentations, is available on the board’s website. The full meeting video (which is 1 hour and 20 minutes long) also is linked on the site.

Meeting highlights included:

• The board held a moment of silence for former student Brittany Gordon, killed in the line of duty Saturday in Afghanistan.
• President Bill Law announced that board member Tim North had submitted his resignation, citing an increased need to spend more time with his business. This portion of the meeting starts at the 10:20 point of the video.
• The president also announced that Dennis Jones, Vice President of Economic Development, is retiring Jan. 4. This portion of the meeting starts at the 11:25 point of the video.
• The financing and construction timeline of the Midtown project were approved.  The 45,000-square-foot, three-story campus will be built on 22^nd Street S in St. Petersburg, near the current SPC Midtown center, which operates in rented facilities. Here is the Midtown presentation. This portion of the meeting starts at the 32:50: point of the video.
• The board approved the health insurance plans that were introduced last month. The new plan will go into effect in January. The plan calls for no changes in coverage and no increases in premiums or co-pays, but does call for a change in approach: encouraging better health-care consumerism by adding a modest deductible — and encouraging the use of Flexible Spending Accounts to avoid large, one-time expenses. Here is the Insurance Plan Presentation. This portion of the meeting starts at the 1:05.05 point of the video.
• The board approved the plans on the Seminole Campus to build out the second floor of the library and to remodel and add on to the Technology Learning Center. The $4-million project is expected to be completed around May 1, 2013. Here is the presentation. This portion of the meeting starts at the 1:01.05 point of the video.
• President Law told the board that the college would bring an overview to next month’s meeting on a partnership for a joint use library with the City of Clearwater on the Clearwater Campus. This portion of the meeting starts at the 1:12.45 point of the video.

The next Board of Trustees meeting is at 8:30 a.m. Nov. 20 at the EpiCenter.

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Former SPC student, soldier killed in Afghanistan

Spc. Brittany Gordon, the daughter of St. Petersburg Assistant Police Chief Cedric Gordon and Brenda Gordon, is believed to be the first woman soldier killed in battle from the Tampa Bay area, including Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties, ABC Action News reported.

Former St. Petersburg College student Brittany Gordon, who was serving in the U.S. Army, died Saturday in Afghanistan, the victim of a suicide bomber. She was a student at SPC in 2007 and left in 2009 when she decided she wanted to serve her country.

According to her family, Gordon was planning on returning to college here after she was discharged.  The college’s Board of Trustees paid tribute to her before its meeting this morning with a moment of silence.

“She made a major impact on everyone in her short life,” said her aunt, the Rev. Debbie Thompson, in an article the Tampa Bay Times. “We just thank God for the memories of her we have in our hearts.”

Gordon died in a suicide bomb attack, U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young told the Times this week. The article mentions a report published by the New York Times about a suicide attack that occurred Saturday morning in Afghanistan in which a U.S. soldier was killed. The article does not name the soldier, but the circumstances were what Young described.

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