Commencement ceremonies celebrate SPC’s 150,000th graduate

St. Petersburg College celebrated the milestone of graduating its 150,000th student on Saturday, Dec. 12 in two fall commencement ceremonies at First Baptist Church of Indian Rocks.

“Our first graduating class, in 1929, had a total of 48 graduates,” said St. Petersburg College President William D. Law Jr., in addressing the graduates. “Today, we celebrate the momentous occasion of our 150,000^th graduate. This is a milestone that will not soon be forgotten, and all of you will always hold a special place in the history of SPC as a part of this graduating class.”

During the ceremonies, attendees got to watch videos of six graduates who represent the diversity of SPC alumni and students. The videos were part of a campaign SPC launched to honor current graduates and past alumni who have helped shape the college over the years. The college encourages well wishers, graduates and alumni to visit www.spcollege.edu/wearespc and use #WeAreSPC on social media accounts.

“All of you represent our 150,000^th graduate,” Law said. “It is exactly our diversity – of age and gender, of ethnicity, race and religion – that makes SPC the wonderful institution it is.”

SPC’s students “represent single mothers and military veterans … immigrants and grandmothers … students who have overcome adversity … students straight out of high school … and students who returned to their education later in life. They come from various backgrounds and academic programs, but they all share a common dream: to earn their college degree.”

About 820 of the Fall semester’s 1,982 graduates participated in Fall commencement. Of the 2,258 degrees and certificates being conferred this fall:

• 1,450 are associate degrees
• 496 are bachelor’s degrees
• 312 are certificates and advanced diplomas.

This fall’s youngest graduate is 17; the oldest is 79. There are 21 graduates over the age of 60. More than 200 students will earn more than one degree or certificate. See all our graduation statistics.

 

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SPC to host second annual Moving the Needle Conference Oct. 28-30

St. Petersburg College, nationally recognized for using data-driven strategies to increase student achievement, will host its second annual Moving the Needle Conference, Oct. 28-30 at the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront, 333 First St. S, St Petersburg.

The event begins with registration at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, followed by a Welcome and Introduction at 2 p.m., a keynote address at 3:15 and a reception at 5:30 p.m. Panels, sessions and workshops continue from 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 29, and from 8:15 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30.  The event is not open to the public, but members of the media are invited to attend.

The conference is designed for postsecondary leadership teams to engage in collaborative discussions and methods regarding the improved use of data leading to student success. More than 200 postsecondary educators from across the country are expected to attend.

St. Petersburg College has become a leader in using data to drive student success initiatives that can be monitored and adjusted in real-time. The college uses a robust business intelligence system that was designed in-house to enable faculty, staff and college leaders to make evidence-based decisions. For these efforts, SPC received a 2014 Florida College System Chancellor’s Best Practice Award and has been named a 2015 Leader College by Achieving the Dream. Additionally, college leaders have been invited to speak about SPC’s data-driven culture by the Aspen Institute and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

“We have been using data to inform our work with students for several years and have seen some amazing successes,” said Dr. Jesse Coraggio, conference organizer and St. Petersburg College Associate Vice President of Institutional Effectiveness and Academic Services. “We’re excited to share those proven best practices and collaborate with others on data-driven strategies that can benefit students in Florida and all across the country.”

Conference topics include:

• Creating a responsive and ‘nimble’ organizational culture
• Creating and employing data tools and dashboards
• Building a data-driven culture
• Using data to improve academic success
• Employing high impact practices within student support services
• Employing shared governance, responsibility and transparency practices

Two keynote panels will be held. The first, focusing on using data to improve student success will be facilitated by Dr. Mark Milliron, Co-Founder and Chief Learning Officer of Civitas Learning. Panelists are:

• Dr. Chris Bustamante, President of Rio Salado College, Tempe, Ariz.
• Dr. Paul Dosal, Vice-Provost of Student Services at the University of South Florida, Tampa
• Laura Mercer, Director of Research, Analytics, and Reporting for Sinclair Community College, Dayton, Ohio

Dr. Davis Jenkins, Senior Research Associate for the Community College Research Center, will facilitate the second keynote panel comprised of:

• Dr. Joyce Walsh-Portillo, Associate Vice-President of Academic Affairs for Broward College, Fort Lauderdale
• Wendi Dew, Assistant Vice-President of Teaching and Learning for Valencia College, Orlando
• Sabrina Crawford, Executive Director of Institutional Research and Effectiveness at St. Petersburg College

For more information about the conference, including the full agenda, please visit the Moving the Needle website.

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Music Industry/Recording Arts program revitalizes student radio station

When Sheila Cowley saw a need for quality, student-created content for MYRA – Make Your Radio Active – the student radio station at St. Petersburg College, the adjunct instructor jumped in head first.

Cowley began her first semester at SPC in the fall by teaching an Audio for Broadcast course in the Music Industry/Recording Arts program at the St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus. Now students are creating content for the station.

“Our aim is to fill the MIRA station with new original content that constantly reflects what’s happening at SPC,” said Cowley, who worked at WMNF radio for nearly 25 years. As operations manager, she oversaw the equipment, facility, training, FCC compliance and engineers.

For the MYRA radio station, she wants to produce announcements, feature interviews, live broadcasts and public service announcements. Students in her class have already produced station IDs and promotional spots for the Palladium Theater and are crafting features about the Music Industry/Recording Arts program to draw prospects to the workforce program.

“All the work in the class is practical and hands on, since radio’s a skill you only develop by doing,” Cowley said. “There’s no sitting around. While there are some really good written references, really everything we do is listening and working.”

In September, SPC students toured WMNF to see the transmission process – an experience that will help prepare them for the Society of Broadcast Engineers’ exam so they can earn certified radio operator credentials in the future.

“The skills you learn for radio – writing for broadcast, broadcast production standards, editing for length and content – those are skills that serve you well in many fields, including film and video,” Cowley said.

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St. Petersburg College hosts Vilma Fernandez-Zalupski Academic Excellence Awards

St. Petersburg College will celebrate the academic success of Latino students who have a grade point average of 3.0 and higher during the Vilma Fernandez-Zalupski Academic Excellence Awards ceremony. The ceremony will be:

6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23
Arts Auditorium
Clearwater Campus

About 150 high school students from Tarpon Springs and Clearwater are expected to attend the event, which honors Fernandez-Zalupski, the first woman in Florida to serve as a community college provost. A native of Ybor City, she worked as provost of the Clearwater Campus for 16 years before retiring in 1995.

As provost, Fernandez-Zalupski helped develop the first International Center and Women on the Way, a program that guides women through the college experience. The Tampa Hispanic Heritage Foundation for outstanding service to education has honored her.

The Master of Ceremonies for the event will be Robin Gomez, auditor and Hispanic-Latino Liaison for the City of Clearwater. Saby E. Guidicelli, Workforce Manager/Human Resources, Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County will give the keynote address.

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Music Industry/Recording Arts students, alumni work show of international band One Direction

SPC Career Outreach Specialist Rosaria Pipitone and Music Industry/Recording Arts student Nathan Doyle at the One Direction concert at Raymond James Stadium.

While hordes of screaming fans waited for the One Direction concert to start on Friday, Oct. 3, students and alumni from the Music Industry/Recording Arts program at St. Petersburg College were front-and-center, working the show at Raymond James Stadium.

Three Music Industry/Recording Arts students were brought in to work alongside the international pop band’s touring staff to prepare for the anticipated 65,000 fans. When the doors opened, MIRA alumni greeted and directed thousands of guests, controlled VIP party entrance and assisted with photography.

The opportunity was the result of the workforce program’s growing national reputation.

“MIRA is producing alumni who are sustaining careers in music locally and regionally, which helps the visibility of the program and our work with employers,” said Rosaria Pipitone, career outreach specialist at the St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus. “Providing students with the opportunity to work with a national tour has opened their eyes to a new spectrum of employment opportunities. It’s important to bring these kinds of recruitment opportunities to students. I want them to know they have on-campus support when it comes to employment opportunities.”

VIP Nation and CID Entertainment contacted Pipitone to ask about having Music Industry/Recording Arts students work two of their Tampa shows for Luke Bryan and One Direction. The One Direction performance marked the first international touring act to contact SPC for students and alumni to work the show. Two national touring acts, Luke Bryan and Tim McGraw, previosuly requested students and alumni from MIRA.

“It was super impressive to think of the huge scale of the operation and how many people were attending,” said MIRA student Nathan Doyle, who was excited about the experience of working at a live show. Doyle said he was surprised to learn that it took about three days for the touring crew to set up all the stage and lighting for the show.

After completing their shift, the MIRA team and Pipitone were granted free entrance to the sold-out show to experience the massive production close-up.

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SPC launches training resources for next generation of police leaders

St. Petersburg College’s Center for Public Safety Innovation announces the launch of the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Executive Session on Police Leadership website at www.bjaexecutivesessiononpoliceleadership.org. This collaborative effort between SPC and BJA, the multi-year Executive Session (2010-2014), focused on the role of policing and police leaders in the changing environment of 21^st century public safety.

The Executive Session on Police Leadership assembled leaders from policing, local government, national associations and academics for a series of meetings to discuss the critical issues facing leaders in the coming decades. Over the course of the four-year project, these leaders directed working groups that examined specific topics in depth. Those topics ranged from trust and collaboration to problem solving and the law to leadership development in a new age of learning.

“The work of the Executive Session will make a timely contribution to national discussions on the changing nature of public safety and the role of police leaders in guiding their organizations and developing the next generation of leaders,” said Denise E. O’Donnell, director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance. “We join with St. Petersburg College, the Major Cities Chiefs Association and the Police Executive Research Forum in celebrating the release of this website.”

The multimedia web site offers a mix of downloadable video, audio pieces, long and short papers and discussion tools that examine police leadership from many angles. Highlights of the website include an eight-part video series that addresses, among other subjects, the relevance of Peel’s Principles today.  Current leaders can use the site to become more effective in their own work and in their ability to prepare new leaders for the future. The material can also be used as a teaching resource for individuals involved in leadership development.

“It is wonderful to see St. Petersburg College championing a project that can truly impact how executives lead today and into the future,” said Darrel W. Stephens, co-director of the Executive Session project, executive director of Major Cities Chiefs and former City of St. Petersburg Police Chief. “Agencies from coast to coast and the communities they serve will be impacted by the work being released this month.”

ABOUT CPSI: The Center for Public Safety Innovation is based at St. Petersburg College’s Allstate Center and develops and delivers high quality training for emergency and first responders, military personnel, and the general public using state-of-the-art technology and best practices in education and training.

ABOUT SPC: St. Petersburg College was Florida’s first two-year college (founded in 1927) as well as the state’s first community college to offer bachelor’s degrees (2002). Today, SPC is one of 28 state colleges, and with 11 learning sites, serves as a model for incorporating bachelor’s degree programs into traditional two-year institutions.

ABOUT BJA: The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the SMART Office.

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Supply chain management training to begin in January at SPC

To help boost the local skilled workforce in supply chain management, SPC will begin offering entry and mid-level certifications in January 2015. The training is being offered through a $1.5 million federal grant received last year.

The certifications, to be endorsed by the national Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), will cover key aspects of supply chain management like planning and forecasting, purchasing, product assembly, storage and transportation. The training programs will include internships, apprenticeships and on-the-job training opportunities so participants get hands-on, real world experience.

“The initiative will solidify partnerships among colleges, universities and the industry, while at the same time, provide opportunities for students to access the training, skills and resources needed to succeed in today’s competitive job market,” said Greg Nenstiel, Dean of SPC’s College of Business. “Students will be able to earn stackable certifications that lead to in-demand jobs, as well as college credit.”

Businesses including manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, warehouses, healthcare providers and government agencies utilize supply chain management principles to plan, assemble, store, ship and track products from beginning to the end consumer. Successful companies rely on the skills of supply chain management professionals to ensure their products are delivered to the marketplace in a quick, efficient and cost-effective manner.

Meeting workforce needs

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for supply chain talent has been rising and jobs in logistics are estimated to grow by 26 percent between 2010 and 2020. SPC will meet this growing urgency by educating and training a local, skilled and qualified workforce.

Career paths span a variety of functions covering planning, procurement, manufacturing, and logistics to include job roles as logistics assistants, warehouse and production associates, supply chain specialists and analysts, fulfillment supervisors, purchasing, fleet and transportation managers.

Certifications through SPC will include Supply Chain Management Principles, Customer Service Operations, Transportation Operations, Warehousing Operations, Demand Planning, Inventory Management, Manufacturing and Service Operations and Supply Management and Procurement.

Community partners

SPC is looking for local experts in supply chain management for the following:

• Serve as curriculum subject matter experts
• Become an advisory board member
• Provide internship opportunities for students
• Host educational tours of supply chain in action
• Refer prospective students to the program for training
• Employ qualified graduates

Initially slated as non-credit training, the LINCS Supply Chain Management program is funded by a Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration last year.

For information on the LINCS Program, please contact Marta Przyborowski, at 727-341-7973 or Przyborowski.marta@spcollege.edu

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SPC alumna receives Technician of the Year award

SPC alumna Nicole Becker looks over X-rays from one of her four-legged patients while working as lead veterinary technician and office manager at North Boulder Companion Animal Hospital in Boulder, Colo.

Attend our Open House Wednesday, Oct. 15 4 to 7 p.m. RSVP online

History of successful vet tech alumna SPC alumna Bonnie Loghry received the 2013 Linda Markland Outstanding RVT of the Year Award – Non-Private Practice from the California Veterinary Medical Association. Read more about Loghry.

St. Petersburg College School of Veterinary Technology alumna Nicole Becker was named 2014 Technician of the Year by the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association Sept. 20.

Since she was a child, Becker, 30, knew that her future would revolve around the love and care of animals.

“Ever since I was 9 years old, I always wanted to be a veterinarian or work with animals,” said Becker, who serves as office manager and lead veterinary technician at North Boulder Companion Animal Hospital in Boulder, Colo. “I never really strayed away from that; my feelings for it never changed.”

Born in Colorado, Becker grew up in Pinellas County, where she attended high school in Indian Rocks Beach. She remained local for college, and received an associate degree in veterinary technology from SPC in Summer 2008.

“The biggest thing I find that I am grateful for during my time at SPC was all of the hands-on training that we did,” Becker said. As a student, she worked on animals every day in the kennel – taking X-rays, placing catheters, performing dental and other medical care.

Her dream is to own and operate her own veterinary clinic.

“Nicole was always a great student,” said Rich Flora, dean of the School of Veterinary Technology. “She was dedicated to her courses, her learning and mastering the skills required to be an effective, contributing, valuable member of our profession. I have no doubt that she will be a very successful practice owner.”

A few years after graduation, Becker moved back to Colorado in August 2011, where she began working as a veterinary technician at North Boulder Animal Companion Hospital. After a short period of time, she realized she wouldn’t be satisfied in the entry-level position. When the hospital’s lead veterinary technician quit with only a week’s notice, she jumped at the opportunity to take on the role.

“I told my boss that I would like to try to take on the responsibility of head technician, so I took the reins and ran with them,” Becker said. When the animal hospital’s office manager left a few months later, she decided this was her chance to do and learn more.

“I asked her to let me also take on this responsibility,” she said. “I want to keep going and don’t want to stop – I want to work my way as high up the ladder as I can go.”

What she wasn’t expecting was the difficult she faced hiring new employees. The lack of direct animal contact in veterinary education in Colorado was a shock to Becker, who spent nearly every day working hands-on with the animals as an SPC veterinary technology student.

“Out here in Colorado, animal rights organizations are a huge thing,” she said. “The students out here don’t seem to get to practice on real animals. I get CVTs (certified veterinary technicians) who come in who are certified but have never placed an IV catheter in a real animal.”

“From an office manager’s point of view, where I am now trying to hire people, I think that is the biggest factor that stands out for me,” she said.

Becker said that at SPC, she learned how to not only understand what she was reading and learning through hands-on instruction, but how it also applies to her work as a veterinary technician.

“I see it too with my new hires,” she said. “They want to understand it – and they think they do. But when they try to work through a problem, you realize that their knowledge is completely based on what they memorized from their books.”

Becker said she wants to continue her education online to receive a Bachelor of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology from SPC, where she knows the faculty are dedicated to her education and success.

Flora said it is no accident that Becker and many other SPC graduates are successful in their profession.

“The dedication and concern shown by our faculty and staff toward our students is reflected by their success after they leave St. Petersburg College,” he said. “We look forward to having her back in our BAS program.”

The SPC School of Veterinary Technology recently received full accreditation from the American Animal Hospital Association, signifying the highest level of medical care within the veterinary medical profession. Only three of the 221 veterinary technology programs accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association also are AAHA accredited.

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ISPS hosts debates between political candidates Oct. 2

The Institute for Strategic Policy Solutions at St. Petersburg College will host a forum featuring local candidates seeking public office and information about key issues that will be on the Nov. 4 ballot. The free event is open to the public and will be held:

5:30-9 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 2
Digitorium UP 160
Seminole Campus
9200 113th Street N
Seminole, FL 33772

The debates are presented in an effort to dispel voter apathy and to honor the importance of an informed electorate. Facing off will be candidates for Pinellas County Commission from Districts 2 and 4, and candidates for the eight most highly contested seats in the state legislature. Also up for debate will be three proposed amendments to the State Constitution.

Admission is free but advance registration is requested.

A distinguished panel of experts will question the candidates and provide background on the issues. They are:

• Frank Alcock, associate professor of political science, New College of Florida, Sarasota
• Adam Smith, political editor, Tampa Bay Times
• Roy Slater, social science professor, St. Petersburg College
• Noah Pransky, investigative reporter, WTSP 10 News, St. Petersburg
• Moderator: Joni James, deputy editor of editorials, Tampa Bay Times

The debates will be split into three one-hour sessions, with the first two combining state legislative races whose district borders are relatively contiguous, for the convenience of voters interested in their home district candidates. A brief discussion of the three constitutional amendments will precede the candidate debates. The schedule is:

• 5:30-6 p.m. – Constitutional Amendments 1 2, and 3
• 6-7 p.m. – House Districts 65, 66 and 67
• 7-8 p.m. – Senate District 22, House Districts 68 and 69
• 8-9 p.m. – County Commission Districts 2 and 4

The event is co-sponsored by the Tampa Bay Times.

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Annual LRMA Artists’ Market begins Sept. 27

It’s back to school time, and festival season is just around the corner in Florida. To kick off the festivities, the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art at the St. Petersburg College Tarpon Springs Campus will host its annual Artists’ Market on:

Saturday, Sept. 27
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 28
noon to 5 p.m.

Visitors can browse and buy original works by more than 30 local artists inside the comfort and ambiance of the museum and get a head start on their holiday shopping. Original artwork on display will include wearable art, paintings, jewelry, prints and more. Also available is an Art Book Nook offering gently used books and magazines for sale.

Admission to the museum, market and parking are free both days. Food and beverages will be available from the Bayou Cafe of Tarpon Springs.

All proceeds from the event support participating artists, Isabelle’s Museum Store and LRMA’s educational mission.

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