|
Friday, Aug. 7, 2009
Diversity conference offers lessons for all
Suarez-Solar and his family had come to the U.S. from Cuba. He told a conference on cultural differences at SPC’s Clearwater Campus Friday how the light blue suit with velvet lapels caused his new classmates in a St. Louis elementary school to make fun of him. The point of the story, he said, is that people often form lasting impressions based only on first impressions. In doing so, they miss the most important aspects of a person’s character and personality. “It happens in the workplace every day,” he said during a presentation entitled Diversity from Within. “If you think I am a typical Hispanic male, you don’t know me well enough.” Suarez-Solar should know. He is an owner of Integrated Employer Resources, a Tampa-based human resources consulting firm. Suarez-Solar was one of several participants in the well-attended conference entitled Embracing Our Changing Community: Responding to Cultural Differences, held at Clearwater’s Teaching Auditorium as part of the Hispanic Leadership Council’s annual conference. Suarez-Solar’s presentation followed a student panel discussion entitled “Through Our Eyes.” Two afternoon workshops also were held. UPC celebrates 10th anniversary
SPC’s University Partnership Center (UPC) brings unique educational opportunities of all kinds from around the country to Pinellas County. It is a system that allows local residents to “go away to school” without having to leave homes, jobs or families. Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, the UPC offers four-year degree programs, master’s degrees and even doctoral programs from 17 partner institutions from around Florida and the country, the colleges and universities are some of the nation’s most prestigious in higher learning. Based at SPC’s Seminole Campus, the UPC is a cooperative program that makes more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs available. It is the largest and most successful program of its type in the U.S. “The beauty of the UPC is that it is a perfect fit for just about anyone who lives in Pinellas County, no matter what their field of interest, career choice or personal schedule,” said Catherine Kennedy, Associate Vice President of the UPC. “It brings a broad range of institutions and academic programs to the front doorsteps of everyone who lives here.” Students can register for a wide variety of courses offered by their chosen college or university. They take those courses on an SPC site or online. The degree they earn is awarded by the college or university they have chosen. Programs offered through the UPC can mesh effectively with existing SPC undergraduate programs. For example, SPC offers a bachelor’s degree in Management and Organizational Leadership. SPC can augment that degree through a master's degree in Public Adminstration offered by Barry University through the UPC. Here are some facts about SPC’s University Partnership Center:
SSI summer results available online for facultyThe summer Student Survey of Instruction reports are available at it.spcollege.edu/ssi. Faculty members can login using their college network username and password. There are two ways to view the SSI results. The first is by course and the second is by instructor (with form version, Academic Org, and campus), similar to the previous AIS paper reports. Open-ended responses to the SSI also are available. Comparison information is included in the .pdf reports and can be viewed online when selecting the "plus" symbol for each measure. Please be patient for larger comparison measures (e.g., campus, all SPC). A tutorial for navigating the results site is available on the SSI informational site at www.spcollege.edu/central/ssi. SSI results can be downloaded to a .pdf or printed in a document (though we are attempting to be "green" by limiting the amount of paper used). Work continues to improve the process in terms of performance and productivity. If you have any questions about the SSI results, please contact SSI_Admin@spcollege.edu. Pioneer student dies
Rosalie Peck, the first African-American female student to attend St. Petersburg College, died July 31 of cancer. She was 82. Epilogue: Rosalie Peck Born and raised in St. Petersburg, Peck was a Gibbs High School graduate who attended business school in Washington, D.C. before returning to St. Petersburg. At age 34, she decided to continue her education at St. Petersburg College. In 2004, she shared her integration experience in the college publication, SPC Today: “In 1961, members of a group called the Ambassadors Club asked me if I would be interested in going to SPJC. I had never stopped reading, never stopped studying and never stopped wanting to go to college. I was worried about how people would handle my race, but mainly I was worried about passing that math. “When I went to Dr. Bierbaum’s class at SPJC, I was not treated any differently than the other students or given any undue attention, other than my picture being in the St. Petersburg Times. I felt a sense of purpose in attending SPJC and knew that my mother was proud of me, but I also felt alone. I later learned that one of my friends had been watching out for me. He said, ‘I was there when you parked your car and I was there when you left, and then I followed you home.’ ” Although Peck ended up leaving SPJC, she went on to earn a bachelor’s degree at Bethune-Cookman University and a master’s in social work at Atlanta University. After working for Veteran’s Administration hospitals in Michigan and California, Peck returned to St. Petersburg to work at Bay Pines. She retired in 1989. In 2006, she co-authored the book St. Petersburg’s Historic 22nd Street South with former St. Petersburg Times staff writer Jon Wilson. Services will be at 1 p.m. today at Bethel Metropolitan Baptist Church, 3455 26th Ave. S, St. Petersburg. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Rosalie Peck Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund. Please make checks payable to the St. Petersburg College Foundation Inc. and mail to the SPC Foundation, P.O. Box 13489, St. Petersburg, FL 33733. Pitcher signs with Braves
Weber, who was a freshman last season, pitched the team’s first game in the state tournament this year. He had a 3-1 lead going until the bottom of the ninth inning when Santa Fe rallied with a three-run, walk-off home run in a 4-3 victory. Santa Fe went on to win the state championship and the national championship. Weber, a 6-foot, right-hander, was the 22nd-round selection of the Braves in the June ’09 draft and a 12th-round pick of the Phillies in 2008. He has reported to Kissimmee where he is pitching for the Braves' Gulf Coast affiliate. For details on athletics at SPC, please visit www.spcollege.edu/athletics. Thank youDear friends: Thank you for all of your many kindnesses over these past months during Keith's illness and passing. Thank you for the prayers, warm wishes, food, cards, calls, e-mails and many offers of service. Our hearts remain heavy with sadness at losing Keith, but we are so grateful for our SPC family and their many expressions of sympathy. All of your offers of support, tears and caring words are deeply appreciated. With fondness, The Goree family August meeting noticesTuesday, Aug. 11 If any person wishes to appeal a decision made with respect to any matter considered by the Board, he or she will need a record of the proceedings. It is the obligation of such a person to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made. Section 286.0105, Florida Statutes. Those planning to attend who have a disability and are in need of an auxiliary aid or other accommodation are requested to call 727-341-3260 at least seven days before the workshop date so that their needs can be accommodated. Tuesday, Aug. 18 Tuesday, Aug. 18 In the event the Board continues the foregoing meeting and/or in the event of a serious storm, or threat thereof, resulting in cancellation of the foregoing meeting, the same shall be held on Aug. 25, at the same time and place and for the same purpose. A copy of the Agenda may be obtained by writing to the Board of Trustees in care of the Board Clerk, P. O. Box 13489, St. Petersburg, FL, 33733, or calling the Board Clerk at 727-341-3260. If any person wishes to appeal a decision made with respect to any matter considered by the Board, he or she will need a record of the proceedings. It is the obligation of such person to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made. Section 286.0105, Florida Statutes. Those planning to attend who have a disability and are in need of an auxiliary aid or other accommodation are requested to call 727-341-3260 at least seven days before the meeting date so that their needs can be accommodated.
A colorful way to good healthOne of the most positive wellness moves you can make is to pay attention to the color of fruits and vegetables. According to the latest nutritional research, it’s all about color and variety. Eating blue, green, white, yellow and red fruits and vegetables daily can help fight diseases such as cancer, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. Some of the specific health benefits of the various colors of fruits and vegetables are:
Men and women age 50 and older should consume four to five cups of fruits and vegetables a day. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables may help to maintain:
To learn more about balanced nutrition and healthy eating, visit www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org. Explore SPC Wellness to read additional wellness articles. For more information, contact SPC’s Wellness Coordinator Cathleen Shears. |
Ryan Weber, who was 8-4 with a 3.91 ERA for the baseball team this year, has signed a professional contract with the Atlanta Braves. 
 |
SPC’s Corporate Training Office has announced a partnership with the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to provide a comprehensive sustainable building operations training course based on the LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance rating system.
The course will be available Aug. 17.
According to the USGBC, LEED for Existing Buildings: O&M is the tool for the operation and maintenance of commercial and institutional buildings. The certification system identifies and rewards best practices and describes ways for using less energy, water and natural resources; for improving indoor environment; and for uncovering operating inefficiencies.
“Partnering with a Florida chapter of the USGBC puts St. Petersburg College’s Corporate eTraining in the national spotlight,” said James Connolly, SPC’s Corporate Training Director.
The training course provides students the opportunity to increase a building’s operational efficiency while reducing its impact on the environment.
“Sustainable architecture helps illustrate the way in which humans should interact with their surroundings,” said Jason Green, SPC’s Sustainability Coordinator and registered architect. “This training program provides participants with the resources necessary to have an immediate, yet long-term positive impact.”
“St. Petersburg College has made sustainability a top priority in its planning for the future,” said Carl M. Kuttler Jr., SPC’s President. “Our intention is to provide our community with the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve a more sustainable future.”
Josh Bomstein, President of the FGCC, said the collaboration will make the training available beyond the local area.
“We are excited by this great partnership with a leading educational institution in the Tampa Bay area,” he said. “The platform provided by St. Petersburg College for online education is second to none, and we’re happy to be able to provide our expertise in green design and construction for content.”
In further support of SPC’s commitment to becoming a leader in the environmental movement, the college recently announced two new degree programs: an Associate of Science in Environmental Science Technology, and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Sustainability Management, both available in the coming fall term.
To participate in the sustainable | SPC initiative, visit www.spcollege.edu/sustainability.
Onward & Upward
Alice Monroe, Natural Science, CL, and President of the Conchologists of America, chaired the association’s national convention at the Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort on July 19-23.
Monroe served as the “captain” of an imaginary cruise around the world with programs about various places that are popular for their shell faunas.
COA is dedicated to the scientific study of seashells, land snails, and freshwater shells, and the dissemination of information about them. Worldwide, COA has 1,200 members and publishes a quarterly journal, American Conchologist.