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archives | submit an article | editorial staff Wednesday, December 15, 2010 |
The next Blue & White will be published Jan. 5. |
Spring 2011 graduation information announcedThe spring 2011 graduation ceremony has been scheduled for Saturday, May 7 at 5 p.m. at Tropicana Field. More information will be published as we get closer to graduation. |
- Five selected for 2011 NISOD Excellence Awards
- SPC reaches students through Facebook page
- College closed Dec. 21-Jan. 2
- Important notice regarding Dec. 31 pay
- faTV video website now online
- Littlewood selected to serve on Federal Communications Commission committee
- SPC, MacDill AFB explore ways to work together
- CETL offers workshops, publishes faculty best practices
- Fall graduation is Saturday
- Faculty participate in critical thinking workshop
- Welcome to SPC!
- SPC hosts Brain Bowl competitions
- SPC employees leapfrog to a new victory
- Reminder: BOT agenda, presentations available online
- Meeting notices
- Visual Calendar (pdf)
- Cabinet members (pdf)
- December 2010 visual calendar (pdf)
- December birthdays/anniversaries (pdf)
Five selected for 2011 NISOD Excellence Awards
Congratulations to the five faculty members who have been selected by the college for the 2011 National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development Excellence Awards. Every year, NISOD honors community college faculty, staff and administrators who are innovators in teaching and learning.
The awards will be presented at the 33rd annual International Conference on Teaching & Leadership Excellence May 29-June 1 in Austin, Texas.
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The INTEL-based unit plan develops the student teachers’ advanced multimedia skills and knowledge as well as those of their K-12 students. Gerent leads future teachers to innovation in presenting complex content and to planning for K-12 students to use technology in learning. |
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Lancaster has presented at critical thinking institutes and lent her expertise in the project to infuse critical thinking into various faculty members’ programs, and has provided assistance to Academic Roundtable faculty in their study of how to implement critical thinking in their individual fields. |
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Weideman has permitted department faculty to collect data through a standard mathematics anxiety survey at the start of the term and follow-up post-test. This information will help improve future statistics courses for nursing students and help RN to BSN faculty and staff to create necessary support systems to support student success. |
SPC reaches students through Facebook page
 Want to be part of the conversation? You can become a friend of the SPC official Facebook page by clicking the “Like” button at www.facebook.com/stpetecollege. You can see the page even if you are not a Facebook member. |
One way SPC is working to connect with students, staff and the community is through the official SPC Facebook fan page. The page is used for announcements, reminders and to engage students in discussions with each other and with the college. As of Dec. 15, 3,583 people were following the college’s official page. These include faculty, staff, current and former students, potential students and friends in the community.
In the announcement about graduation last week, we asked students to tell us what they liked best about their time at SPC. Here are some of their responses:
Kati Gal: … That most of my teachers were encouraging, positive, respectful and took the classes seriously, but at the same time we had a lot of fun…. As an international student, I’ve got opportunities that I’ve not dreamt I could get in a foreign college. So for those of you who are just starting… Have fun and enjoy.
Patti Rae DuFault: I loved the profs, they were the best of course. And I loved the atmosphere.
Tina Cox-Kotlensky: Many of the instructors I had the pleasure of studying under have since retired. I’m also very surprised to see some still hanging in there! Here are the names that readily come to mind: Professor Keith Goree, Mr. Thomas M. Lancraft, Dr. Susan H. Blanchard, Ph.D., Dr. Ross I Brightman, Ph.D., and Mr. Larry H. Frye, M.A. These and others made my day, every day, nearly! J
Amy Lynn Malstrom: I made friends there that I could not imagine my life without today. We had GREAT professors and great times at SPC!
College closed Dec. 21-Jan. 2
Below you will find a suggested message to add to your out-of-office e-mail reply during the holiday break. Instructions for how to update your out-of-office reply message are available on the Technical Support Desk website.
The college will be closed from Tuesday, Dec. 21 through Sunday, Jan. 2 in observance of the winter holidays. Registration and other self-service options will be available on MySPC throughout that time.
For technical support, call 727-341-4357. Hours are 7 a.m.-midnight through Dec. 20; 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 21-23 and Dec. 26-30. (Technical support is closed Dec. 24, 25 and 31, and Jan. 1). Regular hours of operation, 7 a.m.-midnight, will resume Jan. 2.
Student services offices will be opened extended hours after the holiday break:
Monday-Thursday, Jan. 3-6: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 7: 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 8: 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Monday-Thursday, Jan. 10-13: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 14: 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
Bookstore hours during the break at Clearwater, St. Petersburg/Gibbs and Tarpon Springs:
Dec. 20-23: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Dec. 27-30: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Important notice regarding Dec. 31 pay
Early Web time deadline:
- Employees must complete all time entries by Thursday, Dec. 16.
- Supervisors must approve all leave and time entries by Friday Dec. 17.
Dec. 31 pay
For those employees who have direct deposit, you will see your money in your account on Dec. 31. However, if you receive a paper check, it will be available at your site on Monday, Jan. 3.
faTV video website now online
Financial Assistance Services has unveiled faTV. The financial aid online video counseling service helps students better understand college financial aid and the steps needed to apply for aid. This site contains approximately 170 short video clips in more than 20 groups for students/parents, including 15 videos that were produced by SPC and are on various topics, such as Verification, Book Line of Credit, Satisfactory Academic Progress and Maximum Time Frame Appeals.
Links for faTV are embedded throughout Financial Assistance Services website, which was recently redesigned and rewritten as a first step in the college’s overall website revision.
“We’re very excited to add this online video service to our financial aid website,” said Michael J. Bennett, Associate Vice President for Financial Assistance Services. “Students and parents may now view short videos on basic financial aid questions 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There is also a series of videos devoted to helping students become more knowledgeable in the areas of financial literacy, veteran services and private loans.
“We’re hoping that these videos will provide immediate answers for students and perhaps eliminate the need to call the college or stand in line during busy periods,” Bennett said.
The video service answers many commonly asked questions, such as what qualifies as financial aid, what happens after withdrawing from courses, and explanations about Pell Grants and verification.
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 Chris Littlewood is the Project Coordinator II of Curriculum Development at the Center for Public Safety Innovation and the National Terrorism Preparedness Institute |
Littlewood selected to serve on Federal Communications Commission committee
Chris Littlewood, Project Coordinator II of Curriculum Development at the Center for Public Safety Innovation and the National Terrorism Preparedness Institute at the Allstate Center, has been appointed to the Emergency Access Advisory Committee (EAAC) of the Federal Communications Commission. Littlewood was one of 32 appointed individuals, six of whom represent interests of state and local emergency responders and emergency subject matter technologies.
The EAAC determines the most effective and efficient technologies and methods by which to enable access to Next Generation 911 emergency services by individuals with disabilities. Membership is designed to be representative of the commission’s many constituencies, and the diversity achieved ensures a balance among individuals with disabilities and other stakeholders, as required by the Accessibility Act.
All appointments began Dec. 7 and will terminate no later than Dec. 7, 2012.
SPC, MacDill AFB explore ways to work together
 Institutional Advancement’s Bill Frederick interviews Maj. Gen. Steven Hashem at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa as IA Videographer Jeremy Peplow records the session. |
Informal talks are underway aimed at establishing a relationship between SPC’s new College of Policy and Legal Studies and military/civilian personnel at Tampa’s MacDill Air Force Base.
While very preliminary, both sides have expressed an interest and have agreed that some sort of working relationship could be of significant benefit to all parties involved as well as to the Tampa Bay community at large.
Jeff Kronschnabl, SPC’s Public Policy and Administration’s Instructor-in-Charge, initiated the informal discussion after receiving support and direction from SPC leadership. He visited MacDill Dec. 6 to talk with Maj. Gen. Stephen Hashem, Director of MacDill’s Coalition Coordination, an international group of military leaders from more than 50 countries who are engaged in the worldwide war on terror. The organization works out of a United States Central Command building at MacDill known as Coalition Village.
After the meeting, Kronschnabl said he was excited about the potential benefits that might accrue to College of Policy and Legal Studies students.
“MacDill is world-renowned for its leadership and policymaking,” he said. “Our connection with MacDill and the leaders there could be both a unique and valuable resource for our students, staff and the community at large.”
For his part, Hashem, a graduate of West Point, spoke well of SPC, and described why education in leadership and policymaking is so important.
“I think leadership training is essential to many professions,” Hashem said. “It is especially important in the area of public policy and administration – in that profession, it takes a team to accomplish things and get tasks done. Strong leaders usually have strong organizations.”
Working with St. Petersburg College would be in keeping with the military’s strong support for quality education, he said.
“The military really values education, and it always encourages service men and women to further their education,” he said. “St. Petersburg College is an excellent institution with a great reputation, and I think the military would be very pleased to have any of its men and women get degrees from SPC.”
Kronschnabl said the multicultural nature of Hashem’s Coalition Coordination offers a number of intriguing opportunities to SPC and the College of Policy and Legal Studies.
“When you have people from 57 foreign countries housed within a 20-mile radius of the college, people who are willing to interact with our students, that is an outstanding opportunity,” he said.
Hashem spoke at length about how Tampa Bay is home to people from many different countries and cultures, and how it offers one of the most military-friendly attitudes that he has encountered in his 37-year military career. That multicultural environment is in keeping with that of both his own organization and SPC, which is the educational home to students from around the world.
It is important common ground, which may help both organizations find ways of contributing to the other’s success.
“I will tell you that there is a great diversity of people in the Tampa Bay area, and I think a school like SPC certainly adds to the attractiveness of interacting with folks from a lot of different countries,” Hashem said. “It greatly enriches your experience, to open your mind, listen to what other people have to say, and look at things from their perspective.”
Hashem’s broad international experience would be of great value to SPC, Kronschnabl said, as would the many strengths and assets that reside throughout MacDill.
“His support, his openness, his credibility, his leadership, his networking, and his wealth of knowledge could be of great value to SPC,’’ Kronschnabl said. “He is a highly respected individual who wants to give back to the community.
“If he chooses to assist us, that would be outstanding – both for the college and for our Public Policy and Administration Program.”
Conversations between SPC and Hashem, as well as others at MacDill, can be expected to continue as we build our relationship and look toward providing the very best to our students, Kronschnabl said.
CETL offers workshops, publishes faculty best practices
The Center of Excellence for Teaching and Learning (CETL) is establishing professional development workshops based on faculty survey results from All-College Day. Additionally, the center is providing peer (faculty-to-faculty) mentoring opportunities and experiences. CETL also is working on an "Adjunct Faculty Survival Guide" to provide guidance and resources to faculty.
CETL, an organization formed for and governed by faculty, was created to support, recognize and reward faculty for their teaching, learning and assessment efforts, and to promote SPC student success.
All adjunct faculty members are being asked to complete a survey and share best practices, which will be featured in LibGuide, an online notebook. This way we all can share, reflect and learn from one another.
All best practices surveys must be completed by Monday, Jan. 24, to be included.
Fall graduation is Saturday
SPC will hold two fall commencement ceremonies at First Baptist Church of Indian Rocks on Saturday, Dec. 18, at 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Those who can’t attend graduation can watch the ceremonies live online. Click on “Live Broadcast.” The broadcasts will begin at about 9:20 a.m. and 12:50 p.m.
First Baptist Church of Indian Rocks features a 3,000-seat sanctuary and is located at 12685 Ulmerton Road, Largo. Visit the graduation website for more information.
 Jesse Coraggio reviews the Assessment Rubric for Critical Thinking during the critical thinking workshop Nov. 19. Clockwise, from left: Mitch Watrous, Program Director, Medical Lab Technology; Tom Derzypolski, Associate Professor of Ethics; Deborah Culbert, Adjunct Instructor of Ethics; Kathy Smiley, Adjunct Instructor of Ethics; Larry Goldsmith, Instructor-in-Charge of Parks & Leisure Services; Valerie Carter, Instructor of Health Services; George Greenlee, Associate Professor of Social Science; Jane Till, Associate Professor of Ethics; Kevin Murray, Professor of Ethics; George Sherman, Adjunct Instructor of Ethics; Ginny Price, Faculty of Veterinary Technology; and Gail Lancaster, Librarian of Clearwater Campus Library. Faculty participate in critical thinking workshopFaculty gathered on Nov. 19 for a full-day professional development event facilitated by Jesse Coraggio and Maggie Tymms of Academic Effectiveness & Assessment. The workshop was geared toward assessing students’ critical thinking skills. The Critical Thinking & Application Papers from six randomly-selected sections of PHI 1600 (Studies in Applied Ethics) were scored by the participants using the Assessment Rubric for Critical Thinking (ARC). The ARC was developed by faculty during the first year of implementing the Quality Enhancement Plan and has been used for college-wide assessment of the critical thinking initiative, as well as for gauging the success of many of the critical thinking projects of the Academic Roundtables. The workshop also served as an opportunity for collegial exchange among faculty, and for professional development in assessment and critical thinking that would be useful in the classroom and impact their teaching. Information about the ARC and assessing critical thinking is available on the Critical Thinking website. |
Welcome to SPC!
SPC welcomes its newest faculty, staff and administrators to the college family. Below are some of the new faces.
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Dara BondurantPosition: Custodian Previous position/employer: Medical transcriptionist, Transcription South Hobbies: Scrapbooking, spending time with dogs and grandsons |
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Maria EscottPosition: Coordinator of the International Language Institute Previous position/employer: Head Director of ELS Tampa, University of Tampa; adjunct instructor at SPC Clearwater Campus for the past 10 years teaching ESOL and composition Hobbies: Working on Ph.D. in Education Leadership, spending time with family |
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Tom HarnettPosition: Custodian Previous position/employer: Custodian for Pinellas County Hobbies: Landscaping and redecorating |
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Tuan LuongPosition: Custodian Previous position/employer: Thomas Sign & Awning Co. Hobbies: Playing pool |
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Hung NguyenPosition: Custodian Previous position/employer: Custodian, St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus Hobbies: Computers |
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Andy ThompsonPosition: Financial Assistance Counselor, Financial Assistance Services Previous position/employer: Scholarship Team Manager, Financial Assistance, University of South Florida Hobbies: Working out, racquetball and coin collecting |
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Wendy ShellhornPosition: Assistant/Associate Professor of Health Services Previous position/employer: Epidemiologist, Florida Medicare Quality Improvement Organization Hobbies: lapidary, bicycling and canoeing |
First place winners in the Black History and Culture competition. From left: Coach Sharon Williams, Reading Professor of Communications, St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus; team captain Shannon Williams, IB Program at St. Petersburg High School; co-captain Kenya Anderson, Gibbs High School; Katie Williams, Lakewood High School; Jalon Edwards, Lakewood High School; Robert Leeks, Lakewood High School; Antonio Clark, Boca Ciega High School; and Assistant Coach Chiriga Murphy, SPC student.
SPC hosts Brain Bowl competitions
The Center of Excellence program in the Office of Special Programs played host to the 2010-11 County/Regional Brain Bowl competitions for Black History and Culture, Mathematics and Word Wizard Dec. 4. Local elementary, middle and high school teams engaged in competition focused on strengthening academic skills such as reading comprehension and mathematical problem-solving.
The Black History and Culture Brain Bowl competition is designed to educate youth about the role and contributions of African-Americans and other minorities in the U.S. Students take part in a Black Heritage Trivia Game and read and respond to books by Richard Wright, Victor Martinez and President Barack Obama.
The Mathematics Brain Bowl, which was divided into three categories by grade level, was designed to increase interest in mathematics and develop problem-solving abilities through questions derived from FCAT, SAT and other math-related material.
Students, grades 3-5 and 6-8, enhanced their reading skills through the Word Wizard competition. Each student was responsible for knowing definitions from a pre-determined vocabulary list.
Ten teams competed in the black history and culture and math competitions, and six individual students competed in the Word Wizard. SPC faculty and staff, High Achievers Club members, Women on the Way members, college retirees and on-call-volunteers, served as moderators, proctors, timekeepers, ombudsmen, math scorers, overall competition scorekeepers and judges. In all, more than 200 students, volunteers, parents and friends attended the event.
Teams that competed and placed first in each category will represent the SPC Center of Excellence in the annual statewide Black History and Cultural Brain Bowl Competition at the Wyndham Orlando Resort on March 25.
St. Petersburg College employees participated in the Ragnar Relay Series in Daytona Beach recently. Tampa Bay Fit and Tampa Bay Road Runners (from left) were photographed at the finish line: Allyson Burnett (TPF), Christy Ford (TBF), Clint Snedeker (TBF), VJ Dixon (TBF), Matt Conigliaro (TBF), Jeff Essers (TBRR), Don Rasdall, (TBRR), Alison Miller (TBRR), Thomas Oliver (TBF), Leah Essers (TBRR), Christy Nelson (TBF) and Glibert Dolores (TBRR).
SPC employees leapfrog to a new victory
Have you ever wanted to race all day and night? SPC employees Thomas Oliver, Student Financial Specialist, VJ Dixon, Financial Assistance Counselor, and Don Harris, Administrative Specialist, did so at the Ragnar Relay Series Nov. 19-20. The overnight relay race began in New Port Richey and ended in Daytona Beach. Oliver and Dixon were runners and Harris a driver on the 12-person team that finished first in their division. They finished the 200.8 mile relay race in 30 hours, 38 minutes and 39 seconds.
The Ragnar Relay Series is a national race series where teams run long distances, aided by team members who escort them via support vehicles. Each teammate runs distances ranging from three to eight miles. The vehicles transport the other team members to relay points where batons are exchanged. The relay continues like this to the finish line.
Oliver battled a blister on his right big toe for nearly the entire race. Dixon found herself comically running through sugar sand and being chased by dogs. Both employees said those were just some minor issues as part of the journey. Finding a chance and place to sleep was not easy, either. They used their transport vehicle and make-shift camp sites along the way to catch a couple of hours of sleep.
Approximately four years ago, Dixon encouraged Oliver to participate with her in long distance running. After reluctantly accepting her offer, Oliver was hooked on the sport. Since then he has participated in many long-distance running events such as the Gasparilla Half Marathon and the National Marathon. He is training for the De Leon Springs Half Marathon in January and the A1A Marathon in February.
Dixon continues to run in organized events such as the Turkey Trot, Jingle Bells Run, and the Susan G. Komen 5k. She also participates in weekly boot camp, spinning and step classes.
Dixon and Oliver continue to stay active in their hobby and train with the Tampa Bay Road Runners & Tampa Bay Fit. The rest of their Ragnar Relay Series team consisted of runners from these organizations. Dixon and Oliver encourage other SPC employees to join these training groups and join in the race to a healthier future.Reminder: BOT agenda, presentations available online
The agenda, supporting materials, videos and highlights of all Board of Trustees meetings are available online. This includes presentations made at the board meetings.
Meeting notices
Board of Trustees updates
SPC encourages open access to all Board of Trustees information. Organized by date, the BOT website serves as an ongoing record of all BOT meetings and decisions, and includes the most current information on:
- Board meeting schedules, legal notices, agendas, rule development notices, supplemental board materials, meeting minutes and highlights
- Official board rules
- Board member profiles and terms of service
NEW! Minutes from Nov. 16 meeting
Rule Development Notice Dec. 10, 2010
The Collection Committee for the Board of Directors of the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art will meet Wednesday, Jan. 19, at 2:30 p.m. in the Registrar’s Office of the Museum to discuss general business.
The Finance Committee for the Board of Directors of the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art will meet on Wednesday, January 19 at 3:30 p.m. in the Museum’s Interactive Gallery to discuss general business.
The Education and Outreach Committee of the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art will meet on Thursday, Jan. 20, at 3 p.m. in the Fine Arts building, room 132, to discuss general business.
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