» A conversation with Bill Law » Wendell Sheets, former vice president of facilities, dies
WEEKLY COLUMNS » Wellness blog: |
| Bill Law selected president of St. Petersburg College
|
A conversation with Bill Law
|
Where were you, and what were you doing, when you got the news?
I was surprisingly nervous all day. I think that was because I was so excited by this opportunity. I sort of wished that 4 in the afternoon could have been 8 in the morning. It was a very long afternoon waiting to hear what might happen. After my visit to SPC, I felt that I had done my very best and there wasn’t an answer to a question that I would have taken back. I was hanging out in my office and I had cleared my afternoon schedule so I would be on my game when the call came. I don’t know how it happened, but (Board Chairman Terry Brett’s) call was the first indication I had.
What was your reaction to your three-day visit to SPC during the interview?
I was very, very encouraged after my three days at SPC. I had maintained some contacts at the college, but I hadn’t been back, and I came away from my visit with the feeling that the institution was ready to move in some new directions. It reaffirmed for me the number of really talented and committed people that work at the college -- that came through loud and clear. As we were driving home, Pat and I both agreed that this was an even better opportunity than we had thought. I really wanted this to work out.
What will be the first things that you do?
I made a promise to the Board of Trustees that I would spend the first 45 days putting together what I call a Learning Plan. I don’t intend to jump to solutions – the first thing is to process with the board, and learn what it means to be a board member during a time of transition. I think it will be instructive to sit with them and hear from them about their vision, and about what their priorities are. I am committed to action, I like to get things done, but I think the best thing is to be a good listener for a few months.
You worked here in the 1980s. What has changed here since then?
In many cases there have been stunning changes. Back then, the EpiCenter didn’t exist; Tarpon Springs has grown considerably; there has been a lot of work done to renovate St. Pete/Gibbs, and it’s clear that resources have been committed to enhance the learning space. Also, you can’t miss the fact that the arts have grown considerably across the campuses. The last thing that I found really exciting was the sense of community that still comes through on the campuses. It is really a great thing that people have such a sense of ownership – that was something that I was really happy to hear come through in our dialogues.
This will be your fourth community college presidency. How have community colleges changed during your career?
The most important thing is that the more things change, the more they stay the same. The real strength of community colleges is local boards making local decisions. SPC’s board always has been most creative and entrepreneurial in meeting local needs. How those local needs have been met has been the fun part. Look at the programs at the Health Education Center; look at the partnerships on the Seminole Campus. The key factor is a strong local board identifying needs and meeting them. SPC has done that as well as anyone. In Florida, nothing works as well as the community colleges and the state colleges. They offer the highest return on investment, and the institutions continually get the job done. This is the best of public policy, and people want to keep supporting it.
|
Tell us a little about your family
My wife, Pat, is Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Haven Hospice in Gainesville. She has an MBA and a CPA and is a really high-level professional in her own right. Our oldest son, Brett, is 30 and is graduating from the engineering college at Florida State at the end of the month; our youngest son, Matthew, was born at Morton Plant Hospital in Pinellas County and works as the manager of a restaurant in Orlando. Both are doing very well for themselves. Pat and I have been married almost 38 years. We have a little house in Gainesville where Pat lives during the week, and we spend time together on the weekends. It is almost the same distance from Gainesville to Tallahassee as it is from Gainesville to Pinellas County. If someone had told me that that arrangement would have worked… but her career has really prospered.
What would you like to say to the people who work at SPC?
The quality of the institution resides in the people who do the work every day. I came away from all my interactions at SPC feeling very, very encouraged by the quality of the staff and faculty. I am looking forward to channeling that talent into new directions, and moving everyone forward. The strength of the college is in the people who work there, and I am anxious to join them.
SPC Alert emergency notifications system
Throughout March and April, all campuses have undergone testing of the SPC Alert desktop and audio notification system. The results of the tests will be used to determine whether additional internal and external speakers are needed on college sites.
SPC Alert is the college’s emergency notification system for faculty, staff and students. It delivers time-sensitive emergency notifications via e-mail, staff desktop computers, IP telephones (where available), audio speakers, and cell phone voice or text messages.
“The alert system consists of several individual systems, which includes the e-mail, home page updates, etc,” said Bill Grey, SPC Emergency Management Coordinator. “You can’t assume that one system will notify everyone on a campus during an emergency, which is why the college uses a multi-layered approach that is recommended by the National Incident Management System.”
Grey said the alert installation has been broken into three phases. Phase one installed the emergency alerts to all college desktop computers and CISCO office phones. The second phase, completed in early March, included installation of internal and external audio speakers in the ceilings and outside buildings. The testing that is completed in phase two determined whether additional speakers were needed on all campus sites.
“Phase two gives us minimal coverage audio speaker-wise, which means phase three will enhance our ability to give better audio coverage,” Grey said.
A software update in June will enable all computers to receive the emergency messages.
SPC is one of at least 14 higher level institutions in Florida that utilizes InformaCast.SPC volunteers valued for the difference they make
 SPC volunteers take part in the docent training program at the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art in Tarpon Springs. |
As the SPC Volunteer Program marks its 17th anniversary, the college proudly and gratefully recognizes its 864 volunteers. National Volunteer Week, April 18-24, is a perfect time to say thank you to volunteers who unselfishly contributed more than 20,000 hours of service to more than 70 departments and programs college-wide in 2009.
Volunteers, ages 16-94, include business professionals, parents, retirees and students. They contribute skills and talents that assist SPC with its mission in providing education and training to meet community needs.
Please take a moment this month to say thank you to all the volunteers for their unselfish contributions to SPC. They truly make a difference in the operation of the college and the lives of its students.
2009-10 volunteers
(pdf)
Second Clearwater student makes list for NASA College Scholars Program
 Austin Peterson |
Austin Peterson, 21, a Clearwater Campus electrical engineering/robotics major, has been selected to travel to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston to participate in a three-day on-site event starting May 20. He is the second SPC student to be selected to participate in the program along with fellow Clearwater Campus student Walter Manger.
“When I learned that the goal of the program was to create a robotic mission to Mars, and those selected would get to visit the Johnson Space Center to work with NASA engineers, I knew it was something I had to do,” said Peterson.
The sophomore was selected as one of 60 community and junior college students from across the nation to be part of the pilot National Community College Aerospace Scholars program. To qualify, students had to complete four Web-based assignments during the school year and maintain a 96 average. They will apply what they have learned during the year to work with NASA engineers. Peterson originally was selected as an alternate.
“I can’t even think of a word to describe how excited I was when I received the e-mail telling me I was changed from an alternate to a primary,” Peterson said.
The program offers students from across the nation the opportunity to interact with each other as they learn more about careers in science and engineering. Students form teams and establish fictional companies interested in Mars exploration. Each company is responsible for developing a prototype rover, designing a line drawing of the rover, and forming the company infrastructure including budget, communications and presentations.
National Community College Aerospace Scholars is a pilot program based on Texas Aerospace Scholars, originally created by the state of Texas in partnership with NASA and the Texas educational community. Both programs are designed to encourage community and junior college students to enter careers in science and engineering and ultimately join the nation’s highly technical workforce.
The on-site experience at Johnson Space Center includes a tour of facilities and briefings by noted NASA employees—including astronauts.
“I hope that this experience will give me some insight on which academic courses I need to really focus on as well as show me what all of my options are with electrical engineering/robotics,” Peterson said. “I’d also like to network and make some contacts that I can collaborate with in the future.”
Wendell Sheets, former vice president of facilities, dies
Wendell R. Sheets, 86, died April 13. He had served as Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs of St. Petersburg College. He retired in 1989 as Vice President of Facilities Planning and Institutional Services.
Visitation will be Sunday, 2-5 p.m. at Moss Feaster Funeral Home, 693 S. Belcher Rd, Clearwater and the funeral service will be Monday, 11 a.m. at Skycrest United Methodist Church, 2045 Drew St, Clearwater, with entombment to follow at Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park.
SPC recognized for wellness efforts
SPC has been awarded the Gold Fit-Friendly status by the American Heart Association for promoting physical activity and health in the workplace.
Awarded twice per year for the past three years, this status recognizes companies and organizations that have fulfilled required criteria, which includes offering employees physical activity support, increasing healthy eating options at work, and promoting a wellness culture. This is the first time the college has received this status.
“I was elated to hear that the college was recognized by such a respected organization,” said Steve Malla, SPC Wellness Coordinator. “The college’s commitment to wellness is most deserving and should garner national attention.”
Malla attributes the gold status to the employees efforts to make healthy choices, both on and off the job.
“SPC deserves the award because of the employees’ commitment to wellness education, participation in the bi-annual Wellness Challenges, the annual Health Risk Assessment each employee completes, and the use of our on-campus fitness centers,” he said.
The college is one of six in the state to receive the gold distinction.
“The next step up would be the Platinum Status, which is more of a measurement process,” said Kristin Kyle, Heart Walk Director of the American Heart Association’s Greater Southeast Affiliate in St. Petersburg. “The Platinum Status says, ‘This is what you’re doing and here is the effect of it.’”
Other Florida colleges to win the Gold Status (in alphabetical order):
Daytona State College
Nova Southeastern University
Polk State College
Rollins College
State College of Florida
Faculty/A&P staff expected at graduation
Spring graduation is at 10 a.m., Saturday, May 8, at Tropicana Field. All full-time faculty and Administrative and Professional staff who did not participate in the fall 2009 ceremony are expected to participate. Commencement is an opportunity to exhibit to students and their families our respect for the work they have done and the sacrifices they have made to earn their degrees.
According to college policy, May graduation day is considered an official duty day with pay for faculty, and participation in the ceremony satisfies the duty requirements for that day (for more information, contact your program director or campus provost.) If you have a circumstance that might require your absence, a written or e-mailed request with the purpose specifically stated should be submitted to the president (via Kim Corry and cc to your supervisor) no later than April 23. You will be notified of the status of your request by April 28.
Faculty excused from participating will be expected to complete the appropriate leave form or arrange for an alternate duty day as directed by their supervisor.
Those who need to order a cap and gown should do so immediately at any on-campus Follett’s Bookstore.
Adjuncts and percent-of-load faculty
Adjunct instructors and percent-of-load faculty are invited, but not required, to participate in the May 8 graduation ceremony. Participation includes marching in the faculty processional, along with full-time faculty and A&P staff, in full academic regalia. Program directors can provide further instructions as necessary for participation.
Those adjuncts and percent-of-load faculty who wish to take part are asked to inform their program directors immediately, and make any necessary arrangements for regalia.
Business Services deadlines
No later than April 23, submit TRV’s and FRB’s for all travel completed through April 15.
Meeting notices
The Development Committee for the Board of Directors for the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art will meet on Wednesday, April 21, 3 p.m. in the Interactive Gallery of the museum to discuss general business.
The Collections Committee for the Board of Directors for the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art will meet on Wednesday, April 28, 2:30 p.m. in the Associate Curator & Registrar’s office in the museum to discuss general business.
The Board of Directors for the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art will meet on Wednesday, May 5, 2:30 p.m. for the annual meeting and 3:30 p.m. for the quarterly meeting in the Fine Arts Auditorium on the Tarpon Springs Campus to discuss general business.
SPC Foundation Executive Committee Board of Directors Meeting will be Tuesday, May 11 at noon at the District Office, Consular Corps College conference room 102.
Board of Trustees Notices
The St. Petersburg College Board of Trustees will meet on the following dates at the EpiCenter, 13805 58th St. N, Largo, Florida:
April 21, 8:30 a.m. - View legal notice
Routine business, EpiCenter,
Room 1-453
May 18, 8:30 a.m. - View Notice of Meeting
Routine business, EpiCenter,
Room 1-453