2.6 Continuous Operation

The institution is in operation and has students enrolled in degree programs.

_X_Compliance ___Partial Compliance ___Non-Compliance

Narrative

St. Petersburg College is in compliance with this requirement because it currently is in operation and has students enrolled in its degree programs.

St. Petersburg College began operations in September 1927 as St. Petersburg Junior College with an initial enrollment of 102 students taught by a Faculty of 14 as the first junior/community college in the State. In June 2001, the name was changed to St. Petersburg College and in 2002 began offering fully-accredited baccalaureate programs leading to bachelor’s degrees in Education, Nursing and Technology Management. In 2004, the College also began to offer bachelor’s programs in Dental Hygiene, in January 2005 programs in Public Safety Administration and Veterinary Technology Management, in Fall 2005 programs in International Business and Orthotics and Prosthetics, in January 2006, a program in Paralegal Assisting, and in Fall 2006, a program in Banking. The College has been in continuous operation since 1927, as evidenced by the following table:

Excerpt from SPC 2006-2007 Fact Book

OPENING FALL HEADCOUNT ENROLLMENT
CREDIT STUDENTS
Fall 1927 - Fall 2006
	Percent	Percent	Percent	Percent
Fall	Number	Increase	Fall	Number	Increase	Fall	Number	Increase	Fall	Number	Increase
1927-1928	87		1947-1948	460	1.77%	1967-1968	9,072	4.29%	1987-1988	16,599	2.38%
1928-1929	186	113.79%	1948-1949	398	-13.48%	1968-1969	9,537	5.13%	1988-1989	17,919	7.95%
1929-1930	155	-16.67%	1949-1950	479	20.35%	1969-1970	9,509	-0.29%	1989-1990	18,019	0.56%
1930-1931	173	11.61%	1950-1951	451	-5.85%	1970-1971	9,815	3.22%	1990-1991	18,719	3.88%
1931-1932	185	6.94%	1951-1952	397	-11.97%	1971-1972	9,978	1.66%	1991-1992	19,271	2.95%
1932-1933	211	14.05%	1952-1953	431	8.56%	1972-1973	9,398	-5.81%	1992-1993	20,793	7.90%
1933-1934	285	35.07%	1953-1954	510	18.33%	1973-1974	9,759	3.84%	1993-1994	20,482	-1.50%
1934-1935	353	23.86%	1954-1955	750	47.06%	1974-1975	10,675	9.39%	1994-1995	19,662	-4.00%
1935-1936	368	4.25%	1955-1956	1,579	110.53%	1975-1976	12,546	17.53%	1995-1996	19,207	-2.31%
1936-1937	323	-12.23%	1956-1957	2,112	33.76%	1976-1977	12,953	3.24%	1996-1997	17,535	-8.71%
1937-1938	341	5.57%	1957-1958	2,372	12.31%	1977-1978	13,288	2.59%	1997-1998	17,575	0.23%
1938-1939	335	-1.76%	1958-1959	2,740	15.51%	1978-1979	14,445	8.71%	1998-1999	17137	-2.49%
1939-1940	389	16.12%	1959-1960	3,324	21.31%	1979-1980	14,499	0.37%	1999-2000	16933	-1.19%
1940-1941	385	-1.03%	1960-1961	3,599	8.27%	1980-1981	15,430	6.42%	2000-2001	17061	0.76%
1941-1942	317	-17.66%	1961-1962	4,188	16.37%	1981-1982	16,106	4.38%	2001-2002	18156	6.42%
1942-1943	159	-49.84%	1962-1963	5,021	19.89%	1982-1983	16,358	1.56%	2002-2003*	20015	10.24%
1943-1944	98	-38.36%	1963-1964	5,320	5.95%	1983-1984	16,617	1.58%	2003-2004	21815	8.99%
1944-1945	137	39.80%	1964-1965	6,239	17.27%	1984-1985	15,865	-4.53%	2004-2005	24258	11.19%
1945-1946	185	35.04%	1965-1966	8,187	31.22%	1985-1986	16,064	1.25%	2005-2006	24778	2.14%
1946-1947	452	144.32%	1966-1967	8,699	6.25%	1986-1987	16,213	0.93%	2006-2007	25316	2.17%
*For Fall 2002 college total includes upper division students.

In 2004-2005, beginning-of-term enrollment reported to the Florida Department of Education was 24,258, for 2005-2006 beginning-of-term enrollment was 24778 and for 2006-2007 was 25316.including 23,479 in the lower division credit program, 1,837 in upper division credit programs, and 32,283 in noncredit programs.

The College was first fully accredited in 1931 by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and has continuously provided accessible, learner-centered education for students pursuing Associate of Arts (A.A.), Associate of Science (A.S.), Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degrees, Applied Technology Diplomas, College Credit Certificates, and continuing education within the service area as well as globally in programs areas in which the College has special expertise. In January 2002, SACS approved SPC’s Substantive Change Proposal to offer selected baccalaureate degrees in high-need areas. The College offers a wide variety of credit, noncredit, dual enrollment, continuing education, and workforce training programs available to constituents and businesses within the service area. The tables below shows the College’s headcount for Fall 2002-Fall 2006.

The tables on the following pages show the College’s enrollment by program of study: the first table has the enrollment by program type and the second table shows the enrollment for each individual program.

Excerpt from SPC 2006-2007 Fact Book, Table 8

OPENING FALL COLLEGEWIDE HEADCOUNT ENROLLMENT
BY PROGRAM OF STUDY
CREDIT STUDENTS
Fall 2002 - Fall 2006

	2002*	2003	2004	2005	2006
CLEARWATER
A.A. Degree	4048	4250	4757	4041	3836
	62.4%	61.0%	63.6%	56.2%	54.8%
Vocational Programs	1404	1775	1611	2012	1951
	21.7%	25.5%	21.5%	28.0%	27.8%
Baccalaureate Degree	91	264	374	440	518
	1.4%	3.8%	5.0%	6.1%	7.4%
EPI/Impact				15	22
				0.2%	0.3%
Other Personal Objectives	939	675	734	680	679
	14.5%	9.7%	9.8%	9.5%	9.7%
ST. PETERSBURG/GIBBS
A.A. Degree	5073	5258	6405	5426	5486
	58.8%	56.5%	63.5%	52.1%	51.6%
Vocational Programs	2429	3025	2406	3323	3275
	28.2%	32.5%	23.9%	31.9%	30.8%
Baccalaureate Degree	76	214	365	569	720
	0.9%	2.3%	3.6%	5.5%	6.8%
EPI/Impact				17	23
				0.2%	0.2%
Other Personal Objectives	1048	813	904	1089	1124
	12.1%	8.7%	9.0%	10.4%	10.6%
SEMINOLE
A.A. Degree	968	1133	1684	1658	1817
	63.2%	63.3%	67.6%	58.4%	57.7%
Vocational Programs	342	493	543	879	964
	22.3%	27.6%	21.8%	31.0%	30.6%
Baccalaureate Degree	9	20	50	82	128
				2.9%	4.1%
EPI/Impact				3	0
	0.6%	1.1%	2.0%	0.1%	0.0%
Other Personal Objectives	213	143	214	215	239
	13.9%	8.0%	8.6%	7.6%	7.6%

TARPON SPRINGS
A.A. Degree	2296	2462	2898	2627	2725
	68.0%	65.6%	68.8%	60.7%	60.1%
Vocational Programs	619	843	741	1069	1096
	18.3%	22.5%	17.6%	24.7%	24.2%
Baccalaureate Degree	74	192	277	314	368
				7.3%	8.1%
EPI/Impact				20	26
	2.2%	5.1%	6.6%	0.5%	0.6%
Other Personal Objectives	386	255	295	299	319
	11.4%	6.8%	7.0%	6.9%	7.0%
COLLEGE TOTAL
A.A. Degree	12385	13103	15744	13752	13864
	61.9%	60.1%	64.9%	55.5%	54.8%
Vocational Programs	4794	6136	5301	7283	7286
	24.0%	28.1%	21.9%	29.4%	28.8%
Baccalaureate Degree	250	690	1066	1405	1734
	1.2%	3.2%	4.4%	5.7%	6.8%
EPI/Impact				55	71
				0.5%	0.6%
Other Personal Objectives	2586	1886	2147	2283	2361
	12.9%	8.6%	8.9%	9.2%	9.3%