3.4.9 Academic Support

St. Petersburg College is in compliance with this comprehensive standard because it provides extensive direct academic support in the form of study facilities with tutoring services, programs for students with special needs or students at risk, and student development services to support every student’s academic success.

St. Petersburg College provides a wide range of institution-wide, campus, and special academic support programs, both online and face-to-face, to help students succeed, including learning support centers, international centers, testing centers, and programs targeted at certain populations of students. In addition, SPC has instituted an aggressive student development/academic advising model “Keeping it Real” with timely interventions for struggling students.

Learning Support Centers/Information Commons. In support of the College’s mission to “provide accessible, learner-centered education” and the College’s goal “to enhance student learning,” the College provides facilities for student learning support on six campuses or centers. The learning resource centers, known by different names at various campuses: Learning Support Centers, Information Commons, Learning Commons/Collaborative Commons or New Initiative Program, supplement and enrich the existing programs at the College. The Learning Support Centers accomplish their mission by providing:

§ Alternative learning strategies through audio-visual, tutorial, individualized, self-paced, one-on-one tutorial and computer-assisted work.

Learning support services are provided in numerous subject areas, depending on the needs of a particular campus’ demographics, as determined through student and faculty requests and surveys, and can include face-to-face tutoring in reading, mathematics, English, foreign language, and other subjects; as well as computerized and audio-visual learning resources.

Availability of academic support. Learning Support Centers are located at each campus and selected centers. The following is a summary of the Learning Support Centers on each campus:

Inter-campus coordination ensures that some Learning Support Centers/Information Commons are open on Saturday and some on Sunday.

Face-to-face academic support. All LSCs have an open general area for computer use and tutoring as well as separate study rooms. Some LSCs have separate math classrooms, reading classrooms, and ESL classroom used for tutoring when classes are not in session. The LSCs also provide textbooks, calculators, and interactive math CDs for the tutors and the students to utilize while in the LSC.

A significant amount of face-to-face tutoring is available on each main campus six days of the week throughout the semester. An example from a smaller campus, Tarpon Springs, shows that tutoring is available in math, writing, Spanish, and computers until 8:30 at night Monday through Thursday and during the day on Fridays and Sundays.

Numerous online tutorials are provided on each campus. Seminole, for example, offers a page on their information commons site with the following tutorials:

Ø	APA and MLA	Ø	Scanning Instructions
Ø	Assignment Calculator	Ø	Sound Forge
Ø	Database Tutorials	Ø	Visual Thesaurus
Ø	eCampus & ANGEL	Ø	MyDropBox
Ø	How to Email Attachments	Ø	PDF Files & Adobe Acrobat Reader
Ø	How to Research on the Internet	Ø	MS Excel
Ø	How to Use the College Printers	Ø	MS Power Point
Ø	How to Use the Internet	Ø	MS Word

SPC students also use the computers in the LSC to access the online tutorials from SmartThinking, Academic.com, Interactive Math, and the Adventuras Spanish software. SmartThinking is a hybrid tutoring service that provides online private tutoring sessions as well as study materials and practice assessments.

Other LSC activity. Students come to the LSCs for reasons other than face-to-face tutoring services and computer tutorials. These other reasons include: studying, group work; word processing, printing and copying, checking email, completing online assignments, and researching information on the Internet. Some LSCs also provide a suitable space and proctoring for make-up testing.

Staffing. To fulfill the stated mission, tutoring is provided by full-time LSC instructional staff, federal work study student tutors, departmental student tutors, and qualified community volunteers. Students may work as peer tutors if they are registered for a minimum of 6 credit hours. Faculty recommendations, overall GPA, subject matter proficiency, and effective communication skills are considered when interviewing students for tutoring positions. Volunteer tutors register with the SPC Special Services Department, complete an LSC tutor application, and are interviewed to determine subject area proficiency and effective communication skills. During the interviewing process tutor guidelines are discussed and distributed. LSC staff members attend various training workshops, in-service days, departmental meetings, collaborative sessions, software demonstrations, and other professional presentations.

Collaborative Commons. The Seminole campus has developed an innovative approach to computer labs, providing two types: a learning commons and a collaborative commons. In the learning commons the emphasis is on individual work, while the collaborative commons’ emphasis is on group work.

New Initiative Program Learning Support Center. The New Initiative Program (NIP) is a federally funded program designed to provide academic assistance to special population health and pre-health students. NIP is provided as a service of SPC at the Health Education Center. Depending on need, students may receive assistance in such areas as math, English, science, and college survival skills: test taking strategies, time management, stress reduction, and general study skills. The Learning Support Center, sponsored by NIP, provides a hands-on learning environment for all students. The Health Education Center Library and NIP share space, representing the academic hub of the Health Education Center. Librarians and the NIP staff work closely through a cross referral process to ensure that every opportunity is available to students to achieve academic success. When a librarian perceives a need for academic support, a personal introduction is made by that librarian to the NIP coordinator. In turn, tutors introduce students to individual librarians to ensure that informational needs are meet.

Business Technologies Information Commons. The Business Technologies department computer labs are used for teaching computer courses in computer programming, applications, systems, and networks. These labs are used for classes scheduled in the daytime, evening, and weekends. The number of computers varies from 16 to 32, with most labs having 20 or 24 student computer stations. The hardware and software in each lab is appropriate for the instructional needs of the courses being taught in that lab, with some software common to all labs. During non-class times, the labs are also used by instructors to provide additional instructional assistance to students on a small group or one-to-one basis outside of class. When not in use for student instruction, these labs may be scheduled for college training needs such as Staff and Program Development computer applications training (e.g., Microsoft Office, student information system, strategic planning software) and other special training needs for Faculty and staff.

International Centers. The International Centers at the Clearwater, St. Petersburg/Gibbs and Tarpon Springs Campuses offer Collegewide information, guidance and support to international students during the transition period from their countries to the United States. International Student Officers at each center facilitate the admissions process to the College by assisting students with their compliance with the Bureau of Citizenship & Immigration Services (BCIS) rules and regulations and health insurance requirements. First-time students receive orientation to the College and life in the United States. All international students are encouraged to join the International Club on their home campus. Currently enrolled international students receive follow-up orientation and guidance from the International Student Officers ensuring that the students stay in status. All international students receive information about the English as a Second Language program as well as certificate and degree programs offered by the College. The International Centers also assist the College and community in understanding the international population and the economic and cultural benefits derived from a diversified population. The International Center Staff maintains The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) reporting system for students on F-1 visas to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of The Department of Homeland Security.

Testing Centers. A Testing Center is located on each full-service campus. Testing services are also available to students enrolled via distance learning. A variety of testing services are geared to meeting the needs of the broad range of students who enter the college for the first time. After application to the College, first-time-in-college degree seeking students are advised to contact a Testing Center to take the required College Placement Test. However, students with SAT or ACT scores that are less than two years old may use their test scores for placement purposes. Incoming transfer students to the College’s degree programs are required to complete the placement test or provide proof of completed coursework in English, reading and mathematics.

Testing Centers provide a variety of testing services for St. Petersburg College students. College placement testing, College Level Examination Program (CLEP), and computer literacy testing are a few of the services provided. Centers also coordinate academic testing provisions in support of Dual Enrollment, Early Admissions, and Credit Banking for High School Students.

In 2005, the target pass criteria (cut score) was increased from 60% to 70% for the Florida College Prep Exit Skills Test in reading, writing, and mathematics. Results are as follows:

In 2002, computer based testing was implemented assessing the Level of English Proficiency (LOEP) for non-native students whose first language is not English. Initial evaluation revealed a concern regarding the omission of a listening component within the assessment. Additionally, a 30% variance was discovered to exist between the electronically scored essays (ESL WritePlacer) versus essays scored by the English as a Second Language (ESL) Faculty. To address these issues, a listening component was added to the LOEP assessment in 2002 and electronic scoring of the essays via WritePlacer was eliminated in 2004.

In addition to the broad range of traditional student support services, the College provides numerous specialized services.

Office of Services for Students with Disabilities (OSSD). Within the Student Development area is the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities. The mission of OSSD, with offices at five sites, is to ensure accessibility through the provision of comprehensive quality support service, in-service training and innovation in adaptive technologies for students who have qualifying documented disabilities that affect academic performance. Reasonable accommodations are provided for students with a qualifying documented disability, both in the classroom and during college-sponsored campus activities and programs. The 2004 graduation rate for enrolled and documented students with disabilities is 15.77% Collegewide, which compares favorably to the college average of 11.9% of total enrollment who graduated that same year.

In 2005-2006, 669 students with disabilities received services from the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities (OSSD). Services include, on a case-by-case basis:

§ Professional tutoring in selected general education and health education courses. 292 students received tutoring services.

§ Adaptive electronic equipment and software. The increased use of Assistive Technology has been a primary factor in student success. SPC offers six options of adaptive software programs for students as well as 11 scanning systems located throughout the college. Training in use is available from the OSSD offices as are individual modifications.

§ Certified/qualified sign language interpreters and C-Printers. The College provided 7,533 hours of interpreting and/or C-printing for the deaf and hard of hearing.

Increased Faculty awareness has been key to student success. The Disability Services program was further enhanced when the College was awarded a Demonstration Grant from the Department of Education to ensure students with disabilities receive a quality higher education through Faculty development. Eleven Faculty members were selected as Champions for disabilities. These Champions received specialized training in the legal aspects of serving students with disabilities; an understanding of hidden disabilities; and in effective strategies and techniques to communicate with their colleagues. A disability awareness project Web site was created with a link to information and workshops developed by disability professionals. These Champions have been encouraging their colleagues to bring their concerns to them and to take advantage of the information available on the Web site. The Faculty Champions continue to serve as a link between Faculty and OSSD.

Specialized OSSD New Student Orientations are also offered for first semester students prior to the start of each fall session. Incoming students will receive individual information about any such meeting.

English as a Second Language (ESL) program. The English as a Second Language (ESL) program offers a series of English courses to meet the needs of non-native English speakers. The ESL program is designed for those students who are interested in learning to read, write, speak, listen and understand the English language in order to work toward the Associate in Arts, Associate in Science or the Associate in Applied Science degree or College Credit Certificate programs to progress toward a higher degree or enter the workforce. Entering students are tested with a placement test for ESL and placed in the appropriate level of study indicated by their scores.

Women-on-the-Way (WOW). The Women-on-the-Way Challenge Center has been meeting the educational and emotional needs of women entering or re-entering college after a period of absence from an educational setting by serving as a support center for over 25 years. Although the Center is open to all men and women needing its services, typically 75% of the 250 current WOW students are single mothers. Services available include a clearinghouse for campus and community resources concerning career planning, financial assistance, scholarships, housing, child-care information, individual and group support and WOW mentoring program. Fifty-five percent of WOW students complete Associate in Science degrees, 45% complete Associate in Arts degrees, and many go on to complete Bachelors and graduate degrees at senior universities. Because of the success of the Women-on-the-Way program, SPC recently began a similar program for men.

Brother-to-Brother (B2B). In 1998, St. Petersburg College formed the Brother-to-Brother program with a three-fold purpose: to recruit male African American students, to identify issues that cause them to be at risk for dropping out, and to use retention strategies to help them stay in college to graduate. B2B provides a variety of academic and student support, along with personal enrichment activities that will advance intellectual and personal growth of African American males. The average retention rate for the program has been 87% for the first five years, and 100% this last year (51 of 51). Over the last six years, 44 students have graduated.

Student Support Services (SSS). The Student Support Services program is a federally funded program designed to give eligible students additional support during their college experience through academic advising; mentoring, study skills development, tutoring; cultural awareness and exposure, textbook lending, academic and career advisement, and assistance in accessing community and campus resources.

During the 2004-2005 academic year, special on-campus recruitment and support programs promoting access and retention of under-represented and under-prepared student populations included the implementation of the e-progress report to assess student academic performance at the midterm point of the semester to allow for early interventions. Three thousand eighty-two (3,082) e-progress reports were launched in order to improve speed, accuracy, and relevance from the delay previously experienced with the paper report methodology. The 64% rate of return of these e-progress reports exceeded the 50% goal. Moreover, 68% of the returned reports were reviewed with participants.

College Reach-Out Program (CROP). CROP was established in 1983 and funded through the Florida Department of Education. This program targets financially and academically eligible students in grades 6-12. CROP is designed to motivate students to pursue a post-secondary education, develop basic learning skills, strengthen parent and student understanding of the benefits of post secondary education, and foster personal and career development through supplemental instruction. During the academic school year services include after-school tutoring in all subject areas, mentoring, free SAT Workshops, student workshops (i.e. college admissions process, financial aid/scholarships, resume writing, public speaking, leadership development), college tours, and cultural activities/events. The summer component consists of a one week Consortium Summer Residential Program at the University of South Florida or surrounding universities and a local six-week Summer Enrichment Program which provides supplemental instruction and enrichment engagement in politics and government, foreign language, and community service.

Summer of Success (SOS). Located on the Clearwater and St. Petersburg/Gibbs campus, SOS is a scholarship program designed to encourage recent high school graduates to pursue a college degree. Participating students get an introduction to the college experience and a better understanding of the effort and strategies necessary to make a successful transition from high school to college. Students in the program take three courses that are six-weeks long, along with seminars on math and reading/writing readiness. By the end of this program, students will have earned three college credits - for free. SOS also includes:

Center of Excellence (COE). The Center of Excellence (COE) uses group achievement strategies to increase the pool of African-American and other historically underrepresented students who are prepared, motivated and qualified to enter higher education. The Center of Excellence includes three components: National Achievers Society — identifies and acknowledges high-achieving African-American as well as other underrepresented students. A student eligible for membership in this society can be in middle or high school and must make at least two A's and no C's unless the C is earned in an advanced or honors course; Black History and Culture Brain Bowl — educates African-American youth about the role and contributions of African-American and other minorities in the United States through participation in local, regional and state academic competitions; and Academic Enrichment Centers — provide after-school tutoring sites around the community to supplement student learning experiences. Services offered through COE include:

· Workshops and seminars on test taking and study skill strategies, time management, conflict resolution and personal development.

Title III. Title III is a federally funded program designed to improve retention of “at risk” students and supports improvements in educational quality, student retention, and student success. St. Petersburg College supports three strategic initiatives for Title III:

· To enhance our educational programs and improve learning outcomes using a variety of learner-centered approaches.

· To provide excellent service to students to enhance learning experiences and increase student achievement.

· To provide Faculty and staff with ongoing development to improve productivity and performance.

Title III accountability goals are that 20% more students will successfully complete their preparatory courses; 15% more developmental students will pass exit exams; and 10% more students will move successfully through the first semester of collegiate-level coursework. To accomplish these goals, the Title III has planned and implemented a wide array of initiatives:

· Sponsored more than 40 professional development seminars to help Faculty, administration, and students improve organizational learning to improve learning outcomes.

· Implemented Who's Next?, a computer system that helps college support services gather data on services provided to students, allowing for "real-time" reporting to assist with students learning outcomes.

· Implemented the Personal Empowerment through Type (P.E.T) Learning Styles Assessment, a Web-based teaching and learning style assessment and profile management tool designed to assist students and Faculty with teaching and learning.

· Offering SMARTHINKING, a 24/7 online learning assistance tutoring program that provides live, online tutoring in many disciplines including math, writing, and science.

· Participating in the Foundations of Excellence: Policy Center on the First Year of College Project.

· Implemented Early Alert, a program which enables Faculty and counselors to monitor the progress of At Risk students.

In 2005, Title III developed and implemented a Smart Start program to help prepare students for entrance examinations so that they can begin with college level courses instead of remedial, noncredit courses. Although the pilot program only included 18 students, the results demonstrated significant improvement in test scores as follows:

Fifty percent of students who participated in this program tested out of one level of remediation.

In 2006, Seminole Campus hosted a celebration to mark the successful conclusion of the first SPC LinC (Learning in Community) developed by SPC Faculty. Learning in Community is a 12-credit Title III program supporting first-time-in-college students testing into preparatory reading, writing, and mathematics. In this intense semester-long program, LinC students are committed to many extra hours in the classroom, mandatory weekly and advising sessions, as well as documented study time to master concepts required for college level work.

In addition, SPC recently embarked on a First Year Experience project, under the guidance of The National Resource Center for the First Year Experience and Students in Transition in Brevard, North Carolina. The Title III program has addressed the First Year Experience with a number of initiatives.

· Bringing nationally-recognized scholar John Gardner to St. Petersburg College to give workshops on the First year Experience

· Offering in-class technology training for accessing ANGEL (SPC's learning management system)

· Promoted the exploration and application of individual learning styles through the use of PET (Personal Empowerment through Type)

· Supported development of a Collegewide committee charged with institutionalizing services for first-year students.

Connections. Connections is a federally funded Health Education Center support service designed to provide students the necessary skills and tools to address the academic, social, and personal challenges that may hinder student success. The program provides services such as case management, textbook and laptop lending, referrals for tutoring and counseling/advising, services for students with disabilities, and success skills resources.

Honors College. The Honor’s College is designed to attract highly motivated and talented students who are challenged by an intellectually stimulating academic program of study and have demonstrated the ability to achieve academic excellence. Each term the Honor’s College offers courses that are populated by exceptional students taught by Faculty members dedicated to actively involving students in enriched learning experiences.

The increase of students enrolled in Honors courses in fall 2005/2006 (355) versus the number of students enrolled in fall 2004/2005 (340) was 48%; from 198 students in fall 2004/2005 to 293 students in fall 2005/2006. The increase of students enrolled in Honors courses in (360) versus the number enrolled in spring (345) was 32%; from 184 students enrolled in spring 2004/2005 to 243 students enrolled in spring 2005/2006. There was an increase of 20% in the number of high school graduates (entering freshman) who are academically strong attending SPC through the Honors College.

Counseling and Advising. At St. Petersburg College, academic advising is an intentional, educational partnership designed to engage students and the learning community. Grounded in teaching and learning, this partnership provides accessible, comprehensive advising to all students, fosters a collaborative and active learning environment that promotes career development and personal responsibility and leads to academic success and life-long learning. In 2005, the counseling and advising staff at St. Petersburg College created an academic advising model that established goals specifically connected with student learning.

ST. PETERSBURG COLLEGE STUDENT DEVELOPMENT

ACADEMIC ADVISING MODEL

GOAL #1: Strengthen student success by promoting

Responsible Engagement for Active Learning (REAL).

GOAL #2: Enhance collaboration between academic advising and the learning community (i.e. SPC program directors and Faculty, post secondary counselors and the community at large).

GOAL #3: Promote the professional growth and development of advising practitioners.

College policy requires incoming students to meet with a counselor or academic advisor prior to registering for classes. The range of assistance includes help in choosing a college or major, evaluating high school academic experience, academic advising and degree audits, reviewing college transcripts, academic portfolio development and career guidance. The Florida Academic Counseling and Tracking for Students (FACTS) Web site also serves as a central Web resource to students as well as counselors in planning and managing students’ higher education experience. The FACTS service is an important resource throughout the academic advising process.

Academic advising is conducted after placement testing has occurred to assist students in suitable course placement and to assist them in building a first-term class schedule that enhances the probabilities of their success and subsequent enrollment at the College. This initial counseling also sets the stage for discussions concerning longer-term academic planning for the student based on their career interests. Students planning to transfer to a university are advised based on the specific requirements of their intended major, as listed in the State of Florida Common Prerequisite Counseling Manual which ensures consistency of requirements and advising across schools within the Florida higher education system. Academic planning worksheets provide the recommended sequence of courses for specific majors in an attempt to minimize excess hours earned to complete an Associate in Arts degree. Students seeking Associate in Science credentials also receive early and follow up advising pertaining to their specific program of interest. New initiatives to improve student satisfaction with academic advising included the development of an “Advising on the Quad” program positioning advisors on various sites on campus during non-peak time to assist students with advising and long term career counseling in order to reduce the wait time during registration periods. Advising Staff have regularly scheduled staff meetings/training to improve consistency of academic information, a heightened customer service focus on campus. Advising Staff conduct classroom presentations and departmental workshops to provide advising information and Student Success Skills Training. Additionally, the new “MySPC” portal was developed and implemented to improve the online registration process. Lastly, a student development academic advising model initiative is underway to enhance student learning via partnering with Faculty, staff, and the community at large. This model promotes improved communication and a collaborative style connecting with students to develop individualized success plans outlining strategies for academic and personal success.

For distance learners, technical assistance, counseling and advising, career and academic planning, transfer assistance, registration, fee payment, financial aid, testing and new student orientation are provided to students via online, email and telephone contact. SPC’s Cyber Advisors specialize in assisting both current and prospective eCampus students with course selection, academic program planning, pre- and co-requisites, and other issues.

Career Development Center (CDC). A CDC is located on each of the four main campuses. At each CDC, services and information are provided to assist college students, alumni and the community at all phases of their career planning process and to employers for recruitment through access to college students and graduates. Additionally, electronic career assessments help students identify interests, values, personalities, abilities, and life style to assist with career choices. Average attendance over the last 4 years is 8,092 students per year Collegewide. Workshops are presented on a regular basis in the areas of networking, interviewing, and resumes. SPC also offers extensive services online.

Information on Academic Student Support is published in the College Catalog and also described in detail on the College Web site. Each campus has links to both institution-wide services, such as Title III, and to specialized services, such as the NIP for the Health Center.

Distance learning students may access a wide array of student academic support services through the eCampus portal:

Tracking student use of Learning Support Centers, campus advising, and career development services. In its efforts towards continuous improvement, St. Petersburg College recently procured and implemented a software program, Who’s Next, for tracking counseling, tutoring, career advising, and other student academic support services. Who’s next allows SPC to monitor student academic support at the student level, campus, and institution-wide and includes the capability to monitor waiting times, peak periods, and requests for various services.

For example, when students enter the LSC, they log in at a computer kiosk on Who’s Next, which gathers information on the number of visits to the LSC, the services being used, and the length of a visit. When students are exiting the LSC, a staff member logs them out.

Evaluating quality and effectiveness. The College ensures the quality and effectiveness of services that support both its mission and student development program through Collegewide Unit Plans. During the year, Unit Plans are evaluated and updated and submitted to the Provost of the campus. Report of Outcomes is developed and inferences are drawn concerning completion, continuance, or modification of objectives for the upcoming year. Surveys of Entering Students, Enrolled Students, Graduating Students, Alumni, as well as campus critiques and departmental surveys are instruments used to identify performance gaps. Additionally, analyses of institutional effectiveness indicators identify opportunities for continuous improvement of several categories impacted by student developmental services. For example, questions on the Enrolled Student Survey address all student support services.

Institutional and individual department survey results are examined by the Administrative, Educational Support, and Student Support Oversight Groups at the start of each year’s Strategic Planning cycle. For example, in addition to the Enrolled Student Survey, the Student Support Oversight Group uses an OSSD Satisfaction Survey to provide more specific data on areas to improve. Previous survey results showed an overall satisfaction rate from five campuses was a 4.02. For 2004-2005, an objective was determined to improve students’ Satisfaction Rating” on services from 4.02 to 4.2. Student Satisfaction Surveys were mailed to students with Early Registration letters and located in the OSSD offices on campuses for students to complete when they come to the office for service. Overall satisfaction increased to 4.29. For 2005-2006, OSSD’s objectives were to maintain an overall satisfaction rate on its survey at a minimum score of 4.29 and to improve each area of evaluation by .2 points. To do this, the department developed an action plan to improve lowest scores at the institution and campus levels and measure those results in the 2006-2007 survey.

Ongoing evaluation and improvement. In addition to formal evaluation processes, all issues arising in Student Development Services are reviewed quarterly by the Educational and Student Services Council, chaired by the Vice President of Educational and Student Services, and the Provost Council, chaired by the Senior Vice President of Educational and Student Services, allowing for immediate resolution of student support issues.