Privacy Policy

Your privacy is important to SPC
Thank you for visiting the St. Petersburg College website. Your privacy is very important to us. Simply stated, our policy is to collect no personal information about you when you visit our website unless you affirmatively choose to make such information available to us. We will always endeavor to protect the information that you choose to provide to us. There are several types of information that may be collected during your visit to our website, including but not limited to, website analytics and remarketing to improve service, data collection to facilitate your session and identify you to the site, and information you choose to share with SPC by sending a message or filling out an electronic form with personal information.

Website tracking
This site uses  Google Analytics*, a web analytics tool that helps us analyze how visitors use the St. Petersburg College website. When you visit our website, a cookie is generated that recognizes the date, time, wefbsite pages accessed, and the Internet domain and IP address from which you accessed our website. We do this so that we can improve the content of our website. This information does not result in the identification of your personal e-mail address or other personal information.

Remarketing
SPC uses remarketing, a method of showing text, video or display advertising to people who have previously visited our website. These ads are managed by third-party vendors, like Google, to show you ads on sites across the Internet. Third-party vendors use cookies to serve ads based on your past visits to our website.

Opting out
Information about how your visitors can opt out of Google's use of cookies by visiting  Google's Ads Settings. Alternatively, you can point your visitors to opt out of a third-party vendor's use of cookies by visiting the  Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page.

Information you share with SPC
If you choose to share any personally identifiable information (personal data) with us--by sending us a message or filling out an electronic form with personal information -- we will use the information only for the purposes you authorized. Some of the information may be saved for a designated period of time to comply with Florida's archiving policies, but we will not disclose the information to third parties or other government agencies, unless required to do so by state or federal law. If you have provided consent, you have the right to withdraw such consent at any time.

Further, you may have the right to request a copy of personal data retained in accordance with applicable law, including, but not limited to, the provisions of the EU (European Union) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Questions?
If you have other questions about our privacy policies, or have ideas about improving our policies, please feel free to contact us at 727-341-4772.

*Google Privacy Policy

SPC's Social Media Policy & Guidelines

Social Security Number Usage

In compliance with Florida Statute 119.071(5), this document serves to notify you of the purpose for the collection, release and usage of your Social Security Number (SSN).

Pursuant to Florida Statute, 119.971(5)(a)2.a., St. Petersburg College collects and uses your SSN only for the following purposes in performance of the college's duties and responsibilities, including compliance with federal and state statutes related to employment, financial and academic assistance, inter-institutional articulation or transfer, and for actions imperative to the performance of St. Petersburg College's duties and responsibilities as prescribed by law.

To protect your identity, St. Petersburg College will secure your SSN from unauthorized access; strictly prohibit the release of your SSN to unauthorized parties contrary to state and federal law; and assign you a unique student/employee identification number. This ID number is used for associated employment and educational purposes at St. Petersburg College, except as set out below.

Human Resources/Employees
Your SSN is used for completing and processing the following:

  • Federal I-9 (Department of Homeland Security)
  • E-Verify (federal contracts)
  • Federal W4, W2, 1099 (Internal Revenue Service)
  • Federal Social Security taxes (FICA)
  • Distributing Federal W2 (Internal Revenue Service)
  • Unemployment Reports (Fla. Dept. of Revenue)
  • Florida Retirement Contribution reports (Fla. Dept. of Revenue)
  • Workers Comp Claims (FCCRMC and Dept. of Labor)
  • 403b contribution reports
  • Group health, life and dental coverage enrollment
  • Designation of assignment and beneficiary forms
  • Student employment work assignments
  • Background checks
  • Direct deposit files
  • Adjunct position forms

Providing your Social Security card is a condition of employment at St. Petersburg College.

Students
A student Social Security Number may be used for the following:

Admissions
Federal legislation relating to the Hope Tax Credit and other tax benefits for education require that all postsecondary institutions report student SSNs to the Internal Revenue Service. This IRS requirement makes it necessary for community colleges to collect the SSN of every student. A student may refuse to disclose his or her SSN to the College for this purpose, but the IRS is then authorized to fine the student $50 pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code, Section 25A. To avoid potential fines, please  complete this form, W-9S, and return it to your home campus business office or fax it to 727-341-3038. In addition to the federal reporting requirements, the public school system in Florida uses SSN's as a student identifier (1008.386, F.S.). In a seamless K-20 system, it is beneficial for postsecondary institutions to have access to the same information for purposes of tracking and assisting students in the smooth transition from one education level to the next. While the collection and use of Social Security Numbers may be authorized, a student is not required to provide his or her Social Security Number as a condition of enrollment or graduation.

Non-credit programs may use your Social Security Number for the purpose of reporting to the state to facilitate the process of certification and license renewal, and for reporting non-credit course and in-service training information as required by state law.

Financial Aid
A student's SSN is required for the following financial aid purposes: The U.S. Department of Education's Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) requires applicants to report their SSN for all federal financial aid programs as a student identifier for processing and reporting [34 CFR 668.16]. In addition to its use by USDOE as a student identifier, the SSN is required for the Department of Homeland Security to investigate citizenship status [34 CFR 668.32, 33], for the federal Work Study Program [34 CFR 668.36], and for all loan applications for use by the lender/servicer/guarantor.

St. Petersburg College collects a student's SSN on certain institutional scholarship applications for student files and federal and state audit/reporting purposes.

If you are a recipient of a State of Florida grant or scholarship such as the Florida Student Assistance Grant [1009.40 FS], Florida Work Experience [1009.77 FS] or Bright Futures[1009.53 FS], the Florida Department of Education will require the SSN on its grant/scholarship disbursement website and for reporting purposes.

Outreach Programs
The College Reach-Out Programs are youth outreach (intervention) projects funded by discretionary grants from the U.S. or Florida Departments of Education. To verify a participant's project eligibility, Social Security Numbers are required when submitting information for the Annual Performance Reports due to the U.S. or Florida Departments of Education.

Workforce Programs
These programs, funded through the Agency for Workforce Innovation (AWI) use your SSN as an identifier for program enrollment and completion. Also, it is used for entering placement information into either the OSMIS or the Employ Florida Marketplace statewide data collection and reporting system. Because these are performance-based contract programs, AWI requires all participants and their program-related activities be recorded in the Florida state system.

Waiver of Tuition for State Employees
The State of Florida Department of Financial Services requires the listing of social security number in order to verify eligibility for tuition waiver. [110.1099 FS]

Contractors
The College collects contractor SSN information in order to file the required information returns with the IRS, as required by federal law. [Internal Revenue Code 1609]

Review complete statutory requirements for:

Campus Safety and Security Reports

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act is the landmark federal law, originally known as the Campus Security Act, that requires colleges and universities across the United States to disclose information about crime on and around their campuses. The definitions used for purposes of these reports are particular to the act and may not be entirely consistent with those definitions used by other entities that collect crime information.

The act requires universities to report statistics for the three most recent years. The statistics were gathered from police reports, college security reports and from reports made to Campus Security authorities. The college's Campus Security authorities for purposes of this report include: college security, provosts, associate provosts and their professional staffs, Disability Resources counselors, academic advisers in all divisions, student organization advisers, athletic coaches, sports club advisers and visitor control attendants. A formal police report or investigation is not needed in order for a crime report to be included in the statistics. The act also requires reporting of not only arrests for liquor law, drug law, and illegal weapons violations, but also referrals for college disciplinary actions of both students and employees based on these violations. A recent clarification in the act requires reporting of not only disciplinary referrals for students but referrals of employees. Therefore, the statistics as of 2002 reflect referrals of students and employees.

Campus Crime Reports

The Clery Act, a federal law, requires colleges and universities that receive federal money to report statistics regarding criminal activity on campus and in the neighboring area for the three most recent years, as well as safety information, to the campus community.

Annual Security Reports

COVID-19 Reporting

Custodian of Public Records

Request for Transcripts
Current or former SPC students may request official St. Petersburg College transcripts online or by mail. For information about how to request official St. Petersburg College transcripts, please visit: https://www.spcollege.edu/friends-partners/community-resources/request-spc-transcripts or email spctranscripts@spcollege.edu.

Request for Public Records
Public records requests may be made in person, in writing, or by phone. To request records you may contact a representative of the General Counsel's Office, St. Petersburg College:

  • Phone: 727-341-4550, Mia Conza, General Counsel
  • Email: conza.mia@spcollege.edu
  • Mail: General Counsel's Office, St. Petersburg College, PO Box 13489, St. Petersburg, Florida, 33733-3489, or in person at the General Counsel’s Office, Suite 430, SPC Downtown Center, 244 Second Ave. N., St. Petersburg, FL 33701

Requests made by the media may be made by contacting the Public Information Officer (PIO) for St. Petersburg College, Lise Fisher, (Interim Associate Vice President, Marketing & Strategic Communications) as follows:

For purposes of compliance with the requirements of Section 119.12, F.S., the Office of the General Counsel shall serve as the general Custodian of Public Records, specifically for the purpose of receiving written notice regarding the filing of a civil action to enforce the provisions of Florida's public records laws.

At least five (5) business days before filing a civil action, the requestor must provide written notice identifying the public records request(s) at issue to:
St. Petersburg College, Office of the General Counsel
PO Box 13489, St. Petersburg, Florida 33733
Attn: Public Records Custodian

Questions may also be directed to the Office of General Counsel, at 727-341-3325.

Public Records
Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes is known as the Florida Public Records Act. Any person may request access to public records of St. Petersburg College for any reason. The process of requesting, identifying and producing such records are subject to the provisions of Florida law and the policies adopted by the Board of Trustees, St. Petersburg College.
Florida law defines "public records" as: all documents, papers, letters, maps, books, tapes, photographs, films, sound recordings, data processing software or other material, regardless of physical form, or characteristics, or means of transmission, made or received pursuant to law or ordinance or in connection with the transaction of official business by any agency. State and federal laws exempt certain types of public records, or portions thereof, from disclosure under the public records law.
Exemptions that frequently apply to St. Petersburg College records include but are not limited to:

  • Education records under FERPA
  • Social Security Numbers
  • Disciplinary records in certain cases
  • Personal information regarding certain public officers or their families
  • Academic evaluations of employees performance
  • Records of the College's direct-support organizations (DSO)

Documents that are public records but contain exempt information will be produced after removing the exempt information, unless the exempt information in the document is so extensive that removal is not feasible. The determination of which documents or information is exempt from the public records law will be made by the Office of the General Counsel.
What constitutes a reasonable period of time depends upon the circumstances surrounding the request, including the nature of the request, the size of the request, the likely quantity of records to be produced, whether extensive use of information technology resources or clerical services are required, and the timing of the request and the College calendar.
If copies are made for the requestor there is a charge of:

  • $0.15 per page
  • $0.20 per double-sided copies

In addition to the duplications cost above, if retrieving or copying the public records requires extensive use of information technology resources or clerical and/or supervisory assistance, the College will assess a reasonable service charge based on the college's actual incurred costs. Reimbursement for these charges may be made to the department or unit that incurred the charge. An estimate of the charges will be given to the requestor prior to responding to the request. All charges will be collected before producing the requested documents. The College follows the 'Extensive Request' definition outlined in Section 119.07(4) (d), Florida Statute.

REPORTING ABUSE OF A MINOR ON COLLEGE PROPERTY OR DURING ANY COLLEGE SPONSORED ACTIVITY OR EVENT

Under Florida Law, all persons have a legal obligation to report suspected instances of child abuse, neglect or abandonment, regardless of whether an alleged perpetrator is the child's parent, legal custodian, caregiver or other person responsible for the child's welfare. In addition, there is a special obligation to report instances of known or suspected abuse, neglect and abandonment of a minor child on campus property or during a college sponsored activity, event or function.  Immediately report any known or suspected instances to Campus Security and the Provost on your campus.  For more information on special obligations of employees and administrators, sanctions, and for definitions of abuse and neglect, please see Reporting Abuse of a Minor.

Reporting Fraud and Improper Activities

All members of the College's faculty and staff have a responsibility to report known or suspected instances of fraud or other financial irregularities, ethical violations and improper activities. Improper activities may include mismanagement, malfeasance, and misuse or neglect of public funds and resources. If you believe a possible fraud or other violation has occurred, report it to your supervisor or the institutional Compliance Officer in accordance with college policy. If, based on an administrative review, reasonable evidence of abuse or fraud exists, an investigation, or audit as may be appropriate, will ensue and all appropriate measures, including any necessary legal action, will be taken. You may report anonymously.

Compliance Phone Number: 727-341-4567
Compliance Email:  compliance@spcollege.edu  

RESIDENTS OUTSIDE OF FLORIDA AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE

St. Petersburg College is approved to offer online and in-person academic programs outside of the state of Florida through its participation in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC-SARA). NC-SARA is a voluntary, regional approach to state oversight of postsecondary distance education. Institutions that are a member of NC-SARA are authorized to provide online education to students from all SARA states.

St. Petersburg College offers various programs designed to prepare students to sit for licensure in Florida. Licensure in other states may vary. For more information on licensure in your state, please contact the academic program of interest. You will then be provided with information specific to the program and your state of residency. SPC is unable to determine whether programs meet all requirements in any other states besides Florida.

For prospective students outside of Florida: if SPC has made a determination that a program's curriculum does not meet the state educational requirements for licensure or certification in the state in which a prospective student is located, or if SPC has not made a determination regarding whether a program's curriculum meets the State educational requirements for licensure or certification, SPC will provide notice to that effect to the student prior to the student's enrollment in the program.

For currently enrolled students outside of Florida: if SPC makes a determination that a program's curriculum does not meet the state educational requirements for licensure or certification in a state in which a student who is currently enrolled in such program is located, SPC provides notice to that effect to the student within 14 calendar days of making such determination.

Standards of Conduct for Employees and Trustees

The College's policy regarding standards of conduct for officers, trustees and employees is found in the Board of Trustees' Rules and College Procedures on Standards of Conduct, Reporting Known or Suspected Improper or Fraudulent Financial Activities & Whistleblower Protections,  P6Hx23-2.031: http://web.spcollege.edu/botrules/P2/P2_031.doc and reflects the standards for public officers and employees as delineated in the Florida Statutes, §112.313:  http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String =&URL=0100-0199/0112/Sections/0112.313.html

Specific situations covered in this policy and College Procedure include:

  • Solicitation and Acceptance of Gifts or Travel
  • Doing Business with One's Agency and Conflicts of Interest
  • Receiving Unauthorized Compensation
  • Misuse of Public Position and Fraud
  • Conflicting Employment or Contractual Relationship
  • Disclosure or Use of Certain Information or Records
  • Voting Conflicts
  • Impropriety Related to the Filing of Statement of Financial Interest

Copyright Regulations

St. Petersburg College supports and encourages its employees and students to develop scholarly and creative works and educational materials and products (intellectual property) which may be subject to copyright, trademark, or patent regulations and which may generate royalty income. Also, ownership in a work prohibits another's copying of the work or distributing copies of the work unless one or more of the following apply:

  • the work was never copyrighted
  • the copyright in the work has expired
  • the work lies in the public domain
  • the copying and/or distribution falls within “fair use” privileged under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976
  • the copying and/or distribution falls under certain library or archival copying privileged under Section 108 of the Copyright Act of 1976
  • the copyright owner has given appropriate permission

The College’s rules and procedures are designed to balance, protect, and define the respective rights of St. Petersburg College, its employees and students regarding intellectual property and copyright laws.

Refer to Board of Trustees’ Rules and Procedures 6Hx23-1.35, P6Hx23-1.35, P6Hx23-1.351 for copyright policies and a description of published and unpublished materials that may be subject to copyright regulations.

Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention

The possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages and the use, possession, sale, barter, exchange, gift, distribution, or other transaction of any drugs which would be in violation of state or federal law are prohibited at or on any campus or center of the College, or at any College-sponsored or College-affiliated activity or event. Violation of any of these regulations may result in disciplinary action.

For students, the College reserves the right to impose discipline based on any student conduct, regardless of location, that may adversely affect the College or College community. Further, disciplinary action may be imposed in special circumstances where prescribed by law. See the Student Code of Conduct and the Student Code of Conduct Disciplinary Procedure.

As a drug-free workplace, the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession, or use of a controlled substance by College employees is prohibited. Any employee who violates this Rule may be disciplined and such discipline may include dismissal from employment. The College may also require an employee who violates this rule to take part in a drug rehabilitation program. See the drug-free workplace procedure “P6Hx23-2.02, Drug-Free Campus and Workplace – Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Program

Drug and alcohol abuse prevention information, and drug and alcohol abuse intervention and rehabilitation services information is available for students, staff and faculty on the College’s website at Community Resources in the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Addiction and Recovery accordion.

SPC promotes the prevention of drug and alcohol abuse to our students and staff through the following events and activities:

  • 2023
    • Recovery Awareness Expo and Job Fair: Community Partners worked with the Human Services Department to host an event with many different vendors sharing job opportunities for those in recovery and community resources.
    • Spill the Tea with SPC: Students are encouraged to join this safe space to share anything going on in their lives with peers who create a welcoming environment for sharing.
    • Suicide Awareness/Prevention Events: Multiple campuses held events in September for Suicide Awareness/Prevention Month with community partners who shared different community resources.
    • Self-Care Tools and Resources for School and Work: A special guest from Windmoor Healthcare provided specific strategies and self-care tools including a guided meditation.
    • Art Therapy Workshop: A registered Art Therapist provided a workshop for students to try out Art Therapy.
    • Yoga and Breathwork Workshop: A yoga instructor guided students through a yoga practice to reduce stress.
    • NAMI In Our Own Voice: National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) provided a presentation facilitated by peers with lived experience who shared their recovery journey.
  • 2022
    • Impaired Driving Awareness: Participants learned about the dangers of impaired driving. In addition to an impaired driving simulator, there was a crashed car to illustrate the consequences of such driving.
    • Dealing with Stress: A special guest from Windmoor Healthcare explained how to cope with burnout, high-stress situations, and feeling overwhelmed.
    • Suicide Awareness/Prevention Events: Multiple campuses held events in September for Suicide Awareness/Prevention Month with community partners who shared different community resources.
    • Celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month: Managing Stress During Finals and The Truth about Trauma
  • 2021
    Red Ribbon Week – partnered with the Suncoast Safety Council to have a crashed car on campus, distributed brochures about the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse. See all brochures available from Drug Free World.
  • 2019
    Red Ribbon Week – partnered with the Suncoast Safety Council to have a crashed car on campus
  • 2017
    Institute for Strategic Policy Solutions at St. Petersburg College Public Forum – The Drug Epidemic: How Opioids Became a Death Machine

Site Disclaimer

These pages are for information only and do not constitute a contract between the applicant/student and the college. The college reserves the right to change, modify or alter without notice all fees, charges, tuition, expenses and costs of any kind and further reserves the right to add or delete without notice any course offering or information on these pages. The college further reserves the right to change any provision or requirement when such action becomes necessary.

About SPC

Related Links