St. Petersburg College’s College of Business recently announced a new batch of face-to-face course offerings that will begin during the Spring Term. SPC will add around 67 new on-campus business classes, which will be held at various college sites.
A need for variety
Emmanuel Hernandez-Agosto, Dean of SPC’s College of Business, said that though online courses are often a preference among students due to their convenience, the need for different modalities in course offerings is still there.
“Expanding our on-campus offerings provides an opportunity for audiences we haven’t intentionally targeted before,” Hernandez-Agosto said. “These are international students, students receiving VA assistance, and students aged 21–28.”
International students and student veterans are often required to take on-campus courses because of visa or financial aid requirements, and surveyed students who are in their 20s indicated an interest in simulating a traditional environment, especially after a previous couple of years of virtual education. But any student can benefit from the added in-person classes.
“Some students find that they get a better experience and content understanding in an in-person setting,” he said.
Mixing it up
Hernandez-Agosto said that when the sections are available, the College of Business will offer networking events for students.
“We want to plan some social mixers,” he said. “We’re starting a new Young Professionals Group sponsored by the Treasure Island & Madeira Beach Chamber of Commerce, as well as some new student organizations and other initiatives that will add value to our students.”
Hernandez-Agosto wants to connect students not only with each other but also with potential employers.
“We want to create gig-economy accelerator programming, where we use digital platforms to connect our students with customers who want them to provide short-term services,” he said. “That will allow our students to expand their gigs into new sources of income while they’re in school.”
Registration for Spring Term classes is underway. Register now at www.spcollege.edu.