Good morning,
Today is my first day as the seventh President of St. Petersburg College. I am humbled and proud to serve in this capacity.
St. Petersburg College is a special place where opportunities are endless, hope is never deferred and dreams come true. For 90 years, SPC students have experienced faculty, staff and administrators who care, support, and help them achieve success. We will continue to uphold this legacy.
At SPC, we have been and will remain committed to student success. However, we continue to learn that the needs of our students are complex and ever-changing. The strategies used five years ago may not address the needs of today’s student. It is time to reflect, reconnect, and refocus our efforts to improve student success that develops a strong community and workforce.
To that end, let’s renew our mission and revitalize our vision with a focus on four key areas, which I call “The Four C’s” –
· Culture – the values, attitudes, and character of SPC
· Communication – how we interact with each other and the world around us
· Collaboration – uniting to leverage our collective strengths
· Creativity – utilizing ideas that motivate and drive success
These four words naturally lead to a fifth one – community – a word that defines who we are, what we do, and why we do it.
I believe building community is essential, not only in addressing our current enrollment decline and budget shortfall but also in making SPC a better place for learning, growing, and working. We must come together. Be nimble. Be flexible. Be creative.
Educating today’s workforce is challenging and increasingly complex work in a competitive world. It requires each and every one of us to be active participants, drawing from each other through open and inclusive engagement. I want you to know that my door is always open to you and I look forward to your involvement.
I am excited about the future of SPC, and especially about working with you as we create a bright future for our students, employees and community.