At St. Petersburg College’s annual professional development day, Discovery Day, more than 3,000 faculty, staff and administrators gathered at the SPC Clearwater Campus on Tuesday, Oct. 22. From the classrooms to the auditorium and campus quad, knowledge and inspiration dominated the conversation throughout Discovery Day.
SPC President Dr. Tonjua Williams offered her President’s Message sessions, where she looked ahead seven years to the college’s 100th birthday in 2027, challenging the audience to think about what they want SPC to be in seven years.
“The lives we’re changing will be different,” she said. “We need to work on the possibilities: What they have, and what can happen.”
Williams discussed how SPC is going about reaching higher, including:
- Increasing enrollment through strategic marketing to target specific groups and programs
- Making sure our programs are student-focused and are meeting workforce demands
- Closing achievement gaps, specifically among African-American males
She also vowed to enrich employee engagement and experience by acting on employee feedback, building trust, listening to employee voices and taking action.
“We want to be the premier, the best, and the most effective college with the largest impact. We only have seven years, so we have a lot to do. But we’re SPC; We’ve got this.”
