{"id":4603,"date":"2020-04-23T21:37:30","date_gmt":"2020-04-23T21:37:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.spcollege.edu\/president\/?p=4603"},"modified":"2023-12-07T17:49:23","modified_gmt":"2023-12-07T17:49:23","slug":"titans-live-with-spc-president-tonjua-williams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.spcollege.edu\/president\/2020\/04\/23\/titans-live-with-spc-president-tonjua-williams\/","title":{"rendered":"Titans Live with SPC President Tonjua Williams"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

From graduation and new programs to campus safety, these were some of the questions from students during the Titans Live webinar with SPC President Tonjua Williams<\/a> on April 22. For an hour on Wednesday evening, President Williams hosted a virtual town hall updating students about the college and answering questions about an uncertain future due to the COVID-19 outbreak. More than 150 students, faculty, staff and board members, listened in to the latest news and provided innovative ideas to help move college learning forward. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Williams kicked off the conversation by expressing\nher gratitude to students for their resilience in continuing to reach toward\ntheir academic goals and to SPC staff and faculty for their commitment to\nquickly pivoting and meeting the needs of the college family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThank you for selecting SPC to serve you in your academic\npursuits. Our students are our most valued treasure,\u201d Williams said.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the webinar, SPC Vice President of Student Affairs<\/a> Dr. Jamelle Conner moderated questions from students as they came in. President Williams and college leadership answered questions live and via chat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Spring 2020 classes are coming to an end, many expected\ngraduates were anticipating crossing a stage in May. President Williams updated\nthe viewers that the college plans to reschedule spring graduation, instead of\nhosting a virtual ceremony. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe recently sent out a survey to more than 2,500 expected\ngraduates to get your feedback on the type of ceremony you would prefer. We\nheard you loud and clear, and we\u2019re working closely with Tropicana Field to\nreschedule the ceremony – hopefully in July.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Williams encouraged students to get ready to register for Summer and Fall. The college is anticipating opening campuses in the Fall Term, if it\u2019s safe and with a new social distancing protocol in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Williams reinforced that safety and learning are the college\u2019s\ntop priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the Titans Live webinar, students expressed interest in expanding healthcare programs and offering new degrees. Williams shared that SPC is looking at future learning opportunities and making sure all programs lead to high-wage, in-demand careers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 As the college\ntransitioned online, the SPC Foundation Emergency Fund served more than 300\nstudents who were in great need, Williams shared with webinar participants. Recently,\nthe college received funding from the CARES Act to support students, she also\nsaid. More information on how to apply for assistance will be available soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also during the webinar, Williams expressed her desire to\nsupport vulnerable populations such as veteran and Deferred Action for\nChildhood Arrivals (DACA) students. She encouraged them to reach out to college\nleadership with any ideas to support their distance learning efforts. She also highlighted\nhow SPC continues to be a Community of Care by: <\/p>\n\n\n\n