How is your fall semester going? Whether you are a faculty member, a staff member or a student, we hope it is going along smoothly! I imagine that you are working hard to meet your academic and work goals this fall.

With that in mind, we thought we’d highlight what has been happening around campus over the past several months – changes that we hope will positively impact your studies and work. Actually, a lot of changes have occurred at the Allstate Center since Dr. Fronrath was named Provost!

What changes are we talking about? Well, for our faithful readers, this won’t be news, but for those of you reading the blog for the first time, we want to share with you that we now offer the following services:

• Test Center services including the College Placement Tests the PERT and LOEP
• Disability Resources

In addition, the AC Library has been updated and our Student Services office has as well. Students now have resources on campus that are more easily accessible and that help equip them with what they need in order to pursue their academic dreams at the SPC Allstate Center. What is exciting is that our faculty and staff, who are vital to SPC students, were not forgotten. The Allstate Center has been updated to include a new employee lounge as well.

In regard to the employee lounge, I spoke with Dr. Shirley Johnson, a faculty member at the Allstate Center, and she shared with me that the employee lounge provides “a quiet place to meet and eat lunch and is furnished with several tables, sofa, television and a vending machine. The employee lounge is located just south of the facilities shop and adjacent to the Police Applicant Screening Service office.” She noted, “Many of you will recall this room as the old copy machine room. This area is a great addition to all the other upgrades that have been made at Allstate since Dr. Fronrath has been named Provost. It is a great place to take a break from your office and decompress.”

Thank you Dr. Johnson for sharing your thoughts with us. For those of you who work at the Allstate Center, we hope you stop by the employee lounge and check it out and take advantage of the space. Also, thank Dr. Fronrath for all you’ve done for us at the Allstate Center. We are proud of our campus and know that our students have at their disposal all they need to succeed.

Until next time! Best of luck with your studies and work goals!

It’s that time of year! The Fall 2015 semester at SPC has begun. Students at the Allstate Center have been busy getting familiar with their new: class schedules, room assignments, coursework requirements and instructors, not to mention the thought of upcoming homework assignments, class projects and tests.

As students embarked on their first week of classes, at the Allstate Center, they were greeted by SPC staff, faculty and program coordinators at the AC Welcome Back events which were held Tuesday, August 18th, and Thursday, August 20th. The Welcome Back events were held in the Allstate Center Library. Students enjoyed pizza and refreshments and were offered give a ways such as SPC t-shirts and pens to name a few. Several vendors and businesses participated in the events as well.  They are noted below:

• Sam’s Club
• Florida Central Credit Union
• Regions Bank
• BayCare Health System
• SPC’s Institute for Strategic Policy Solutions
• Big Brothers Big Sisters
• Supervisor of Elections
• Star & Shield Group
• SPC’s Student Services: Disability Resources

We want to thank all the vendors and businesses who attended! Your presence added to the success of the events, and you gave our students important tools and resources as they move forward with achieving their academic goals.

In regard to the Welcome Back events, I had the privilege of visiting with student Chris Ruggerio who is a student in the Crime Scene Technology program at SPC. When I asked him about what his goals are for the Fall semester he shared, “Hoping my first semester at SPC is a good one!” I assured him that we are here for him if he needs anything!

In regard to the Fall semester, the Student Services team, at the Allstate Center wants to make sure that all students know that we are available to assist them with any questions or concerns that they may have as they move forward with fulfilling their course requirements. Feel free to stop by the Student Services office which is located in room 114. Office hours currently are Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

Also, just in case it might be helpful, there are several iTunes apps that students can use to help them with their studies this fall that we discovered while reading Marie Rossiter’s article 5 apps for smarter studying article. Three of the apps are noted below:

• Math Formulas Reference Guide
• StudyBlue
• The Chemical Touch

As you can see, we are dedicated to helping you achieve academic success! We are here for you and hope to see you around campus this semester!

Here’s to a successful Fall semester!

St. Petersburg College — College of Public Safety Student Services Team

Saturday, August 8^th, 2015 was a remarkable day many will remember! What made this summer day extraordinary? SPC’s College of Public Safety hosted their first ever Touch-a-Truck community event! The fun, and family oriented, activity was offered at the Allstate Center and began at 10:00AM and ended around 2:00PM. Smiles graced the faces of all who attended.

Touch-a-Truck activities included:

• The opportunity to literally touch a truck!
• Games including a rock climbing wall
• Giveaways i.e., SPC t-shirts, key chains and much more
• Drawing for a $25 voucher towards SPC’s Learn to Earn program
• St. Petersburg Free Clinic services and resources

Additionally, refreshments, sandwiches, popcorn and Krazy Ice Cream were enjoyed by many of the visitors.  And those who attended the event had the opportunity to explore, up close and personal, career paths that impact our community such as fire and rescue, law enforcement, utilities, towing, construction, animal services and medical.

What made the event especially unique was that visitors had the opportunity to literally touch a truck. They could simply view the variety of trucks that were present, if they wanted to, and/or they could actually sit inside the vehicles. How cool is that? As a matter of fact, little Jaden King, age 2, had the opportunity to sit inside the Tibbetts Lumber Company truck with her mother Kim King by her side. What’s exciting about this is that Jaden got to experience being around many different vehicles that may spark an interest in her career choice when she grows up. Other trucks and vehicles that were present, that we see on a daily basis around our community, included: U.S. Army trucks, a Pinellas County Sheriff’s S.W.A.T team truck, a St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue fire truck, a St. Petersburg Police K-9 Unit cruiser, Bayflite helicopter and many, many more!

Dwayne Williams, Allstate Center Student Services Enrollment Advisor, noted: “The Touch-a-Truck event was a huge community relations success and will become an annual staple of our many community outreach programs.”

We’d like to thank everyone who participated, and we’d like to thank Dee Mortellaro, SPC Career Outreach Specialist and Dwayne Williams, Allstate Center Student Services Enrollment Advisor, for the outstanding job they did coordinating this event. We look forward to next year’s Touch-a-Truck event!

For questions regarding how you can get started on a career path that will positively impact your community you can call Dee Mortellaro at (727) 614-7019.

It’s an exciting time to be an SPC College of Public Safety student! Student Services has yet again experienced new growth with the addition of Disability Resources. Our announcement wouldn’t be complete without a warm welcome to Lisa Gould, M. Ed., who is the Disability Resources Manager at the Allstate Center.

Lisa kindly shared a little about her background with us and also shared what Disability Resources has to offer SPC students. She noted: “Before coming to SPC, I worked as a Learning Disability Specialist in the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities at Hillsborough Community College. I was also a former school guidance counselor and an elementary school teacher.”

So what exactly is the mission of Disability Resources? Lisa shared that the mission is:

• Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504
•  Advance equal access for all students in programs and activities of the college by:
  • Raising awareness among faculty, staff and administration
  • Providing direct services to students and promoting student self-advocacy and responsibility especially for a student receiving classroom and testing accommodations
  • Aiding students in accessing SPC Resources
  • Workshops (e.g., Testing Strategies, Study Skills)

Lastly, Lisa shared: “As a Disability Resources Manager for SPC, I have a passion for students to have successes and have access to all resources available to them. When a student reaches out to me I will strive for equal access for learning, explore SPC’s resources and promote successes. Confidentiality is of upmost importance, too. I would be happy to meet with any student to discuss your learning options. Please contact me to schedule a consultation.”

Lisa’s Allstate Center office is located in the Student Services suite, room 114B. To set up an appointment to meet with her, please call 727-398-8284 and/or you may email her at Gould.Lisa@spcollege.edu.

 

 

 

SPC’s College of Public Safety students, faculty and staff members attended the Dog Days of Summer BBQ last Tuesday, July 14th. In addition to enjoying a delicious BBQ lunch, catered by Port-A-Pit, students, faculty and staff were provided with the opportunity to listen to Officer Barbara Baugher’s story about how she lost her K-9 partner. It’s not unusual to hear on the news how K-9 officers and their K-9 partners are busy fighting crime. However, what does seem uncommon is to hear about about the loss of a K-9 partner from an officer’s perspective. Officer Baugher graciously shared her story at the BBQ luncheon.

Marianne Seay, Student Life & Leadership Coordinator at SPC Allstate, shared: “Barbara Baugher from the Pinellas County Schools Police Department came out to talk about how she recently lost her K-9 partner to a sudden illness. She brought along with her Amanda Hanson, Training Director from To The Rescue Dog Training. Amanda talked about how she rescues dogs and trains them with the possibility of having a law enforcement officer adopt them for their training needs.”

Regarding canine training needs, To The Rescue Dog Training provides training in:

• Manners
• Obedience
• Behavior
• Personal protection

To The Rescue Dog Training also provides service dog and therapy dog training services. Services are available to the public.

The BBQ was a success, and we want to say thank you to Officer Baugher for coming to the Allstate Center and so kindly sharing her inspirational story and to Amanda Hanson for talking about how she rescues dogs and gives them a new beginning.

If you are interested in learning more about To The Rescue Dog Training, you can call Amanda at 855-636-4911. Her email address is info@dogtrainingtotherescue.com. You can also click here To The Rescue Dog Training.

Beginning Fall semester 2015,  all first-time SPC A.A. and A.S. degree seeking students will be required to take Smart Start Orientation (SSC 1101) which is a non-credit class that is free to the student and facilitated by student support staff. This new orientation program focuses on student success and will guide students as they transition to the SPC community.

Prior to the beginning of the Fall semester, students are required to attend the first session of Smart Start Orientation called Getting Started to help prepare them for their first week of classes. Angel Bates, Career and Academic Advisor at SPC Allstate, expresses: “During the Getting Started session of SSC 1101, students will review the following topics:

• Importance and use of their SPC email account
• How to access online course content & faculty correspondences in MyCourses
• Complete a Digital Literacy exam to review level of technology knowledge
• SPC Academic policies as they relate to add/dropping courses
• Complete a campus tour to learn about the availability and location of student support services

Students are encouraged to take the Getting Started component of SSC 1101 at the SPC campus that they plan to take most of their courses at regardless of their major at SPC. This will allow students to become familiar with campus-based resources they will have access to as well as the opportunity to build a connection with student support staff they will interact with through out the semester.” Below are the dates and times of the Getting Started sessions that are being offered at the Allstate Center for the Fall 2015 term:

• Friday, July 17th, 9:30am – 11:00am, Allstate Room 105
• Wednesday, July 22nd, 5:30pm – 7:00pm, Allstate Room 105
• Monday, July 27th, 5:30pm – 7:00pm, Allstate Room 105
• Wednesday, August 12th, 5:30pm – 7:00pm, Allstate Room 105

Stacy King, Student Support Assistant at SPC Allstate, noted: “It’s exciting to hear that SPC is offering the Smart Start Orientation program. Smart Start Orientation will help students finish what they start at SPC because they start strong!”

Students can reach out to Angel Bates at bates.angel@spcollege.edu or Shana Sapp at sapp.shana@spcollege.edu for more information or to get registered for Getting Started at the Allstate Center.

 

SPC’s College of Public Safety has expanded their Student Services offerings. For the first time in the history of the SPC Allstate Center, College Placement Testing services are now being offered to better meet student’s needs.

There are several benefits to taking the College Placement Test. The benefits include:

• Determines college readiness
• Helps students determine what classes to take
• Pinpoint subject areas needing additional study

SPC encourages all incoming students to take a placement test. That’s one of the best ways to predict readiness for college work. And it’s free the very first time you take the test at SPC!

The College Placement Test being offered at the College of Public Safety is called the PERT. According to McCann Associates, PERT stands for Post-Secondary Education Readiness Test (2011). The PERT assesses three main subject areas: reading, writing and math. The PERT is linear meaning that each subsequent question is based on the previous question. The test takes on average 60 minutes per subject area to complete, and results are available immediately after the test has been completed.

To help students prepare for the placement test, SPC offers study guides. You can click here to access the PERT Study Guide. You can click here to access additional helpful resources How Do I Prepare for My Placement Test? The PERT Scale Score Sheet highlights what your scores mean.

The Allstate Center Student Services staff invite you to stop and check out the new Testing Center, which is located in room 114A. For the summer semester, the Testing Center hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday: by appointment only; Wednesday: walk-in appointments available. The last test starts at 4:30pm and must be completed by 7:00pm. Students can call 727-302-6478 or email publicsafetyadvising@spcollege.edu for more information and/or to schedule an appointment.

Shana Sapp, Student Support Manager at the Allstate Center, expresses: “This is an exciting time for the Allstate Center! Prior to July 1st, 2015, the Student Services team referred new students to a nearby SPC campus for placement testing. Now, students can apply to SPC, take the PERT, and enroll in courses all at the same campus. We hope this will streamline the enrollment process for students who begin their journey at the Allstate Center.”

Check out the SPC College Placement Testing webpage for more details.

Public Safety Summer Campers wrapped up two weeks of action-packed fun and learning this past Friday. Middle school students who attended SPC’s 2015 Public Safety Summer Camp at the Allstate Center from June 8 – 19 experienced what it’s like to fight crime and protect the community. Forget watching CSI on TV!

From 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. campers got to experience the following:

• Crime scene investigation tactics including: fingerprinting, evidence collection and processing
• Field trips to the St. Petersburg Police Department, St. Petersburg Master Fire House and the Pinellas County Courthouse and Detention Center
• Spending time with SPC Law Enforcement Academy recruits

Parents noted that they appreciated being able to drop off and pick up their campers at 7:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., respectively, at no extra charge.

The camp was designed by SPC’s Center for Public Safety Innovation to provide students with a broader perspective of the public safety profession. Campers learned internet safety skills and life-saving CPR, met a K-9 dog used by a Pinellas County School law enforcement officer, how to climb a rock wall, the physical requirements of a career in public safety and how to meet challenges that may seem insurmountable but that can be overcome.

The Public Safety Summer Camp set out to do the following:

• Change young people’s perceptions of authority figures
• Educate students about career choices in the field of public safety
• Enhance campers’ self-esteem

Leo Cordero, Senior Camp Coordinator, noted  that “This year’s Public Safety Summer Camp expanded on a variety of public service professions to help students in selecting a career as they continue their academic journey. We encourage youth to further their education and consider careers in public safety.”

SPC’s Center for Public Safety Innovation is looking forward to offering this program again next summer at the Allstate Center. For more information on this year’s camp, please visit this website: https://www.spcollege.edu/public-safety-camp/.