All posts by Charleston Fritts

SPC College of Computer and Information Technology hosts information session Nov. 10

November 4, 2016College of Computer and Information TechnologyCharleston Fritts

Are you interested in a Computer & Information Technology degree?

St. Petersburg College is set to host a College of Computer & Information Technology information session from 5:30p.m.–7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 10, at the SPC Clearwater Campus, 2465 Drew St. in the Ethics & Social Sciences (ES) Building, Room 104.

At the information session you can:

Learn about all of the degrees and certificates offered in Information Technology at SPC
Find out how to transfer your associate’s degree to our bachelor’s degree in Technology Development and Management
Speak to our dean and faculty/program chair
Learn about the internship opportunities for CCIT students

Seating is limited!
Please R.S.V.P. online at: http://web.spcollege.edu/survey/22483 or call 727-341-4722.

The College of Computer & Information Technology provides students with programs in the following areas:

Certificates

During the info session, you can explore these certificates:

Cisco Certified Network Associate
Computer Support
Computer Programming Specialist
Cybersecurity
Linux System Administrator
Microsoft Certified Server Administrator
Web Development

Associate in Science (A.S.) degree

Learn how these two-year technology degrees provide a clear path to our bachelor’s degree:

Computer Networking
Computer Programming & Analysis
Cybersecurity
Technology Management
Web Development

Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.S.) degree

You can also learn about our bachelor degree:

Technology Development and Management

Learn more about St. Petersburg College’s Information Technology Degrees.

St. Petersburg College hosts Fall STEM Festival Nov. 5

November 3, 2016College of Computer and Information TechnologyCharleston Fritts

St. Petersburg College will host a FREE Fall STEM Festival from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5, at the SPC Clearwater Campus, 2465 Drew St.

Fall STEM Festival fun for the whole family

The entire family can experience first-hand exploratory activities within the STEM field. Industry employers, alongside SPC career advisors, will be available to answer questions. Come out and learn about Pinellas County Schools K-12 STEM academies and SPC’s degree and certification programs.

The follow will be available at the event:

Application Fee Wavier
Food, Music, Fun
Carnival of Majors
- STEM Career Showcase
- STEM Employers
- STEM Jobs
- STEM Faculty
- STEM Advisors
STEM 4 Kids Activities
Touch-a-Truck
Veterinary Technology
- ADOPT-A-PET
DRONE Demonstration
Raffle and Door Prizes
Rock Climbing Challenge
Campus Tours
Financial Aid
Early College
Dual Enrollment
Blood Mobile Available – Help Save Lives!

For more information about the event, please call 727-398-8225.

STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math

A liberal arts education with courses in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) or a degree in a STEM academic area can serve as the foundation for advanced degrees and professions such as law, medicine, business, computer science, finance, engineering, statistics and science.

Careers in STEM play a crucial role in expanding scientific frontiers, developing new products and advancing technology. Most of these jobs require a bachelor’s degree or higher and have an average salary significantly above the U.S. average.

Learn more about St. Petersburg College’s STEM Degrees.

Women in technology event draws crowd

November 3, 2016College of Computer and Information Technology, Technology Events, Technology JobsCharleston Fritts

The College of Computer and Information Technology at St. Petersburg College drew a large crowd for its first Women in Technology Career Exploration and Networking event on Thursday, Oct. 27. The event brought out around 140 people from both the college and community.

Women in technology event

Networking

Before hearing from the panelists attendees had the chance to meet and network with industry professionals from 12 different organizations. Although these industry professionals were there to represent their companies, they were also available to answer questions regarding the industry as well as give information about how you can join. Each organization gave out tips that can help you be successful in the technology field. For instance, Sarrah Vesselov, Director for the Tampa Chapter of Women Who Code suggested that women interested in joining the technology field should attend the meet up/networking events that they host. She also mentioned that by attending these events you will have the opportunity to meet people who are actually in the field.

Panel Discussion

Panelist Left to right: Rep. Kathleen Peters, Sarrah Vesselov, Kelly-Ann Peart, Dr. Sharon Setterlind, Angie Beltz, Christa Pusateri — Panelist left to right: Rep. Kathleen Peters, Sarrah Vesselov, Kelly-Ann Peart, Dr. Sharon Setterlind, Angie Beltz, Christa Pusateri

The panel portion began with Dr. Sharon Setterlind, Dean for the College of Computer and Information Technology stating a statistic regarding women in technology that left the audience speechless for a moment. The statistic said that “Only about 25% of all IT jobs are held by women”, which is very surprising because of how large the industry is. The panel was moderated by Florida State Representative Kathleen Peters who did an amazing job asking some tough questions as well as giving her own input for some of the questions to the panelists: Angie Beltz, Vice President of Product Marketing at Cisco Solutions Group at Tech Data; Kelly-Ann Peart, Software Engineer at Nielsen; Christa Pusateri, President at the Information System Security Association; and Sarrah Vesselov, Director for the Tampa Chapter of Women Who Code.

The panelists were asked about nine questions. Some of their responses are below.

When the panelists were asked about their educational background, it was evident that you don’t have to be a techie to get involved in the technology industry. Most of the panelist started their careers in fields other than technology.
When the panelists were asked, what traits would make an ideal candidate for your company they gave the following traits: self-motivated, humble, resourceful, passionate and teachable. These skills will take you a long way. Also, a huge skill they all discussed was communication. Most companies are hiring individuals who have great communication skills versus those with just technical skills because completing a task and being able to explain how you completed it is just as important.
When the panelists were asked, what advice they would give women who are seeking a career in technology they gave the following advice. Be yourself, be positive, be tenacious, be a lifelong learner, know your own worth, and don’t be afraid to take risks.

Women in Technology International Scholarship Winners

The event took time to highlight the students who were awarded the 2016 Women in Technology International scholarship. Learn more about the scholarship and recipients.

The event was an overall success and the College of Computer & Information Technology plans to host more event like this.

Special thanks to the following companies for their participation: Cisco, TBTF, Geographic Solutions, Tech Data, Girl Develop It, TekSystems, Girls who Code, Women in Technology International, NetWolves, Woman on the Way, Power Design and Women Who Code.

Learn more about St. Petersburg College’s Technology Degrees.

SPC online professor changing lives one class at a time

October 31, 2016College of Computer and Information Technology, CybersecurityCharleston Fritts

SPC online professors work hard to make personal connections with their students. Jeff Youmans, cybersecurity online professor for the Bachelor of Applied Science in Technology Development & Management degree program has done just that.

Learn more about St. Petersburg College’s Cybersecurity Degrees.

SPC Online professor praised by student, Marine Vet

Professor Youmans started his career as a soldier in the United States Army. He has served two tours of duty, the last of which was with the 7th Special Forces Group in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. For the last eight years Professor Youmans has been teaching at St. Petersburg College. His classes focus on improving the student’s attention to detail, scientific authoring, and teaching them how to communicate effectively in an online environment. The online professor promotes skills to determine facts, research online assertions and present information in a consumable online format so that students will be successful and lead their companies through the 21st century. Without a connection with the students, these skills can be quite difficult to learn.

A great example of how this connection can impact a student’s life can be found in the review left by a student veteran after taking Management Information Systems with Professor Youmans.

“Professor Youmans is an encouraging professor. He has been the most available professor, I’ve studied under, in an online course. He holds students to a higher level of accountability in creating discussion posts, which truly fosters communication in the class. The discussions had more life in this class.

I truly appreciate the weekly videos he creates. I would rate this action as exceeds expectations, as it’s not common practice to go the extra mile to connect with students in this manner.

Professor Youmans makes himself available to students, outside of his published hours of availability. I sent emails after 9 pm and received rapid responses. Per his video recommendation, I called him within the first week when I had a question. He was easy to talk to and available when he said he would be available.

As a single parent (with primary custody), and a salaried employee (>40 hours per week), time management is a challenge for me. Multiple issues hit at once, in both work and home, early in the semester. I was completely overwhelmed. I was going to drop this course and re-take it at a later date. I called Prof Youmans to let him know I was going to drop the class. In less than 10 minutes, he talked me out of dropping the class, and more importantly gave me hope that I could pass the course. I passed the course.
I do apologize, but I don’t have a “needs to make better” suggestion at this time. In Professor Youmans closing video he left the door open for assistance or counseling. I plan to keep his contact information for guidance in the future.
Respectfully,

John T. Short
Dad
USMC Vet