St. Petersburg College

Infobox University
name = St. Petersburg College


established = 1927
type =
president = Carl M. Kuttler, Jr.
city = St. Petersburg
state = Florida
country = USA
campus = Urban
students = 65,000
faculty =
colors =
nickname =
mascot =
website = [http://www.spjc.edu/ Official website] |

St. Petersburg College (commonly referred to as SPC, formerly known as St. Petersburg Junior College or SPJC) is a fully accredited post-secondary education institution located in St. Petersburg, Florida, serving some 65,000 students annually. [http://www.spcollege.edu/webcentral/catalog/ SPC: Online Catalog] ] The institution currently manages nine separate campuses located throughout Pinellas County; four campuses within the city of St. Petersburg, and five additional campuses located in Seminole, Pinellas Park, Largo, Clearwater, and Tarpon Springs.The College was founded in 1927 as a private community college and was Florida's first two-year institution of higher learning. Today it is a public institution. It still provides community college programs to students, but in 2001 the college also expanded their curriculum to provide students as early as 2002 with four-year bachelor degree programs in select areas such as: Education, Nursing, Technology Management, Dental Hygiene, International Business, Orthopedics and Prosthetics, Paralegal Studies, Public Safety Administration, and Veterinary Technology.

St. Petersburg College is a purely commuter college and has no resident-students. This is mostly due to the fact that no single campus is large enough to warrant a need for student campus housing. Many of the SPC campuses do not offer a large curriculum of available courses, and instead specialize in one or two specific fields. For example, the Caruth Health Education Center in Pinellas Park specializes in courses centering around health care, while the Seminole campus is a highly technology-oriented campus. The Seminole campus also serves to house SPC's "University Partnership Center," a campus that offers select degree programs from 16 fully accredited institutions, including Barry University, Case Western Reserve University's Francis Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Cleveland State University, Eckerd College, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida Institute of Technology, Florida International University, Florida State University, Indiana University, Saint Leo University, University of Central Florida, University of Florida, and University of South Florida. [http://www.upcspc.com/partner.htm University Partnership Center: Partnering Institutions] ] In total, SPC's University Partnership program offers 60 Bachelor's degrees, and 39 Graduate degrees. [http://www.upcspc.com/degrees.htm University Partnership Center: Degrees] ]

Academics

The mission of the Honors College is to provide an exemplary education and build an intellectual community that encourages creativity, intellectual understanding, leadership qualities and critical thinking skills for our most talented and motivated students.Since 2003, the Honors College has offered intellectual students with the opportunity to expand their minds in their own learning community focusing on group discussion, an array of honors courses, honors programs, interdisciplinary honors courses, seminars, independent study, graduation recognition events, and many other challenging activities. [http://www.spcollege.edu/honorscollege/mission.htm SPC: Honors College] ]

Demographics

As of 2007, of the 65,000 students enrolled in the institution, 136,133 were enrolled in degree seeking programs; while 25,797 were non-degree seeking students. 16,051 of those students were female and 9,417 were male. The average ages of student enrollment proved to be in the range 20-24, which provided education to over 7,698 students. [http://www.spcollege.edu/webcentral/welcome/facts.htm SPC: Just the Facts] ]

Rankings

For four years in a row, St. Petersburg College was designated Florida’s leader in distance learning among the states twenty-eight other community colleges. In fact, St. Petersburg College ranked first in the number of courses offered (2,309) and the number of students (16,656).St. Petersburg College has once again placed near the top of the Community College Week’s Top 100 Associate’s Degree Producer’s List. In the primary category, all Disciplines, SPC was ranked 10th. [http://www.spcollege.edu/webcentral/interest.htm SPC: Future Student] ]

Clubs and Activates

Caruth Health Education Center: Human Services Organization, Physical Therapist Assistant Club, Radiography Club, Student American Dental Hygienists Association, Student Caruth Health Information, Management Association, Student Nurses Association, and Veterinary Technician Society. [http://www.spcollege.edu/webcentral/catalog/Current/clubs.htm SPC: Student Activities] ]

Clearwater: Badeya (Black Student Union), Chess Club, College Democrats, Computer Club, Ethics Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, High Achievers, International Club (Latinos Unidos), Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship, Math & Science Club, Phi Theta Kappa- Tau Zeta Chapter, Positive Directions Association, Silent Titans, Student Ambassadors, Student Government Associations, The World Percussion Club, and Wheels in the Wind.

Downtown:Anime Club, Band/Jazz Ensemble, Brother to Brother, Campus Crusade for Christ, Campus Green Party, Chorus & Madrigalians, Circle K, College Democrats, Collegiate Music Educators, CoMotion Dance Theatre, Ethics in Action, Forensics, Friends of Internationals, Harmabee (Black Student Union), High Achievers Club (Affiliated with the Student Support Services Program), International Club, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, Intramural Sports, Phi Theta Kappa- Eta Nu Chapter, Student Government Association, SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise), and Student Republican Association.

St. Petersburg/ Gibbs:Anime Club, Band/Jazz Ensemble, Brother to Brother, Campus Crusade for Christ, Chorus & Madrigalians, Circle K, Colleges Against Cancer, Collegiate Music Educators, CoMotion Dance Theatre, Ethics in Action, Harmabee (Black Student Union), High Achievers Club (Affiliated with the Student Support Services Program), International Club, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, Intramural Sports, Latinos United, Medical Club, Peer Academic Advisory Club, Phi Theta Kappa- Eta Nu Chapter, Space Physiology and Medicine, Student Government Association, and Student Republican Association.

Seminole: Student Government Association, Phi Theta Kappa, Digital Media Club, Videogame Lab, Seminole Campus for Christ, and Hospitality Club.

Tarpon Springs: Art Club, Billiards Club, Chess Club, Coffee House, Cultural club, COE Kappa Delta Pi Drama Club, Fitness Club, Christian Club, Phi Theta Kappa- Alpha Zeta Tau, Photography Club, St. Petersburg College Students Counsel for Exceptional Students, Student Ambassadors Program, Student Government Association, and View from The Hill Campus Newsletter.

References

Alumni and notable Attendees

*List of St. Petersburg College Alumni

External links

* [http://www.spcollege.edu/ St. Petersburg College] Official Website

Don't expect them to be offered at all times...or ever.