Comprehensive Standard 3.11.3

Physical Facilities

The institution operates and maintains physical facilities, both on and off campus, that appropriately serve the needs of the institution’s educational programs, support services, and other mission-related activities.

Judgment of Compliance: Compliance

Narrative/Justification for Judgment of Compliance:

 

Executive Summary

St. Petersburg College (SPC) is in compliance with this requirement because its physical facilities, including buildings, equipment, and technology infrastructure, are appropriate to serve the needs of the institution’s educational programs and support services for on-campus and distance students. SPC follows the state processes to budget for and apply for funding to meet its capital improvement plans, including renovations, remodeling, and new construction needs and prioritizes those needs each year. Routine/preventative maintenance is addressed through its Maintenance Master Plan and Deferred Maintenance Plan. The adequacy of its facilities is addressed through the state mandated room/space utilization reports, and satisfaction with the College facilities is captured through the Enrolled Student Survey each year. Finally, the technology infrastructure is designed to support student learning using innovative, updated, reliable, secure, supported, and well-maintained networks, access, and interfaces.

 

Physical Facilities Support Educational Programs

SPC has 14 sites located in Pinellas County, Florida, all of which are owned or leased by the College. Ten provide direct instruction, and 4 are administrative/support locations. Of the 10 instructional sites, 4 sites are full-service academic campuses, 3 are smaller academic centers, and 3 are specialized vocational-focused centers, as show below:



1. Tarpon Springs Campus
600 Klosterman Road
Tarpon Springs, FL 34683
Website | Campus map

2. Clearwater Campus
2465 Drew Street
Clearwater, FL 33765
Website | Campus map

3. EpiCenter
13805 58th Street N
Clearwater, FL 33760
Website | Center map

4. Veterinary Technology Center
12376 Ulmerton Road
Largo, FL 33774
Website | Center map

5. Seminole Campus
9200 113th Street N
Seminole, FL 33772
Website | Campus map

6. Health Education Center
7200 66th Street N
Pinellas Park, FL 33781
Website | Center map

7. St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus
6605 Fifth Avenue N
St. Petersburg, FL 33710
Website | Campus map

8. SPC Downtown Center
244 Second Avenue N
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Website | Center map

9. SPC Midtown Center
1048 22nd Street S
St. Petersburg, FL 33712
Website | Center map

10. Allstate Center
3200 34th Street S
St. Petersburg, FL 33711
Website | Center map

 

Academic Campuses

 

St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus

The oldest and largest site is the 38 acre St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus, which was purchased in 1937. This is a full-service campus that delivers the entire spectrum of course offerings, from a high school diploma through either the Collegiate High School or GED program, to associate level programs, through the many Baccalaureate programs that the College offers. Some of the athletic programs (men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball) are based in the College’s gymnasium, which is located at the St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus. It is also home to the Planetarium and a joint use library, which provides comprehensive library and information services to meet the curricular, research, cultural and recreational needs of the college and the community.

 

Clearwater Campus

In 1961, the College purchased 41 acres and began construction of the Clearwater Campus, a full-service campus and the second most populated site. The Clearwater Campus is home to the Paralegal and Theater programs, to name a couple. The Paralegal program utilizes a custom-built mock courtroom to emulate their trial practices, and the Arts Auditorium on the campus is the host facility for the Theatre program. The baseball and softball athletic programs are also located at the Clearwater campus.

 

Seminole Campus

One hundred and three acres were purchased in 1970 and later developed into the Seminole Campus, another full-service campus that serves the midwest portion of the county. The Seminole Campus is home to the Environmental Sciences, Digital Arts, Hospitality and Entrepreneurship Associate in Science degree/certificate programs, and a state of the art Digital Auditorium. The 60 acre natural habitat park, boardwalk, various ponds and an outdoor classroom provide an ideal environment for science coursework and passive recreation. In addition, Seminole Campus houses the University Partnership Center, eCampus operations and the Institute for Strategic Policy Solutions, providing a forum for civil discussion and educational opportunities related to the significant local, state, regional and national issues of the day. There is also a campus conference center and special tiered classroom (which is designed to, among other things, to look and feel like a mock city council chamber for use by the students and faculty in the Public Policy and Administration baccalaureate program housed at Seminole). A virtual tour provides an overview and a sense of the condition of campus buildings.

 

Tarpon Springs Campus

The northernmost portion of the county is served by the 105 acre Tarpon Springs Campus, which was acquired in 1972. The Tarpon Springs community has a deep, strong Greek culture, and that culture is carried over into the campus life as well. The full-service Tarpon Springs campus is home to the Fine Arts Education Center, the Bilirakis College of Education facility, the M.M. Bennett Library complex, and the Leepa Rattner Museum. The museum serves as an integral component of all humanities students at the College, regardless of their home campus. A virtual tour provides an overview and a sense of the condition of campus buildings.

Academic Centers

 

EpiCenter

The EpiCenter is a joint-use facility between St. Petersburg College and Pinellas County where professionals from business, government and academia come together to provide a unique blend of information and services. The EpiCenter was dedicated in November, 2007, to former state senator Don Sullivan for his support of the center and his efforts to allow SPC to offer baccalaureate degrees. The facility provides instructional space for classes leading towards a baccalaureate degree from the College of Business or the College of Computer and Information Technology, University Partnership Center (UPC) Programs including the University of South Florida’s Masters in Business Administration Program, Collaborative Labs, training space for the WorkNet Program, SPC Corporate Training Center, and other Administrative space for Pinellas County Offices.

 

Downtown Center

The College’s most urban location is the Downtown Center which consists of three acres of buildings including a parking garage acquired in 2004. In addition to its general course offerings, the Downtown Center is home to the Palladium Theatre, a 600 seat performing arts center that hosts various student and public performances and events.

 

Midtown Center

A college presence was established in the Midtown district of St. Petersburg in 2003. This economically challenged area is served by a small facility that is currently leased, with plans underway for future development.

Vocational Centers

 

Caruth Health Education Center

The Caruth Health Education Center encompasses 16 acres that were acquired in 1980. As its name implies, the Health Education Center is home to programs such as Nursing, Dental Hygiene, Orthotics and Prosthetics, and Emergency Medical Technician. The center contains a public accessible dental clinic, a full laboratory for the Funeral Services program, a prosthetic manufacturing laboratory and a hospital-like clinic that utilizes simulated, computerized patients for the training of nursing students.

 

Allstate Center

The College’s Criminal Justice Institute is housed at the Allstate Center, a 22 acre property in the southern portion of the county that was gifted to the college in 1988. This facility is equipped with various enhancements to support the programs, including a facility of holding cells, a firing range for weapons training, a vehicle driving pad to teach driving techniques and a furnished apartment that serves to set up crime scene investigative coursework.

 

Veterinary Technology Center

Our newest site is the Veterinary Technology Center that was constructed on a three acre parcel that the College leases land from Pinellas County under a 40-year lease agreement. SPC built the Veterinary Technology Center building, relocating the Veterinary Technology programs formally housed in the Caruth Health Education Center until 2010. Located next to Pinellas County Animal Services to enable students to gain valuable work experiences, the facility features state-of-the-art classrooms, labs, surgery and x-ray suites, kennels and offices. A virtual tour of this new facility is available.

Supportive Sites

 

EpiServices and District Office

Acquired in 2003, these two buildings are a part of the overall EpiCenter site described above, though separated from one another over a square mile of acreage, amongst several other business and residential buildings. EpiServices houses offices such as: Human Resources, Grants Department, Facilities, and Business Services. The District Office houses offices such as: the Office of the President, IT (Administrative Information Systems), Security, Library, Legal, and Admissions and Records. Student Services are split between all three EpiCenter buildings.

 

Bay Pines

A vacant 55 acre parcel of waterfront property, acquired in 1973, is designated as the Bay Pines site. Planning and construction is underway for development of this site as a marine science support facility.

 

Fire Training

The 4-acre Fire Training site is owned by Pinellas County and made available to the College via a 40-year lease that commenced in 2005. This site provides ancillary support to the Fire Science program that is housed at the Allstate Center.

Table 39 & 40 in the 2011-12 FactBook (pp. 62 & 63) publishes basic information on acquisition and site information for the public.

 

Master Facility Plan

Ensuring that these facilities adequately support the College’s mission is approached from two perspectives. The first is to project the academic needs and conduct long-term planning and budgeting for the systematic replacement or upgrading of existing buildings. The second is to utilize every resource available to efficiently maintain the physical facilities that are currently operated.

Supporting the Needs of Educational Programs, Support Services, and other Mission-Related Activities

A Five-Year Educational Plant Survey is conducted for each College site and specific recommendations are prepared to provide for identified needs through new construction and the remodeling of existing facilities in accordance with Florida Statute 1013.31. In addition, recommendations are included for continued upgrades to life safety systems and for compliance with ADA. In order to provide a timely response to changing needs in the community and continue to provide accessible academic opportunities, the College re-evaluates the Master Plans and the Five-Year Survey on an ongoing basis and prepares the appropriate amendments as necessary for approval by the Board of Trustees and submittal to the Florida Department of Education.

Using the information from the 5-year Educational Plant Survey, the College conducts master planning for each of its sites in response to the development of new academic program needs, changing demographics in the College’s service areas, and the requirements of local and regional employers for a trained workforce. In 2010, the College engaged the services of four different architectural firms to conduct master planning at each of the sites in accordance with Florida Statute 1013.31. Each firm was assigned to two or three different sites, with a single directive to each produce a plan that provides direction for our facilities planning over the next 40-50 years. This effort included heavy engagement from the academic administration so that programmatic changes could be anticipated and incorporated into the planning process. The Facilities Department in collaboration with the Provosts, Chief Executive Officers and Staff develops the document in Annual Planning Meetings at each campus. Following the development of the projects, the administration, Provosts, Chief Executive Officers and the Facilities Department meet to establish the priority listing for the funding requests. These priority requests are then sent to the President for approval before receiving final approval by the Board of Trustees.

 

Master Plans:

 

Funding for the identified projects is requested each year in the College’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). The CIP is the process through which the College requests and receives construction allocations from the Public Education Capital Outlay (PECO) Fund. Each community college, college, and university in the state of Florida is required to annually submit a five-year plan for its capital outlay needs based upon the 5-year Educational Plant Survey. The first three-year period of the plan is the source from which the State Board of Education prepares its Legislative Budget Request (LBR). This list is submitted to the Legislature annually and if available, construction funding is allocated to the institution. SPC’s CIP 2 Summary for 2014-15 through 2018-19 is the second CIP based upon our new 5-Year Educational Plant Survey dated June 19, 2012.

Projects must be recommended and approved by SPC’s Board of Trustees, and a State-validated Educational Plant Survey or Amendment is included on each annual CIP to obtain Public Education Capital Outlay (PECO), Facilities Enhancement Challenge Grants (FECG), Capital Outlay & Debt Service (CO&DS), and State Board of Education Bond (SBE Bond) funding.

The deadline to submit the CIP to the Division of Florida Colleges is in July of each year. The CIP information is then tabulated, submitted, and approved by the State Board of Education, to be included in the following year’s Capital Outlay Legislative Budget Request. By looking at successive years’ CIP plans, priorities that are not funded are often carried over in the next year’s requests.

The CIP is divided into three categories:

  • Renovation - the general upgrade of an existing facility with no change in use (e.g., new lighting, carpeting, roof, heating, ventilating and air conditioning, and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act) and site improvements.
  • Remodeling - the changing of an existing facility by rearrangement of space, use (e.g., offices to classrooms) or any changes that impact exiting.
  • New Construction - Design and Construction of new facilities. This also includes site acquisition.

The College lists the top five priorities for each fiscal year based upon keeping existing/new projects moving forward with maximum flexibility and are noted on the spreadsheet in the first column. The priorities for the past two years are as follows:

2014-15 CIP 2 Summary

1. General Renovation/Remodeling of Roofs, HVAC, ADA, Utilities, Site Improvements - Collegewide $6,103,692

2. Construct Student Support Services Building - St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus - $1,628,092 (Planning Funds)

3. Construct Library/Student Support Services Building, Site Improvements - Clearwater Campus - $6,236,596

4. Rem/Ren the Health Education Center Annex (Phase I) - Health Education Center - $2,800,000

5. Construct Marine Science Labs/Classrooms and Site Improvements, Utilities - Bay Pines - $3,549,031

In addition, we have included projects and funding amounts listed on the Facilities Enhancement Challenge Grant (FECG) requests over the last several years. The Office of Educational Facilities has requested that these projects be kept on the CIP list as part of this year’s submittal.

2013-14 CIP 1 Summary

1. General Renovation/Remodeling of Roofs, HVAC, ADA, Utilities, Site Improvements - Collegewide - $6,103,692

2. Construct Student Support Services Building - St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus - $2,129,987

3. Construct Marine Science Labs/Classrooms and Site Improvements, Utilities - Bay Pines - $3,001,629

4. Construct Library/Student Support Services Building, Site Improvements - Clearwater Campus - $6,236,596 (Partial)

If during the funding cycle, a particular need exists to move a priority item up in the list order, it is brought back to the Executive Committee, along with a detailed analysis by the AVP of Facilities Planning & Institutional Sevices as to why the move should be considered. Weighing the proposed need against the existing College-wide plan, along with any potential changes or issues that might occur due to the re-ordering, the Executive team may choose to make the priority change.

Routine/Preventative Maintenance

In addition to planning for capital building projects and major renovation/remodeling projects, the College also plans for the systematic maintenance of our current facility infrastructure. Each budget includes an operating expense line item, “Repairs/Maintenance,” specifically dedicated to meet the annual needs of the College, which averages around $1.2M.

In total, the College maintains over 140 buildings that comprise approximately 2.5 million square feet of conditioned space. The vast majority of work to operate and maintain these physical facilities and adjacent grounds is performed with in-house personnel, including approximately 50 HVAC/Maintenance Technicians, 20 Landscapers and approximately 90 Custodial personnel. Complex mechanical repairs, chiller repairs for example, are outsourced only when necessary.

In 2010, the Facilities department invested in a software program to manage the preventive maintenance of existing equipment. This tool schedules the periodic tasks that need to be completed in order to maximize the life cycle of the equipment such as chillers, fans, pumps, and electrical devices that comprise the facilities infrastructure. This preventative maintenance is initiated via an auto-generated facilities work order that is scheduled by the system. An example of the preventative maintenance activities associated with a single building is illustrated by the following:

 

Deferred Maintenance Plan

SPC’s Deferred Maintenance Program (DMP) was established to meet capital improvement needs for each College-owned facility on the inventory. The College takes the following actions to address deferred maintenance:

  • Repairs or replaces broken critical building systems that have exceeded their life expectancy or to avoid liabilities associated with life and safety, environmental, or mandated compliance programs and disruption of vital college operations
  • Upgrades buildings and equipment to lower maintenance costs and liabilities
  • Installs high efficiency equipment with new technology to lower utility costs and maintain realistic preventive maintenance practices consistent with industry standards

A deferred maintenance list is compiled and maintained by the Facilities Services Department as part of the Deferred Maintenance Master Plan. Providing for the planning and implementation of planned improvements to infrastructure items such as roofs, parking lots, and exterior painting, the annual budget for these expenditures is $600,000 as noted in the summary tab of the plan. The Deferred Maintenance Master Plan is viewed in single years or four years at a glance. The plan is periodically reviewed by the Board of Trustees as part of the CIP process in light of anticipated needs of the academic programs, and is continually altered to meet those academic needs. Two primary methods are used to add projects to the list. The first is by direct field observation by Facilities Services staff. Second is input from the Planning, Design and Construction Services staff working on capital projects.

  • Approximately twice a year Facility Services asks the Operations & Maintenance staff to review the existing deferred list and add any new deficiencies to the list. They also are asked to prioritize any new projects with the existing ones. A new list is then compiled and distributed to all interested parties. Projects also are added when building users or Facilities Planning and Institutional Services identify a deferred deficiency.
  • The deferred maintenance list is distributed to Planning, Design, and Construction Services where it is checked against any capital projects that are in the design queue. Ideally, items on the list are addressed as part of capital projects, thereby preserving maintenance funds for other needs.

Every spring, Facilities Services and Institutional Planning requests a prioritized project list from the Provosts. This list is combined with any critical infrastructure needs that Facilities Services has identified and reviewed with Planning, Design, and Construction Services to produce a consolidated list from the two departments and the sites to be approved by the President and the Board of Trustees. These projects receive infrastructure funding in the next fiscal year to the extent funds are available. Projects that fail to make the cut-off for available infrastructure money generally are re-introduced for funding the following year.

 

Budget

Facilities Services budgets are defined in three areas: capital budgets, maintenance budgets, and deferred maintenance budgets. Capital budgets focus mainly upon brand new construction or purchases. The maintenance budget focuses specifically upon the necessary work to maintain the current infrastructure. Finally, the deferred maintenance budget is comprised of those renovation/remodeling projects not funded through the CIP process, as well as those identified by Facilities Services and Provost priority lists.

Up until about three years ago, the vast majority of the capital, renovation, and remodeling budget was funded through the state of Florida Public Education Capital Outlay (PECO) Fund and its associated Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) process. When funding began to dwindle, St. Petersburg College began the process of reallocating funds from various areas of the College budget (i.e., reserve funds, student capital improvement fees, etc.) to continue work on the highest priority areas. In 2012-13 a dedicated annual amount of $600K was designated to meet the identified renovation needs of the Deferred Maintenance Plan. The priority of any PECO funding received is allocated to this plan and then subsequently to any Capital projects. Despite dwindling state PECO funding, SPC has been able to create a process in which Facility improvement remains a priority within its budgeting process. In the 2011-12 Budget, Facilities, Maintenance, and Repair was called out and labeled Priority #6. Though not highlighted in the 2012-13 Budget, the amount invested increased by almost $2M. In the 2013-14 Budget, the focus on Capital Outlay was once again highlighted (p. 11).

FY2010 - 2011

FY2011 – 2012

FY2012 – 2013

FY 2013 - 2014

Capital Expenses

$24,369,000

$15,998,000

$17,733,595

$15,744,000

Maintenance Expenses

1.156 million

1.207 million

1.207 million

1.207 million

Deferred Maintenance Master Plan Budget 2012-2016

 

Adequacy of Facilities

The Florida State Requirement for Educational Facilities (SREF) outlines all design guidelines for space utilization for specific programs. (See Chapter 6) The adequacy and currency of College Facilities is demonstrated by classroom and laboratory utilization reports that demonstrate adequate capacity, up to date equipment, and by a facility planning process that ensures the proper space allowed by the State for all education programs, support services, and the various activities that occur on each campus, projected over a five-year period.

The Facilities Inventory provides the database for all reports involving the physical facilities. The College, through the Facilities Department, is responsible for the maintenance and annual electronic submission of an accurate database to the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE), Office of Educational Facilities (OEF). The Facilities Inventory, along with personnel and student data, are submitted to FLDOE after each term. The data is used to develop Facilities Utilization Reports to determine instructional capacity and to identify space needs. These are used to prepare the Capital Outlay Budget Requests.

The following table from the 2012-2013 Fact Book documents the adequacy of space. (These calculations are based upon 100 % use rate for classrooms at 40 hours per week and laboratories 30 hours per week.)

 

Technology Infrastructure

SPC provides right-sized and reliable technology that addresses the needs of the institution. Some examples of this technology, especially related to support of distance education are as follows:

  • Secure and robust data center infrastructure and facility, including fully uninterrupted power technology including generator support in case of long-term power outages.

  • Highly available Internet service infrastructure utilizing multiple Internet service providers along with connectivity to Florida Lambda Rail, National Lambda Rail, and Internet2 research networks, as well as commodity Internet. Robust Campus-wide area networks (WAN) and local area networks (LAN) facilitate high speed data transfers.

  • State of the art Wireless Network infrastructure featuring full support for Bring Your Own Device (BYOD).

  • Cyber Security infrastructure is provided to maintain availability, integrity, and confidentiality of critical systems utilizing current and advanced technology.

    • IT Security Operations - SPC provides strong defenses against potential breaches through deployment of advanced security technologies. Some examples are: (a) Host based intrusion detection and Endpoint Security (MS Forefront), (b) Advanced Firewalls (Checkpoint Systems) which include the ability to monitor and control use of Drop Box, YouTube, and hundreds of other applications used by faculty, staff, and students.

    • IT Security Auditing & Monitoring - SPC monitors critical infrastructure for unusual activity with advanced monitoring systems. Some examples are: (a) Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) (Q1-Labs/Dragon), (b) Spam/Email Firewalls (Barracuda).

  • Unified Communications systems infrastructure and equipment provide robust email, telephone, desktop conferencing, instant messaging, and presence includes advanced file sharing. Some examples are: Microsoft Lync, Exchange, Office 365, and SharePoint systems.

  • Robust Classroom Audio Visual systems that include high definition projectors, smart boards, control systems, flat panel monitors, are employed throughout the College and are included with every classroom during new construction.

  • Highly automated TV station digital operations technology allows for extended presentation of programming material (Seminole Campus only).

  • Our online Learning Management System environment (ANGEL) is a high availability/capacity system that utilizes multiple servers, databases, and use of application controller (A10 Networks) technology to maximize throughput and capacity.

  • Integrated Directory services (Active Directory) that includes all faculty, staff, and students.

  • Highly available ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning Systems) (Student/Financial) systems.

  • Mobile application for access to College information and systems.

  • Web Services Portal (MySPC) that serves as single point of entry for students.

  • SPC offers Microsoft Windows and Office software to current students at no additional cost. The Board of Trustees and the Student Government Associations of St. Petersburg College purchased this offer to make these materials more accessible to our student population and to support their continuing education.

  • Technical Support Help Desk is a service provided to all students and staff, providing one-on-one support and multiple online solutions from its website.

  • Redundant Infrastructure (Servers, etc.) exist for all major student-centric production systems. (i.e., Learning Management System: physical and virtual; PeopleSoft: physical and virtual; Network Systems: load balancer, switches, firewalls)

  • Business Intelligence Systems provide state of the art data reporting to management.

Routine Maintenance

SPC utilizes a combination of methodologies while planning for both routine and preventative maintenance. An online work order system is utilized to submit and track new maintenance issues and can be filed by anyone within the College from the Help Desk website. Both site specific and centralized technicians are utilized to manage the College’s needs. (See list)

  • Desktop and Network equipment are maintained on a four-year replacement cycle for desktop and server systems and a six-year replacement cycle for Network equipment.

  • Published and scheduled maintenance windows for major technology systems. (Emails are sent to all students/staff with notification of time/date of maintenance windows.)

  • Third party maintenance contracts to fill gaps in service. For example, Extensys maintains the storage area network.

  • Use of updating technology to apply important software maintenance patches to computers. This occurs one week after the Microsoft patches come out each month to ensure integrity of the patches before updating.

  • Use of technology to monitor use and replacement of Projector bulbs.

Deferred Maintenance

SPC defers maintenance on technology infrastructure on a case-by-case basis. The upkeep-upgrade of some equipment is postponed from the normal operating budget cycle due to high costs and a need to provide stable budgeting over time. Examples include: Network Equipment, Servers, Projectors, etc. Selection criteria are based on several factors including age of the equipment, how much time the equipment has been used, and anticipated replacement costs. Technology infrastructure that has been selected for deferred maintenance is moved to non-critical areas as determined by the technology management staff.

Budget

The technology budgets are comprised of three major areas delineated within each budget as separate worksheets: Technology Refresh budget (green sheet), Capital Outlay budget (yellow sheet), and leases (white sheet). Though some budgetary funding is supported through the PECO Fund, the allocation process to these funding initiatives is driven by needs identified through the asset management system and are in alignment with the College priorities. (2011-12 Budget Priorities #5) The College focus on technological enhancements has continued for three years with 2012-13 focusing upon wireless networking, telephonic, Microsoft, and LMS upgrades (p. 6-7), and 2013-14 continuing upon its course of technology refresh, along with delegating minor equipment replacements or purchases to the Provosts of each College site (p. 10).


Satisfaction with Facilities and Technology

St. Petersburg College uses the Enrolled Student Survey, administered each fall, to gather data on student satisfaction with all services, including those related to facilities:

 

Enrolled Student Satisfaction Survey
  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13
Library 6.14 6.08 6.05 6.09
Personal Safety and Security 6.1 6.14 6.1 6.2
Out-of-class access to computers 6.05 5.98 6.1 6.13
Facilities 5.95 5.92 5.98 5.95
Parking 5.09 4.98 5.04 5.24

On the ESSS, students indicate their level of satisfaction with the College’s student and academic services on a 7-point scale ranging from “Very satisfied” (7) to “Not satisfied” (1).

 

As a result of the lower-than-desired satisfaction ratings in the area of parking in earlier years, SPC has had a number of projects to improve the parking at various campuses, including Clearwater, St. Petersburg/Gibbs, and Health Education Center, and has improved communication to students on locations of available parking at all campuses. The increased satisfaction rating in 2012-13 is an indication that parking is meeting students’ needs better.

 

Summary

St. Petersburg College’s physical facilities, including buildings, equipment, and technology infrastructure, are appropriate to serve the needs of the institution’s educational programs and support services for on-campus and distance students. The monetary needs of these physical facilities are met through a combination of Public Education Capital Outlay (PECO), Facilities Enhancement Challenge Grants (FECG), Capital Outlay & Debt Service (CO&DS), and State Board of Education Bond (SBE Bond) funding, and are supplemented by tuition embedded Capital Improvement and Technology fees. Finally, these funds are allocated annually to meet mission and physical needs through master planning, deferred maintenance planning, and routine maintenance planning.

 

Supporting Documentation

In order to preserve the integrity of the supporting documentation in case of updates occurring between the submission of this document and the review, the narrative above links to pdf versions, whereas live links are included below.