St. Petersburg College
Contact Information
Education and Research:
St. Petersburg College offers a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Sustainability Management and an Associate of Science (AS) in Environmental Science Technology.
The Sustainability Management degree focuses on sustainable business and communication strategies, energy and resource management, legal aspects of sustainability, and sustainability in built and natural environments. It is an extension of a Sustainability and Green Management track being offered as part of a BAS in Management and Organizational Leadership.
The Environmental Science Technology degree includes three sub-plans: Water Resource Management, Environmental Resources/Energy Management and Sustainability.
Through the development of courses titled Energy Efficient Construction in Florida’s Climate, An Introduction to Solar Energy in Residential Construction, Environmental Technology for Building Construction and A Building’s Life, sustainable construction practices are part of the Architectural Design and Construction Technology AS degree.
The College of Technology Management offers sustainability and green management tracks as part of a BAS in Management and Organizational Leadership. Green lodging has been introduced into the Hospitality AS degree curriculum and an emphasis on sustainability has been incorporated into the Parks and Leisure Services program. Water conservation is a focus of the Management Technology AS degree.
SPC is developing a Workforce Florida, Inc., Employ Florida Banner Center for Water Resources with partners Hillsborough Community College and the University of South Florida Dr. Kiran C. Patel Center for Global Solutions. The mission is to use guidance from the water utility sector to develop state-of-the-art, industry-driven training, education programs and curriculum necessary to support the workers needed by current and future employment water sector demands.
SPC’s Corporate Training Center (SPC/CT) partnered with the US Green Building Council and developed an online LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance 2009 examination training course.
SPC/CT developed a partnership with Solar Source Institute to provide online and face to face solar energy generation, installation and inspection training. This will involve Photovoltaic Level I and Advanced Photovoltaic Training.
SPC/CT and Pro-Train provide the following online courses: Certified Indoor Environmentalist (CIE), Certified Microbial Investigator (CMI), Certified Indoor Air Quality Manager (CIAQM), Green Building Sales Professional, LEED Certification Exam Prep, Energy Management, Green Building Technical Professional, Water Treatment Operations Certificate, Solid Waste Operations Certificate, Green Purchasing Fundamentals, Wastewater Treatment Operations Certificate, Certified Sustainability Professional, Green Supply Chain Professional, Senior Certified Sustainability Professional, Sustainability 101, Carbon Strategies, Building Energy Efficiency Level I and Weatherization Energy Auditor.
Campus Operations:
St. Petersburg College’s policy is that all new construction and renovation projects are designed to meet the LEED rating system or a nationally recognized equivalent.
The Student Services Center was awarded LEED Gold certification and the Natural Science, Math and College of Education Building is registered with the certification goal of Gold.
A comprehensive energy plan was developed to help SPC reduce energy usage. Initiatives in lighting and mechanical systems already underway include: retrofitting lighting to increase lumen output/lower wattage, adjusting occupied and unoccupied temperatures to industry standards, upgrading to higher efficiency mechanical systems and changing the operation of mechanical and lighting systems based on occupancy and load to use the least amount of energy. All conditioned buildings were upgraded to reduce overall energy consumption.
SPC has an Energy Star purchasing policy and endeavors to purchase office furnishings utilizing recycled/recyclable materials. In addition, SPC only uses LED/CFL lamps with motion sensors in all major interior spaces. SPC encourages individual departments to buy mercury-free equipment.
SPC secured $25,000 to install 800SF of solar paneling (with the intention of adding capacity) for use as a teaching tool.
Slow release, urea-coated fertilizers and pesticides requiring the minimal protective equipment are used only when pest populations show signs of damage. By 2010, all cleaning supplies/equipment will be converted to “green cleaning” practices.
SPC is developing a natural habitat park/environmental center for passive recreation, observation, and formal and informal education. The first phase, a million dollar pond system funded by the local water management district that filters water from local neighborhoods on its way to a nearby lake is already complete. This fall, construction will begin on an outdoor classroom, water sampling station and the first phase of a wetland boardwalk system. Later plans call for a center for classroom presentations, formal exhibits and training materials; and a demonstration site for educational and environmental outdoor “lab” experiences.
SPC is initiating a college-wide recycling program and accepts paper, plastic, aluminum, glass and cardboard. SPC recycles e-waste, fluorescent tubes, computer monitors, CPUs and switches containing mercury through safe, environmentally sustainable means. The college donates obsolete computer systems, clothing and supplies to underprivileged schools and agencies in Guatemala and Haiti. This project has allowed SPC to expand its environmental commitment beyond campus borders to become an international advocate for both environmental and social sustainability.
SPC “Male Outreach” and “Women on the Way” programs distribute gently worn donated suits to graduates preparing for job interviews. Additionally, SPC’s Dollars for Scholars Thrift Store recycles most household items and raises funds for scholarships and student services.
Administration and Finance:
The St. Petersburg College Office for Sustainability, headed by a sustainability coordinator focuses on energy and natural resource conservation, green buildings, carbon emission reduction, recycling and community education. The college’s energy coordinator is tasked with developing an energy plan to save utility costs and decrease carbon emissions, performing energy audits and night walkthroughs, benchmarking college energy usage, developing energy conservation projects and payback analysis, ensuring data integrity, monitoring temperature setbacks and unoccupied schedules, ensuring optimal generation, distribution and end-use equipment performance, and completing a greenhouse gas inventory.
The SPC “Green Team” consists of college administrators, faculty, and staff and further facilitates college-wide sustainability initiatives and planning.
An overview of SPC’s sustainability initiatives is included in the new-employee orientation. SPC operates a sustainability website (spcollege.edu/sustainability), blog (sustainablespc.blogspot.com), and facebook and twitter page.
SPC collaborated with Florida Energy Systems Consortium at University of Florida and the Florida Advanced Technological Education Center on a summit with stakeholders from community colleges, school districts, technical education centers, and state universities. The strategic planning meeting aimed to prepare Florida’s workforce for future alternative energy initiatives. SPC assembled a collaborative lab on local and regional water needs to identify job opportunities, explore statewide strategic planning, and identify regional water priorities. Representatives from St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and Worknet Pinellas attended.
SPC hosted an Applying Sustainable Management Concepts seminar with presentations on sustainable public policy, green building projects and sustainability in sports/entertainment and examined issues relating to “green collar” jobs. The Tampa Bay Rays and the local USGBC cosponsored.
SPC worked with Greenforce Florida on the Alternative Energy Workforce Profile developed by the Florida Department of Education.
SPC has four active “Sustainability Clubs” & a chapter of USGBC’s Emerging Green Builders. The club members participate in and spearhead environmental initiatives and community events and coordinate educational environmental activities and field trips. Examples of events include: presenting sponsors of the annual countywide Pinellas Living Green Expo, Earth Day events and continuing environmental awareness events on each campus, regular coastal clean-ups, save-a-shore events, and participation in the construction of Florida’s first Earthship and the development of a film series on sustainability.
SPC is partnering with an elementary school to develop a school garden. Additionally, SPC students are participating with the City of St Petersburg and local utilities in an energy conservation loan program to make homes in underserved areas more energy efficient.
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