10.5 Admissions Policies & Practices

Specific Program Admission Requirements

As detailed above, some specific lower and upper division programs have special requirements for admissions, using recommended guidelines from their accrediting bodies in addition to Florida Statute and State Board of Education Rules. Admission to these programs may require the student to complete the College’s general admissions requirements plus the completion of specific courses or prerequisites. Other programs may require additional licensure, background checks, drug screening, or completion of a Physical Abilities Test for public safety programs. Special requirements are outlined in the related Board of Trustees Rules and Procedures for each program (see samples in Table 10.5.2).

For lower division health-related programs where the number of eligible students exceeds the positions available, students are admitted on a point system based on program GPA (pre-entry requirements, general education, and support courses) and total program credits earned. Students residing in the service area are given first priority. Programs include Dental Hygiene, Emergency Medical Services, Funeral Services, Health Information Management, Healthcare Informatics, Human Services Technology, Nursing, Physical Therapy Assistant, Radiography, and Respiratory Care.

Students are made aware of specific requirements on each program’s admissions page of the SPC website, which is linked from the main admissions page, and are able to download an admissions guide for that program. All specialized program admissions requirements are based on accepted practices for undergraduate and baccalaureate programs in alignment with other state and national higher education institutions.

Table 10.5.2 — Sample of Specific Program Requirements for Admissions

Exceptions to Admissions Policies

While admission policies and procedures are consistent for all entering students, SPC recognizes situations in which exceptions may need to be made, including for students who may have an alternative to a standard high school diploma or students with disabilities.  Florida Statute 1007.263 and SPC’s Demonstrated Competency application provide guidance for students who do not have or cannot provide proof of a standard high school diploma, GED, or home school equivalent. These students may opt to enroll as a non-degree-seeking student and submit a Demonstrated Competency form to an academic advisor. Once they have successfully completed one (1) credit hour of college coursework, they are considered as having “demonstrated competency” at the college level and are then eligible to enter a degree program. The Admissions and Records department maintains records in the Peoplesoft Enrollment system on any students enrolled as “demonstrated competency” and determines their eligibility for degree status based on successful completion of coursework.

Additionally, students with disabilities who do not meet the requirements for admission to degree-seeking status are also given special consideration. Policies for these students are contained in Board of Trustees Procedure 6Hx23-4.02, a portion is excerpted below, and there is information for students via the Accessibility Services website.

X.I. The President is authorized to permit substitute admission requirements for eligible students who have disabilities as defined by State Board of Education Rule 6A-10.041, F.A.C.

A. This Rule is established in compliance with State Board of Education Rule 6A-10.041, to provide disabled students reasonable substitutions for requirements for admission to the College, admission to a program of the College, for course substitutions, and for graduation from the College. To make a determination of appropriate substitutions, the disabled student will be required to provide documentation that:

1. 1. 1. The student has a disability that is evaluated as interfering with a basic life activity. Examples of such disabilities include but are not limited to vision impairment, hearing impairment, mental or emotional impairment, physical impairments such as cerebral palsy or multiple sclerosis, dyslexia, or other specific learning disabilities as defined below; and
      2. The disability can be reasonably expected to prevent the student from meeting requirements for admission to the College or a program of the College, for satisfactory completion of a course or courses, or for graduation. The student must identify the specific requirement(s) for which a substitution is sought and furnish documentation from an appropriate source that will support the need for a substitution or accommodation.

Students applying to the College under Disability status are registered with the Accessibility Services department, and documentation is collected and stored on the secure PeopleSoft site. Access to documentation and student records is limited to the Admissions and Records director, Accessibility Services director, and other key staff and is protected by federal law.

Uniform Publication of Admissions Policies

All admission policies and procedures are available through the SPC website and are stipulated in the BOT Rules and Procedures. Publication language detailing admissions policies is consistent across all platforms, as demonstrated in both print and web publications such as the College Catalog (pp. 31-42), SPC Admissions website, and Student Handbook (pp. 13-14).  Recruitment materials highlighting SPC programs and benefits refer back to these resources and published policies via the SPC website.  

Development and Approval of Recruitment Materials

In addition, the College provides accurate information regarding our admission practices and policies in all recruitment material available on the College’s website, social media channels, and printed assets.  All recruitment material development and distribution is coordinated by SPC’s Marketing and Strategic Communications (MSC) department in concert with the Admissions Department and Recruitment Services. This centralized process ensures that materials and presentations accurately represent the College’s practices, policies, and academic programs.

Recruitment materials available through MSC include printed materials (brochures, flyers, direct mail, and other pieces), advertising (newspaper, billboards, radio, digital), and digital assets (video, College website, and official College social media channels). MSC maintains a Recruitment Resources page on its Sharepoint site that collates current recruiting and marketing materials.

MSC also works with College departments to develop branded and consistent materials that can be used by departments for recruitment, such as the Community Guides for each academic program. These materials are developed in conjunction with Deans, Provosts, and subject matter experts to maintain the highest quality content and program representation. The department also ensures consistency in recruitment messaging and format by following the Branding and Identity Standards Guide.

Departments can request specific materials through the MSC Marketplace Portal, located on the College’s internal Sharpoint site, which provides a variety of options for both existing and new print, media, and websites. Once the request is received and reviewed, approved materials are then drafted and reviewed with the requesting department. MSC oversees and provides final approval of materials in conjunction with Department leads to ensure recruitment materials and presentations accurately represent the institution’s practices and policies and align with individual program and department marketing plans. The review and approval process is managed electronically, increasing efficiency and providing flexibility for College departments, while maintaining College policies, procedures, and brand standards.

Examples of Recruitment Publications

The examples shown and linked below demonstrate SPC’s consistency in recruitment messaging and branding across all forms of media. Recruitment messages promote the College’s commitment to belongingness while highlighting the College’s practices and policies, academic programs, student support resources, and benefits of higher education at SPC. Each display or link to admissions policies and procedures, including program-specific admissions and graduation requirements, adheres to the same standards across all publications. Publications also include verbiage for federal policies and guidelines such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Act:

• Direct mail flyers for prospective students detail the College’s academic degrees and certificates, including availability for online learning.
• Websites, such as the Why Choose SPC webpage pictured below, highlight the benefits of career preparation and financial savings at SPC.

• Social media posts promote recruitment events, SPC’s student support programs, and access to resources with consistent themes and branding. SPC employs multiple social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram, X (Formerly known as Twitter), and LinkedIn

• Web videos, including Youtube and videos on the SPC website, highlight the benefits of SPC.

• Recruitment emails promote SPC recruitment events and application completion.
• Program-specific booklets for all academic communities, such as Social and Behavioral Sciences and Human Services and Arts, Humanities, and Design, detail academic programs and admissions requirements.
• Marketing and recruitment materials translated into other languages, such as the Explore SPC flyer in Spanish pictured below, ensure outreach to diverse community members.

Accreditation Language

Statements in marketing and recruitment materials identifying accreditation with SACSCOC are consistently standardized with the language provided in Standard 14.1. As permitted by the SACSCOC Institutional Obligations for Public Disclosure policy statement, abbreviated accreditation statements are used on flyers and rack cards while full accreditation statements appear on all SPC websites and formal publications such as the College Catalog.

Recruitment

Recruitment Services and Presentations

SPC’s Recruitment Services Office provides potential students with information and personal assistance for applying and enrolling at SPC. The Recruitment Services Office consists of the director, six recruiters, and one community outreach and support coordinator.

The Recruitment Services Office promotes the College and engages with potential students by:

• Attending community events such as open houses, expos, program information sessions, job/career fairs, conferences, and college readiness sessions to provide admissions, program, and career and college readiness information and presentations. More than 143 events were attended and/or presented in 2022, reaching 20,000+ community members.
• Working with local high school counselors to expand high school engagement through events such as Fall application drives, county-wide marketing campaigns and presentations, and personalized outreach to students. In 2022, 75% of Pinellas County High School students completed an SPC application.
• Attending SPC-sponsored open house events to provide information about SPC and assist with admissions.
• Sending out targeted communications to prospective students to encourage them to apply and/or find out more about our academic programs and associated careers (see Table 10.5.3).
• Presenting and participating in online Titans Live webinars to promote the college and academic programs.
• Following up with prospective students via email and phone to provide information on program options, how to apply, and the next steps in the enrollment process.
• Working with Deans on strategic ways to recruit students into specific academic programs.

As part of direct outreach to prospective students, the Recruitment department works with Marketing and Strategic Communications (MSC) to develop and launch recruitment campaigns requiring multiple marketing components, such as the 30-day Inquiry to Application plan (Table 10.5.2). This plan maintains a branded look and feel through the entire communication strategy regardless of the communication platform, and it keeps students connected to the College while they are exploring their higher education options. In 2022, inquiry-to-application conversions increased by 2.7%.

Table 10.5.3 — Inquiry to Application Marketing Plan

Whether the topic is admissions, financial aid/scholarships, or academic programs, recruitment presentations are derived from the content in the College website. SPC recognizes that recruitment personnel must be accurate and consistent in order to be effective at communicating offerings and programs to potential students at high schools, community groups, and at local businesses. Thus, MSC provides the materials that are handed out at events, as illustrated below with a “We Are SPC” brochure created to highlight the economic impact of SPC and our mission to empower students and our community to achieve economic mobility.

Training of Admissions Recruiters

The Director of Recruitment Services, who reports to the Executive Director of Enrollment Management, oversees recruitment personnel to ensure they have the knowledge, skills, and materials to accurately represent the College’s practices and policies. Upon hire, recruiters are expected to have a minimum of two years’ experience in academic advising, admissions, marketing, and/or sales. Recruiting staff receive ongoing training (examples here and here) on policies and procedures during weekly team meetings and bi-monthly meetings with individual team members. Training topics include academic programs, admissions policies, customer service, and best practices among others. Recruiters meet with academic Deans or designees at least once per semester to develop a full understanding of their programs, and also shadow admissions personnel and academic advisors. As requirements change, such as residency documentation or financial aid protocol, the Director of Recruitment Service apprises recruiters of the evolving practices and will often include subject matter experts from other departments, such as Academic Advising, Financial Aid, Workforce, and Early College, to provide updates to the team. Recruiters also have access to weekly training led by the Academic Advising team, which encompasses a variety of areas of the College.

The Director of Recruitment Services has full oversight of materials distributed by recruiters, and provides coaching on customer service practices. The Director also reviews and approves letters and email messages sent to prospective students and oversees the prospective student portal where students can request contact by a recruiter.

In order to track progress and metrics, Recruitment Services also employs a PowerBI dashboard that gives up to date statistics on data such as application count, enrollment count, and completed inquiry to application turnover. In 2022, Recruiters completed 3,845 appointments with prospective students.

Independent Contractors for Recruitment Purposes

The Recruitment Services department does not utilize or engage with outside, independent contractors or agents for domestic recruitment activities. The department works in tandem with the International Programs office to recruit international students. The International Programs office uses 3rd party education agents to connect with prospective international students. The education agents listed below provide on-the-ground assistance to individuals in the country listed who may benefit from receiving information and help to enroll in SPC programs.

The main contact at SPC for these agents is the Director of International Programs, and they follow the SPC international student guide when working with prospective students. Agencies receive an initial training, training handbook and can contact the Director with any questions. They may also meet up with international advisors for any questions on specific programs. This guide includes admissions checklists, policies, and procedures as well as SPC contact information. After initial contact is made with prospective students, the 3rd party agents help the student schedule an appointment with the SPC International Advisors to go over any questions or details about attending SPC. The sample agent agreement lists the roles and responsibilities of SPC and these outside education partners, as designed and drafted by the SPC Legal Office and the Director of International Programs. As required by this agreement and the training handbook, international recruitment agencies must follow the same principles and policies regarding recruitment and admissions as SPC employees, including all applicable Florida statutes.