ACADEMIC SERVICES

Undergraduate Academic Advising Center

Location/phone:  DAV 134, (727) 873-4511

Web site:  http://www.stpt.usf.edu/advising

     The Undergraduate Academic Advising Center is dedicated to promoting the successful achievement of students’ academic goals through comprehensive advising services.  The Center’s primary responsibility is to provide academic advising to undergraduate students.  The following services are provided to undergraduate students:  assistance regarding academic policies and procedures, completion of requirements for graduation, selection of a major, course registration, preparation for limited access programs, and special programs for at-risk students.

Academic Success Center

     The mission of the Academic Success Center is to encourage academic excellence and to help students achieve their educational goals.  Through individual and small group tutoring, academic counseling, workshops, seminars, and credit courses, the ASC helps students improve their learning skills, become self-directed learners and succeed at USF St. Petersburg and in their future studies.

Tutoring and Instruction

     The Academic Success Center offers free individual tutoring for students who want to improve their knowledge of course content.  Peer tutors are chosen based on personal interview, faculty recommendations, and grades.  They also complete an educational program to learn effective tutoring approaches.

Subject areas:

     Writing: Our consultants work one-on-one with writers during all stages of the writing process, providing assistance at all levels and in all academic disciplines.  They help the writer identify strengths and areas for improving the clarity of the writing.  The focus of consultation is on creating a document that is entirely the student's rather than on proofreading or editing. 

     Math and Statistics:  Individual tutors can help with all math and statistics as well as with quantitative subjects in the social and behavioral sciences.

     Chemistry: Tutoring is available for General Chemistry I and II, and Organic Chemistry.

     Business courses:  Business tutors can help with accounting courses including Financial and Managerial Accounting and Intermediate Financial Accounting I, II, and III.  They can also assist students in Business Calculus, Micro and Macroeconomics, and Business and Economic Statistics I and II.

     Spanish: One-on-one and small group tutoring sessions are available. The Center's computers are also used for language review. 

     Workshop schedules are developed each semester and include the following topics:

Time Management                   Overcoming Procrastination

Strategies for Achievement     Motivation and Personal Power

Learning from Lectures          Learning from Textbooks

Understanding Your Learning Style                Preparing for Exams

Test Anxiety                                Math Anxiety

Academic Counseling

     A professional counselor works with students one-on-one to achieve their academic goals.  All students who want to improve their academic performance can benefit from confidential counseling and the opportunity to discuss specific concerns about college.  During counseling sessions, the counselor and the student explore specific strategies to improve learning and course performance.

Academic Resources

     The Academic Success Center houses a variety of resources designed to fit student's needs:

Open Computer Lab with 10 Internet-ready computer stations

Course syllabi, test-item banks and supplemental texts

Book, computer, and video resources to improve your study strategies and approaches to learning

Free printing for academic assignments

Course Credit for Achieving Academic Success

     Each semester the Academic Success Center offers a three-credit course called Learning Strategies for Success in College.  Students learn achievement strategies that successful people use when they face challenging situations.  The course focuses on developing and practicing "study skills" in the context of setting goals, taking personal responsibility, seeking information and using feedback.  For registration information, call the Academic Success Center, view the College of Arts and Sciences course listings or speak to your academic advisor.

The Center offers tutoring assistance to prepare graduate application statements and for preparing for standardized tests including:

CLAST Mathematics, English Language Skills, Reading, and Essay

Graduate Record Examination

Graduate Management Admission Test

Law School Admission Test

Become a Campus Tutor

SAT Preparation Program

Academic Success Center Hours of Operation

Monday - Thursday        8 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Friday                                8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Saturday                           9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

           Academic Success Center

           TER 301

           USF St. Petersburg

           140 Seventh Avenue South

           St. Petersburg, FL  33701

           Phone (727) 873-4632

           http://www.stpt.usf.edu/success

Parking and Transportation

Do you have to have a parking permit?

     Parking permits are required for all vehicles parking at USF St. Petersburg 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Each person may purchase only one vehicle permit (additional permit for motorcycle and/or bicycle are allowed).  Permit campus designation is based on home campus/class location.  For additional permit information, call 873-4480.

Do visitors need a parking permit?

     Yes.  Effective July 1, 2007 a daily parking fee of $4.00 for a daily permit was implemented.  The Fee is applicable to visitors and event attendees who park in campus lots.

How do you obtain a permit?

     Parking permits may be purchased at the Cashier’s Office located in Bayboro Hall.  The hours of operation are Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  (A copy of the vehicle registration and a valid driver’s license is required.)  Permits also may be purchased by mail at the following address:

Parking Services

USF St. Petersburg

140 7th Avenue South, BAY 132

St. Petersburg, FL 33701

How can I get help when I have a problem with a vehicle?

     Low Tire?  Keys locked in car?  Need to jump-start your car?  You can call Campus Police at 873-4140.

Need an escort to your car?

     Call Safe Team at 873-4723 or Campus Police at 873-4140 for evening escort to your vehicle.

What happens if you get a parking ticket?

     Parking regulations are designed to provide safe and orderly parking. Violation of these regulations can result in parking citations, immobilization of your vehicle, towing, or loss of parking privileges.  Creating, modifying, or altering a parking permit is a serious parking violation and will result in immediate immobilization or towing of the vehicle.  Respond to parking citations within 14 business days of issuance to avoid a late fee of $15.  Most common citations are for no decal, expired parking meter, and parking out of assigned area. For additional information, call 873-4480.

Questions?

     Additional information may be obtained by calling 873-4480 or by visiting the Parking Services website:

http://www.stpt.usf.edu/parking_services

Library Services

Media and Distance Learning Services

     The Media Center in Poynter Library offers a large array of media and distance education technologies. This 7,500 square foot facility provides six large and small group listening and viewing rooms for all audio and video formats, and an instructional materials center and juvenile collection reading area that seats 44. It also provides for duplication of copyright-compliant learning resources for students and faculty.  Media Services provides audiovisual technologies for instructional support in all campus classrooms.  A broadcast studio located in the library Media Center is equipped to receive and send regularly scheduled classes in various digital formats, as well as video conferences or other televised activities.  The class schedule for distance learning courses received or transmitted at USFSP and its distance learning sites is included in the regular USF St. Petersburg course catalog.

Further information regarding these services may be found on the web at www.nelson.usf.edu/im/ and www.dl.usf.edu/.

Poynter Library

     The Nelson Poynter Memorial Library, opened in 1996, provides library services for USF St. Petersburg.  Poynter Library is open 79 hours per week when school is in session.  Reference librarians are also available to help with classroom library instruction for faculty and with individual research assistance for students.  Other library services include circulation, reserves (both print and electronic), interlibrary loan, and copier and media services. The library also provides a wireless network that provides access to electronic library resources as well as Microsoft Office programs. Over 225,000 books and approximately 800 periodicals are cataloged and arranged on open shelves using the Library of Congress classification system.  A valid USF St. Petersburg ID card (available through Poynter Library’s Media Services) is required to check out materials and to access various library services.  Circulation, interlibrary loan, and other library guidelines and procedures are posted on the library web site: www.nelson.usf.edu.

     A USF St. Petersburg ID number also provides remote access to the USF Libraries’ electronic resources. This electronic library features USF’s online catalog, an electronic course reserve system, over 3,000 electronic journals, hundreds of databases, and digitized historical materials such as photographs, documents, and oral histories. Numerous library services such as interlibrary loan request forms, the ability to renew materials, and reference assistance requests are also available online.  Through the online catalog and interlibrary loan services, students and faculty have access to all six libraries within the USF Library System, a combined collection of over 1,500,000 volumes.  Catalogs of other state university libraries are also available.            Information about obtaining a Net ID number for remote access to library resources is available at https://una.acomp.usf.edu/

USF St. Petersburg I.D. Card

Location/Phone:  Media Center, Nelson Poynter Library (POY 221), 873-4409.  Card cost is $15, payable in advance at the Cashier’s Office, BAY132.

     The USFCard is the official I.D. card of USF St. Petersburg.  University policies require that all student, faculty and staff members carry the USFCard while on campus.  A valid ID card number is necessary to access many online academic and library services, including services to distance learners. Students may be denied services if they do not have one.  For additional information:  www.auxsvc.usf.edu/usfcard.html

Office of Campus Computing

Web Site:  http://www.stpt.usf.edu/docs/lab/index.html

Student Helpdesk:  BAY 228, phone: (727) 873-4551

USF St. Petersburg Open-Use Computer Lab: BAY 226, phone: (727) 873-4551

Dialup Document Web Site: www.acomp.usf.edu/access.html

Web Email Access:  https://mailbox.acomp.usf.edu/

     The Office of Campus Computing at USF St. Petersburg is responsible for all functions that involve voice, computing, and data communication services.  The St. Petersburg Regional Data Center (SPRDAC) and Campus Computing Services (CCS) are part of the Office of Campus Computing and support these functions. The Office of Campus Computing is also involved in the planning and implementation of the information technology necessary to support the evolution of USF as a major research institution and the development of academic programs that require technology.

     Campus Computing Services (CCS) provides services in direct support of instruction and research for students and faculty.  CCS provides the resources and support necessary for faculty to bring technology into the classroom.  Student support services are provided through the CCS Help Desk and open-use computer labs.  Walk-in assistance for computer questions is available.  All USF St. Petersburg students are provided with a NetID and email account.  Registered students can obtain automatically generated NetID and email accounts and passwords at https://una.acomp.usf.edu.

     Desktop computers, printers, and other associated equipment are maintained in open-use computer labs at USF St. Petersburg to enable students, faculty, and staff access to the network and provide processing support.  Other services include phone support, on-line help, and tutorials.  The open-use computer labs provide significant hours of access, normally six days (72 hours) a week.

     Classroom Technology Resources (CTR), a division of Campus Computing Services, was established to support the computer technology needs of USF St. Petersburg faculty and students in a classroom setting.  CTR provides the computing resources necessary for instructors to enhance the learning experience of all USF St. Petersburg students.  Each campus classroom is equipped with adjustable lighting, an Internet connected Dell Optiplex computer with CD/DVD, Microsoft Office and Internet Explorer, a VCR, and a large screen multimedia presentation monitor.

     The St. Petersburg Regional Data Center (SPRDAC) is a division within the Office of Campus Computing, and its support staff consists of Systems and Network Support, Hardware Repair and the SPRDAC Computer Store. SPRDAC operates as a computing utility, and provides the primary computing support for USF St. Petersburg and other agencies.  SPRDAC administers the servers that are home to USF St. Petersburg Web services, telephone services, voice mail, applications software, print services, faculty/staff file storage, and administrative applications. For more information see http://www.stpt.usf.edu/docs/lab/sprdac.html.

     The SPRDAC site includes:

·    Sixteen (16) Window servers and three (3) Sun UNIX servers

·    Casi-Rusco keyless entry service

·    Video surveillance service

·    Network Operations Center

·    Cisco IP telephone service

·    Trane energy management to the campus community.

     SPRDAC is also responsible for the management and operation of STPnet, the campus-wide Backbone Network providing access to research facilities on campus and the world.  STPnet is based on Ethernet technology, and SPRDAC is responsible for monitoring, cabling and its design.  This switched network operates at speeds of over one billion bits per second and provides the infrastructure to transport vast amounts of information, voice, graphics and video needed to achieve institutional goals and position USF St. Petersburg as a major research institution.