The ADA workshops are essential for all faculty to achieve a better understanding of students and may be included in the accepted training for the annual professional development requirement with Program Director/Dean's approval.

"SPC Faculty desiring course completion documented as part of professional development must register for each workshop."

Addressing Learning Disabilities in the College Environment
The number of students with learning disabilities in colleges is on the rise. This 30 minute workshop offered in two parts is presented by Deborah Brodbeck, President of Beacon College in Leesburg, FL. The workshop provides an overview of the various categories of learning disabilities found in students in the college environment. You will learn to recognize learning disabilities by looking for patterns in classroom discussions, written assignments and test performance. Instructional strategies that you can easily incorporate in your classes by making just a slight shift in your approach will be presented. These strategies, while designed to benefit students with learning disabilities will also benefit all your students.

SPC Employee register for workshop

Non-SPC Employee workshop

Understanding Hidden Disabilities
In 2006-2007, St. Petersburg College served 756 students with documented disabilities. Most of these students had more than one disability – the total number of disabilities documented by these students was 1,531. Of these, 948 (62%) were hidden disabilities – not obvious to College faculty and staff or other students. Acknowledging and accommodating these cognitive, mental and medical disorders, is the topic of this comprehensive workshop by Dr. Linda Giar, Counselor/Learning Specialist from SPC’s Seminole and E-Campuses. This one hour workshop is broken into four 15 minute sessions and can be viewed in its entirety or over a period of time. It provides invaluable information about the nature of these hidden disabilities, behaviors that you may notice in your classrooms, accommodations provided, and instructional techniques that are effective for these populations.

SPC Employee register for workshop

Non-SPC Employee workshop

What You Need to Know about Disabilities
This self-paced, 20 minute workshop, narrated by faculty member Jimmy Chang, provides basic information about the laws impacting the College's work with students with disabilities, offers strategies on working with the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities on each campus, and presents insights into the students themselves.

SPC Employee register for workshop

Non-SPC Employee workshop

Working with Students with Psychological Disabilities
Significant strides have been made in accommodating higher education students having disabilities, but those students having a psychiatric condition—regardless if it is controlled by medication or resolved— can face undue discrimination. This workshop, presented at the Narrowing the Gulf Conference in March 2007, looks at the stigmatization of mental illness within higher education, what college advisors/counselors can do to accommodate such disabilities, and best practices for professors working with such students in the classroom.

Presenters for this workshop are three members of the St. Petersburg College faculty and Faculty Disability Champions: Cheryl Kerr, Ed.D., LMHC, Program Director of the Human Services Department; Bonnie Kesler, M.A., Ed.S., Professor of Psychology at the St. Petersburg Gibbs campus; and David T. Liebert, Ed. D., professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Science.

SPC Employee register for workshop

Non-SPC Employee workshop

Ethical Considerations
This 20 minute workshop focuses on the importance of maintaining high ethical standards in the classroom. You will hear from students about the impact you, as a faculty member have on their learning.  This workshop will provide you with a clear understanding of the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and how the law can be lived in your daily work.