Enrollment up at SPC, <b>Eckerd's 'Current' named top student publication in Florida</b>

Enrollment up at SPC

St. Petersburg College reports that enrollment is up 2.2 percent over last year at this time. The school says 32,350 students were signed up for classes when the fall term started last week. Enrollment among first-time college students was up 8.8 percent overall and up nearly 20 percent among black and Hispanic students that category. Students seeking a bachelor's degree now make up 12.7 percent of overall enrollment at the school, up from 9.4 percent in fall 2009. "This would not have happened without changing the way we did business," said Tonjua Williams, senior vice president for Student Services. "We had to undo some of our processes and remove some obstacles to enrolling." New students at SPC now see an adviser when they register for classes to make sure they are on track.

Eckerd, Florida State team up for accelerated degree program

Eckerd College and the Florida State University College of Law have created a program that will allow Eckerd students to obtain a bachelor's degree and a law degree in six years instead of seven. Applications are being accepted for the 3+3 Program, the third of its kind for the FSU College of Law. Undergraduates who gain admission to the program after successfully completing their junior year at Eckerd College will follow the usual course of study for full-time, first-year law students. Those who successfully complete their first year at FSU will obtain a BA or BS from Eckerd College. Students are required to complete at least 24 courses plus an autumn term course in their freshman year and a winter term project in each of the subsequent two years. Students must take the LSAT before or during their junior year. Tuition and fees to the law school will be the same as other first-year law students. "Eckerd College is excited to offer our students this opportunity,'' said Suzan Harrison, Eckerd's Dean of Faculty. "This saves them a year of tuition and moves them forward in their professional ambitions more quickly." Students also can learn more about the program from the FSU Law Office of Admissions at (850) 644-3787 or admissions@law.fsu.edu.

Eckerd's 'Current' named top student publication in Florida

The Current, the student newspaper at Eckerd College, has been named the best student publication in Florida, winning over newspapers at much bigger colleges and universities with established journalism programs. Theonlinecurrent.com also was named best student website during the 20th Annual Sunshine State Awards, sponsored by the Florida Pro chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. The awards were presented on Aug. 16 during ceremonies at the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens. In addition, reporter Hailey Escobar won the best profile for her story, "Students reflect on experiences with cancer," and Carver Elliot Lee won best opinion column for "Here we go again: EC to DC, Keystone pipeline raises concerns." The Current publishes biweekly during the academic year and is distributed free on campus.