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Stan Giannet

Aviation department takes off at PHSC

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With the addition of its new aviation department, Pasco-Hernando State College is preparing to launch students into an industry flourishing with job opportunities.

The college began offering two associates of science degrees in professional pilot technology and aviation administration for the fall semester, which began Aug. 21 at its East Campus in Dade City.

Shown here is a Federal Aviation Administration-approved Advanced Flight Simulator Laboratory, located on the East Campus of Pasco-Hernando State College. The simulators can be reconfigured to emulate all types of aircraft in any environment or weather condition providing a realistic experience. Pilot flight training also will be based out the Brooksville-Tampa Bay Regional Airport. (Courtesy of Richard Riley)

The two–year programs are designed for students interested in becoming private and commercial pilots or airport managers. Other possible career opportunities include flight dispatchers, transportation security officers, various Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) occupations, aviation safety and aircraft manufacturing.

The professional pilot technology already has received accreditation approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC); the aviation administration is still awaiting approval.

Those aren’t the only new aviation programs in development, however.

Next fall, PHSC expects to offer associate degree programs in both unmanned vehicle systems and aviation maintenance administration, and a bachelor of applied science, with a concentration in aviation.

Plans are in development for an Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) certificate program, as well, to tie into the aviation maintenance administration degree program.

The state college officially introduced the aviation department during a July 27 open house, which drew a crowd of more than 100 students, faculty and community members.

The department, which consists of six faculty members, is overseen by Mark Aragon and Michael Brunnschweiler. More staff will be added once additional programs are approved.

Aragon is a certified fixed wing pilot and FAA certified unmanned pilot, who spent more than 30 years in the United States Air Force, with multiple tours in Afghanistan and Bosnia. He is an instructor, and is the coordinator for the professional pilot technology and unmanned vehicle systems programs.

Brunnschweiler is a licensed commercial pilot, who spent nine years in the United States Marine Corps and six years as adjunct instructor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He serves as an instructor, and is the coordinator for the aviation administration and aviation maintenance administration programs.

Aviation students who complete the professional pilot technology program will receive a private pilot license, instrument pilot rating, multi-engine pilot rating and commercial pilot license.

Flight training, in partnership with American Aviation Inc., will be based out of the Brooksville-Tampa Bay Regional Airport.

Pasco-Hernando State College officially introduced the aviation department during a July 27 open house, which drew a crowd of more than 100 students, faculty and community members. The college began offering two associates of science degrees in professional pilot technology and aviation administration for the fall semester, which began Aug. 21 at its East Campus in Dade City.

Students, who receive more than 200 flying hours during the entire degree program, also will train on the FAA-approved Advanced Flight Simulator Laboratory, located at PHSC’s East Campus. The simulators can be reconfigured to emulate all types of aircraft in any environment or weather condition, providing a realistic experience.

Besides flight training, other classroom topics cover meteorology, flight safety and security, flight theory, and aviation regulations, among others.

“Our program is a little bit different than other programs, because it’s designed to emulate the duties as an airline pilot,” Aragon said. “They include wearing the pilot’s uniform, dispatching the aircraft, crew resource management, and even post-flight duties.”

For aviation administration, capstone projects also will incorporate simulation software, with students learning how to run an airline, purchase and maintain aircraft, schedule flight routes, and handle delays and safety concerns.

Each of those scenarios, Brunnschweiler said, provides “an awesome, awesome learning experience for the students.”

The state college’s new offerings come at an ideal time for an airline industry that’s projected to see a massive worker shortage in the next two decades.

A report released last month by Boeing estimates airlines in North America are going to need 117,000 new pilots and more than 200,000 aviation mechanics in the next 20 years, as passenger and cargo airlines worldwide are expected to buy 41,000 new airliners between 2017 and 2036.

Meanwhile, retirements at U.S. airlines will start to rise precipitously starting in 2021 as the current crop of pilots turn 65, the mandated age of retirement. More than 42 percent of active U.S. airline pilots at the biggest carriers will retire over the next 20 years, according to a recent report by Cowen & Company.

Currently, aviation-related jobs create annual earnings of $446 billion to the United States — almost 6 percent of our Gross National Product, the FAA reports.

During the open house, PHSC president Timothy Beard called the aviation department “a game-changer” for the college, its students, and local employers and partners.

“We have a commitment and an investment in providing new career workforce opportunities, and we believe these programs, along with other programs, will continue to take us to the top of the mountain here at PHSC,” Beard said.

“I am quite confident that our aviation programs provide an ideal learning environment, combined with expert instruction, state-of-the-art equipment, and excellent aviation and industry partners,” he said.

The state college’s aviation initiative began in January of 2016.

That year, the Florida Legislature granted PHSC $2.3 million towards STEM programs.

Stan Giannet, vice president of academic affairs at PHSC, said “a good chunk” of that funding went to the aviation department’s technological and personnel costs.

He noted the next step for the aviation department is to cultivate additional community partnerships and develop an internship program.

Published August 23, 2017

Porter campus provost is promoted

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Dr. Stan Giannet, the founding provost at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, has been promoted to a vice president’s post at the college.

Giannet wrapped up his last day at the Porter Campus on Jan. 15. He assumed his new role, based at the college’s West Campus in New Port Richey, on Jan. 19.

Stan Giannet, the founding provost of Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch has been promoted to a vice president for Pasco-Hernando State College. His last day at the campus was Jan. 15. His new role began Jan. 19. (File Photo)
Stan Giannet, the founding provost of Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch has been promoted to a vice president for Pasco-Hernando State College. His last day at the campus was Jan. 15. His new role began Jan. 19.
(File Photo)

The new vice president is eager to embrace the challenges of his new role, but said he will miss the staff, students and community at the campus he has led since its beginning.

Previously the provost at the college’s North Campus in Brooksville, he took over the leadership role at the Porter Campus in July of 2013.

Giannet selected the campus’ inaugural staff, and directed the school’s opening and subsequent growth.

“For this term, our full-time enrollment, we are up 4.5 percent,” he said.

“We continue to have strong programs. We continue to have classes from 8 o’clock in the morning until 9:40 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and a vigorous selection of classes on Fridays, from 8 (a.m.) to 4:30 (p.m.),” he said. “Almost all of those classes are full.”

Giannet has been named the college’s new vice president of academic affairs and faculty development/college provost.

“This will give me an opportunity to work closely with the president and the faculty to strengthen our existing programs and academic activities,” he said.

The role involves strengthening communication and collaboration among the departments, and developing the faculty, he said.

Previously, the provosts reported to the president, but now they will report to Giannet. Academic deans also will report to Giannet.

The new structure will foster opportunities for closer collaboration, Giannet said.

He said he will be striving for consistency across the college’s campuses.

He also wants to be sure the college is listening to students, supporting the faculty and serving the community.

“There’s going to be a heavy focus on community initiatives,” said Giannet, who was deeply involved in that type of work at the Porter Campus.

“What makes this a truly extraordinary place of learning and work is the family, the people we have here,” Giannet said.

He said he knows the campus is positioned well to continue to thrive.

“I’m leaving behind a solid foundation of people, who do outstanding work,” Giannet said.

He also expects continued partnerships, as the community grows.

The campus gave Giannet a send-off, which he characterized as “deeply touching, deeply moving.”

Dr. Bonnie Clark, who has been named vice president of distance learning and provost of Porter Campus, is Giannet’s successor.

Published January 20, 2016

Porter Campus hits 3,000-mark

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Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch has hit another milestone.

The campus hit the 3,000 mark for enrollment for the coming term. Stan Giannet, provost at Porter Campus, announced the milestone during a town hall session sponsored by the college and the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce on Oct. 14.

The campus opened two years ago, with 1,800, exceeding its expectations at that time, Giannet said, in an interview after the town hall session.

From the beginning, the campus has been entrepreneurial with its scheduling, he said.

Stan Giannet, the provost at Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, is enthused about the growing development near the campus, which he sees as future job opportunities for students on his campus. (File Photo)
Stan Giannet, the provost at Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, is enthused about the growing development near the campus, which he sees as future job opportunities for students on his campus.
(File Photo)

“We opened very aggressively, with an opportunity for students to take classes from 8 o’clock in the morning until 9:40 at night, Monday through Thursday, and from 8 o’clock until 4:30 on Friday, with a generous opportunity for online sections and hybrid sections,” Giannet said.

“We continued to build on that schedule, with community needs, student needs, student feedback and faculty feedback, of course, in our schedule building – and what our students are telling us they need,” he said.

The college keeps a close eye on projected work force needs, and offers courses designed to help students be prepared for those opportunities, Giannet said.

The college has added a program that helps licensed paramedics make the transition to becoming nurses.

It also is planning to add the CISCO Academy certification courses, a prestigious designation in the Information Technology field.

That program exists at PHSC’s West Campus, but is being brought to the Porter Campus as well, Giannet said. Wiregrass Ranch High School, which is right behind the Porter Campus, has an IT academy.

“You know, with the proliferation of new businesses coming to the Wesley Chapel area, that networking, IT, will be very fruitful for potential graduates,” Giannet said.

Giannet said the college is seeking to prepare students to take advantage of the new opportunities that are coming to Wesley Chapel.

“We’re excited about all these things that are happening – the expansion of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, (the opening of) Tampa Premium Outlets, more and more medical establishments coming to the area, the hotels and hospitality, the hockey rink, the schools, the new subdivisions and the development,” Giannet said.

“Those will just give opportunities for our students to be on the front line of employment opportunity.”

Published October 21, 2015

This coffee shop serves more than coffee

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The coffee shop at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch calls itself a Dash of Salt ‘n Pepper, but its customers say the foods this shop offers go far beyond those basic spices.

Tawnika Green, a 20-year-old full-time student at the Porter Campus, set to graduate May 6, said she has enjoyed the convenience of being able to grab a meal on campus.

Kelly Ramos, playing the role of Pepper, and Ghada Jadallah, chef for Dash of Salt ‘n Pepper, celebrate at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch last month. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Kelly Ramos, playing the role of Pepper, and Ghada Jadallah, chef for Dash of Salt ‘n Pepper, celebrate at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch last month.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

She had two classes on campus, so she didn’t want to leave to go get something to eat, because she would miss her other class.

The young woman, who plans to pursue a career in nursing, gave high marks to the coffee shop’s mac ‘n cheese.

Desiree Harding, who works at the campus, said she routinely gets breakfast at the coffee shop.

“Oh, my gosh, the food is delicious,” Harding said.

Biko Claxton, who works as a trainer, said the menu has plenty of healthy options.

“How many trainers do you know that send people to a restaurant?” Claxon asked.

Stan Giannet, provost of the Porter Campus, said the coffee shop opened earlier this year and has been a welcome addition.

“We’ve received very positive feedback from students, staff and faculty,” Giannet said. “It’s going very well. They have a good variety of healthy, fresh meals for students.

“We’re happy to have them on our campus,” Giannet said.

Chef Ghada Jadallah is delighted to offer her company’s foods at the Porter Campus.

“It’s an amazing experience,” she said. “It seems like this is the nicest thing that’s ever happened to us.”

She and her husband, Lutfi, own Dash of Salt ‘n Pepper, which has its main location at 10353 Cross Creek Blvd., in New Tampa.

Their son, Sami, manages the coffee shop at the college, and their daughter, Elyanna, is the head baker at the company’s main location. Kelly Ramos also works for the company, creating customized cookies.

Dash of Salt ‘n Pepper does catering for occasions up to 800 people. It has a private party room, which can accommodate 50 people.

The company also offers a service that allows customers to choose meals from a menu, which the company prepares and customers pick up. Some entrees are heat and serve. Others may require a short cooking time.

To find out more about Dash of Salt ‘n Pepper, visit DashOfSaltnPepper.com, or call (813) 376-6689.

Published May 6, 2015

Hospital CEO details expansion plans

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It’s less than three years old, but Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel is already experiencing growing pains.

Denyse Bales-Chubb, president/CEO of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel shared details of the hospital’s $78 million expansion plans at the April 7 breakfast of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce meeting.

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel is expanding to meet the needs of a growing community. This rendering shows what the hospital will look like, after expansion. (Courtesy of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel)
Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel is expanding to meet the needs of a growing community. This rendering shows what the hospital will look like, after expansion.
(Courtesy of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel)

Wesley Chapel’s growth is fueling the need for the hospital’s expansion, Bales-Chubb told the gathering at the conference center at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch. About 90 people were registered for the breakfast.

The hospital executive cited six new housing developments going in, totaling more than 5,000 houses.

“I’m hearing that Raymond James is going to be building here,” she added.

She continued ticking down the list.

“We had the Super Walmart that went in, since I’ve been here. The outlet mall is coming. The ice and sports complex — which we are a part of — the Mercedes Benz dealer, several hotels, some assisted living (facilities) that are coming in; there’s tremendous growth in the community.

“We need to make sure that we are growing and meeting the needs of this community,” Bales-Chubb added.

To prepare for increased demand, the hospital began last November to start developing plans for expansion.

The project that is set to begin construction in August will add 62 new private patient rooms, 17 emergency rooms, four surgical suites, 16 prep and observation rooms, and ancillary services to support patient care.

The hospital’s current three-story center wing will grow taller — becoming a six-floor building when the expansion work is done. A new three-story building will be constructed, to connect the hospital’s two existing wings.

When finished, the expansion will add nearly 112,000 square feet of new construction and nearly 11,000 square feet of renovated space to the hospital at 2600 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

“We expect to have actual ground crews here in August, and we will be doing a groundbreaking Aug. 5,” Bales-Chubb said. “We hope to get their certificate of occupancy in November 2016, with a grand opening of December 2016,” she said.

The hospital also plans to add 160 parking spaces for employees and staff.

The larger hospital will need more staff, too. Bales-Chubb predicts the hospital will hire the equivalent of 300 full-time employees.

The larger quarters and increased staff will enable the hospital to handle the growing demand for hospital beds and increased emergency visits.

Even with the current demand, “if you came and tried to find a bed, you’re going to have a wait before that bed is available,” Bales-Chubb said.

“We really do have patients that are literally waiting in our ED (emergency department) to get into an inpatient bed, because not everybody checks out at 11 o’clock, like you do at a hotel. It is a constant moving of patients, in and out,” she said.

The hospital’s emergency room is busy, too.

The emergency room has 18 beds, and as of December, year to date, each of those beds had 1,880 visits.

“So, that’s busy,” Bales-Chubb said. “We have a lot of patients going through our ED.”

Stan Giannet, provost at the Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, said the college already enjoys a solid relationship with the hospital, and the expansion will likely provide even more opportunities for students at his campus.

The hospital donates to the college’s scholarship fund for students in health occupations, he said. It also provides opportunities for clinical placements.

“Clinical placements are incredibly important for our students to apply the theoretical classroom knowledge to the real world,” Giannet said. “Having clinical placements already at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel has been very fruitful for students, and we’re grateful for that.”

The hospital’s expansion bodes well for graduates from Porter Campus, Giannet added, because it creates more employment opportunities for students graduating from its nursing, surgical technology and pharmacy technician programs.

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel is part of the Adventist Health System, a nonprofit health network that has 23 hospitals throughout the state.

Published April 15, 2015

New bus stop at Porter campus adds transportation options

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A new bus stop at Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch has provided another transportation option for students attending the Pasco-Hernando State College, and staff members working there.

This sign lets potential passengers know there’s a bus stop nearby. Pasco County Public Transportation has added a stop at Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, giving students and faculty at Pasco-Hernando State College another transportation option. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
This sign lets potential passengers know there’s a bus stop nearby. Pasco County Public Transportation has added a stop at Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, giving students and faculty at Pasco-Hernando State College another transportation option. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

Pasco County Public Transportation added the stop, effective Sept. 29, in a loop near the college’s parking garage. The satellite campus opened in Wesley Chapel last January.

The bus route runs along the State Road 54 corridor. Buses stop at the campus every two hours, from 8:07 a.m. to 6:07 p.m. Students riding the bus are eligible for discount fares and passes when they produce a valid PCPT photo identification card.

The bus stop features a covered shelter where riders can wait.

“This is a wonderful addition to the Pasco County Public Transportation system,” PCPT director Mike Carroll said, in a release. “I encourage students who use the campus to consider using the bus service as their main way to commute to school.”

Students who catch the bus will save money on gas and transportation costs, he said.

Cross County Route 54 also includes stops in Zephyrhills, Shops at Wiregrass, The Grove, the Target Shopping Center and Medical Center of Trinity.

Porter Campus provost Stan Giannet said the college appreciates PCPT’s decision to include a bus stop there.

“We have received inquiries from students about the bus stop, and based on these inquiries, current enrollment and future enrollment projections, we believe that the location will be utilized by a good number of students,” Giannet said.

The campus began its fall semester with an enrollment topping 2,100 students, an increase of nearly 300 students over its initial enrollment in January.

Published October 8, 2014

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Enrollment increases at Wiregrass Ranch’s Porter Campus

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Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch began its fall semester this week, with an enrollment topping 2,100.

That’s an increase of nearly 300 students over its initial enrollment in January, when Pasco-Hernando State College opened the satellite campus in Wesley Chapel.

Stan Giannet, the provost at Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, is looking forward to the campus’ first full academic year. The campus is a satellite of Pasco-Hernando State College. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Stan Giannet, the provost at Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, is looking forward to the campus’ first full academic year. The campus is a satellite of Pasco-Hernando State College.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

“We continue to exceed the enrollment expectations. We’re very delighted with that,” said Stan Giannet, provost at the campus on Mansfield Boulevard, just south of State Road 56 in Wesley Chapel.

“Compared to the spring term, we added another 70 class sections that were necessary based on the projected enrollment,” Giannet said.

On the first day of the fall semester, Patti Rocco, administrative assistant to Giannet, was excited about the 2014-15 academic year. She loves working on the Wesley Chapel campus, even though it means driving over an hour a day from Weeki Wachee to get there.

“It’s just wonderful. It’s like one big family,” Rocco said, noting she can’t say that’s been her experience in all of the jobs she’s had throughout the years.

The campus is a phenomenal place to work, she said. “It’s warm. It’s wanting to do what’s best for the students.”

So far, the most popular courses are those leading to an associate’s degree, as well as programs in information technology, nursing and human services, Giannet said. Students also are expressing an interest in business courses.

Debuting this fall are the bachelor’s degree program in supervision and management, and the surgical technology and pharmacy technician certification programs.

There are tracks within the management and supervision program that gear people for general management, health care management and public service management, Giannet said. The degree provides coursework to enable people to develop and hone the skills necessary to handle the responsibilities that managers and supervisors face.

The surgical technology and pharmacy technician programs will prepare graduates for jobs that are in high demand and that offer good pay, Giannet said.

Figures are not yet available, but Giannet said Porter Campus is attracting students from Hillsborough County, and those numbers appear to be growing. The campus also has a sizable number of students enrolled in its evening programs.

Classes are offered Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 9:40 p.m., and on Friday until 4:30 p.m. Registration for this semester ends Aug. 29, while registration for the spring semester begins in early November.

In addition to debuting new programs this fall, the college also will open a café in its library in September. It will offer salads, sandwiches and other light fare, Giannet said. The college always planned to have a café, it just took some time to go through the process to select a provider.

The campus is situated near many good restaurants in Wesley Chapel, so many students leave campus for meals, Giannet said. However, students carrying a full load do not have time to leave campus, so this café will provide a convenient way for them to grab a quick bite.

The campus continues to seek to create a sense of community among the students, faculty and staff, Giannet said. It also wants to play the role of an intellectual and cultural hub for the community at large.

“We want to be very open and inviting to our community,” he said.

One way that Giannet seeks to foster strong relationships with students is by hosting events such as Pizza with the Provost and Picnic with the Provost, where he has a chance to share campus news, to field questions from students, and to hear feedback about how things are going.

He also has a Provost Success Academy, which focuses on themes aimed at helping students succeed. As part of that academy, the college will host a domestic violence awareness symposium in October.

The overall goal of the campus is to engage students and provide assistance to help students succeed, Giannet said. He thinks students are taking advantage of opportunities available on campus.

“The amount of activity in our library — from the perspective of traffic utilizing library services — is comparable to our largest campus, which is the West Campus in New Port Richey,” Giannet said.

He describes the college’s personnel as being “very student-driven, student-focused, compassionate and caring.

“I think it’s clearly evident,” Giannet said. “We want to provide a meaningful experience for students when they’re on our campus.”

Published August 27, 2014

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Porter campus enrollment exceeds expectations

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The numbers are in, and they paint a bright outlook for Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, the new satellite campus for Pasco-Hernando State College.

Stan Giannet
Stan Giannet

Officials at the college had forecast an enrollment of 1,500 for the first semester of the new campus, located on Mansfield Boulevard just off State Road 56 and slightly east of Bruce B. Downs Boulevard. The actual count, however, came in at 1,749.

Stan Giannet, the provost for Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, said he had hoped for at least 2,400 students during the first year of operation, and that goal should be surpassed.

Most of the students enrolled there are between 18 and 30 years old, Giannet added. The statistics also show where the students are coming from.

Porter includes 587 students who had attended PHSC’s East Campus, 283 who had been going to the West Campus, 57 who traveled to the North Campus, and 29 who took courses at Spring Hill, Giannet said.

Some of those students may still be taking courses at other campuses, but they are now taking the majority of their courses at Porter, Giannet noted.

Porter Campus also attracted 180 students who have Tampa ZIP codes. But that was no surprise to Giannet.

College officials had expected Porter to draw students from Hillsborough County because the campus is so close to Interstate 75. For many Hillsborough residents, the PHSC campus is more convenient than other educational options.

Porter also has 358 students enrolled in Internet courses and 283 dual enrollment students. Most of the dual enrollment students — high school students earning college credits – attend Wiregrass Ranch and Wesley Chapel high school.

Enrollment figures indicate that general education courses leading to associate’s degrees are popular, as are allied health, business and information technology programs, Giannet said.

Popular information technology areas include associate’s degree programs in computer programming and analysis, networking services technology, Internet services technology and information technology security.

Giannet noted that the associate’s degree in human services — which leads toward a career in social services, social work and counseling — is attracting interest.

“This is very important for us because with the advent of our new behavioral health facility just down the corner from us,” Giannet said. “This will be a very good collaboration that we’ll forge.”

Giannet also expects the college to have a close partnership with Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel.

The college’s nursing department and the hospital are planning to work together to arrange rotations for the college’s nursing students. He also expects similar opportunities to develop for the college’s pharmacy technician and surgical technology students.

Plans also are in the works for Florida Hospital to provide some scholarship opportunities in the allied health areas for PHSC students, Giannet said.

Published Feb. 19, 2014

Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch is ready for students

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When Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch opens its doors to students on Jan. 13, it will mark a new chapter in Wesley Chapel history.

It will be the first time that students in that community will be able to attend college, without having to commute.

Stan Giannet is the provost of Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, a new satellite campus of Pasco-Hernando Community College set to open its doors to students on Jan. 13.
Stan Giannet is the provost of Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, a new satellite campus of Pasco-Hernando Community College set to open its doors to students on Jan. 13.

Stan Giannet, provost of Pasco-Hernando Community College’s fifth campus, is fired up about the campus’ inaugural day of classes.

“We’re ready. We’re poised to open successfully,” he said.

Porter Campus will have a beginning enrollment of about 1,300 individual students, which is within the college’s projections, Giannet said. Its inaugural staff consists of 48 full-time positions, including 15 faculty members and 33 staff members. There also will be a large number of adjunct faculty members.

Officials theorize students come from Wesley Chapel, choosing the Porter Campus over the college’s East Campus in Dade City and West Campus in New Port Richey. At the same time, the college also expects to pick up some enrollment from nearby counties.

“We also know that many students in Wesley Chapel might not have been going to school,” Giannet said. “There’s no doubt that we’ll be bringing in students from Hillsborough, maybe even Polk.”

Porter Campus officials won’t be able to pinpoint where the enrollment is coming from, however, until they do a ZIP code analysis, expected to take place after the semester begins, Giannet said.

The campus, at 2727 Mansfield Blvd., is situated off State Road 56, about two miles east of Interstate 75, in the heart of Wesley Chapel. It is across the street from the planned Raymond James financial services office park, next to Wiregrass Ranch High School, down the road from The Shops at Wiregrass and around the corner from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel.

In addition to offering a two-year degree program, the campus plans to launch two bachelor’s degree programs in the fall. One is a bachelor’s degree in nursing and the other is a bachelor’s in applied science, focusing on supervision and management.

In keeping with its new baccalaureate offerings, the Pasco-Hernando Community College board is scheduled to vote on Jan. 21 on a proposal to change the college’s name to Pasco-Hernando State College.

As it opens, the Porter Campus is offering about 160 bricks-and-mortar, face-to-face sections and about 15 hybrid sections, which includes online and face-to-face instruction, Giannet said.

“That’s not counting our nursing courses. We’ll have several courses in our nursing program, which is a limited access program,” he added.

Courses being offered run the gamut from microbiology and human anatomy, to psychology and sociology, to cinema and literature.

The campus also will be the only PHCC location to offer two new certification programs. Those programs are for surgery and pharmacy technicians, both fields where workers are in high demand.

Porter Campus has six buildings, including a seven-story classroom building — said to be the tallest structure in Pasco County. It consists of a three-story parking deck, topped by four floors of classrooms and labs.

The nursing lab on the fifth floor simulates a hospital ward. The equipment is so current that the mannequins there can talk and breathe, officials said during a November preview tour.

Porter Campus boasts a beautiful architectural design, Giannet said, but it won’t truly come to life until the students, staff and faculty are using it.

“We want to create a milieu, an ambience, that will be conducive to a totally meaningful experience — from the learning perspective and from the working perspective,” Giannet said.

He wants the campus’ staff and faculty to enjoy being at the campus, serving students and he wants students to enjoy being there, too.

“We have small classes, “ Giannet said, enabling teachers to know students by name.

He also plans to have an open-door policy.

“Students can come to the provost office at any time,” Giannet said. “If the student perceives that he or she is valued, they feel more invested in their education. The research is unequivocal: The more connected that students feel to the campus, to the faculty, to the events on campus, the greater the likelihood that they’ll be retained and will succeed.”

The college will work closely with guidance counselors at Wiregrass Ranch and Wesley Chapel high schools, he said. Besides being able to earn college and high school credits through dual enrollment programs, students also will have a chance to have their questions answered about degree programs available through the college.

Giannet said he’s gratified by the warm reception that the new campus has received.

“The community has shown a tremendous interest in the campus and in the programs we are going to have,” he said.

He expects the college to forge close relationships with businesses and organizations in the community. It already has established a relationship with Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel.

“We’ve developed a partnership for our students to have their clinicals on that site, for our nursing students and some of the other Allied Health. That’s already in the works,” he said.

Work also is under way to create opportunities for Porter students at the North Tampa Behavioral Health center, a new psychiatric hospital on State Road 56.

“As a psychologist, I’m very excited about that,” Giannet said.

The campus was named to honor the Porter family, which donated more than 60 acres for the facility. It is the same family that sold the land now occupied by The Shops at Wiregrass and Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel. The family also owns the land expected to become the site for the Raymond James office park.

 

Porter Campus aims to become hub of academic activity

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Deja Ventura couldn’t be more excited about the January opening of Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch in Wesley Chapel.

The new campus — PHCC’s fifth — will make life much easier for Ventura, a student at the college.

“I can’t wait,” she said.

Ventura and others attended an information session last week in a conference room at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel. There, faculty and administration for the new campus gave the crowd a virtual tour of the new facility, and shared their aspirations for the quality of education it will bring to its students.

Having a campus in Wesley Chapel will reduce Ventura’s commuting time for school by two hours, she said. It takes the 20-year-old an hour to drive each way to her classes now at PHCC’s New Port Richey campus.

Ventura’s also pleased that the new campus is near Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, where Ventura eventually wants to work.

The Wiregrass Ranch High School graduate said she was a patient at the hospital, and the positive experience she had there helped seal her decision to pursue a nursing degree.

Julio Rivera, an employee in the hospital’s cafeteria, is also looking forward to the opening of the new campus, as he pursues classes in information technology.

“I live 5 to 10 minutes from here,” he said. “I drive by here all of the time.” Rivera said.

Stan Giannet, provost of Porter Campus, was enthusiastic about what the school intends to offer its students.

“We’re very fired up,” Giannet said, noting that PHCC expects to branch into four-year degree programs next year, with bachelor’s degrees in nursing as well as supervision and management.

Stan Giannet, provost at Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, looks forward to creating a sense of community on campus and connections with the community it serves. (Photo by B.C. Manion)
Stan Giannet, provost at Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, looks forward to creating a sense of community on campus and connections with the community it serves. (Photo by B.C. Manion)

The community college has received approvals from the state for the programs and is awaiting approval on its application for accreditation for the programs.

Once that clears, PHCC plans to change its name to Pasco-Hernando State College.

The four-year programs are slated to begin in fall of 2014.

Porter Campus also plans to be the only PHCC location to offer two new certification programs that the college will launch in 2014. Those certification programs are for surgical and pharmacy technicians, both fields where workers are in high demand.

One of the college’s missions is to help address workplace needs. “We want to be at the table to offer some solutions,” Giannet said.

The new campus is well equipped to serve student needs, Giannet said. It has a seven-story building, which includes four stories of classrooms on top of a three-story parking deck.

Beyond traditional classrooms, it also has nursing, computer and science labs as well as a two-story library. The nursing labs are so current that the mannequins used there can breathe and talk.

The campus also features two outdoor plaza areas, which Giannet believes will be popular places for people to congregate, for academic discussions and social gatherings.

He aspires to make the new campus an intellectual, cultural and community hub.

“We want to make it a vibrant campus for this community,” Giannet said.

The campus doesn’t have a cafeteria, but Giannet said students, staff and faculty members have many dining opportunities nearby.

“It’s so ideally situated in the heart of Wesley Chapel. There are restaurants that are peppering this entire area,” he said, adding that the library will have a coffee shop.

Besides offering a wide variety of programs, the college is committed to helping its students succeed, Giannet said.

“You are not a number. You are known. This is the kind of climate we are going to have at Porter Campus at Wiregrass,” Giannet said.

Courses will be offered in a variety of ways. Some will be taught in the traditional mode of a teacher delivering face-to-face instruction. Some will be offered online. Some will be a combination of both.

Pam Medley, the assistant dean of student development, said the college wants to help students get the classes they need.

Those transferring in must be sure to get their transcripts, to help them during the enrollment process, she said. Unofficial records can be used during the registration process, but official records are needed to release financial aid.

It’s also important for high school graduates to be aware that they can enroll as early as May for classes that begin in August.

The college will work closely with high schools for dual enrollment, where high school students can earn college credits, Medley said. She expects those relationships to be especially close between the college and Wiregrass Ranch High School, which is across the street from the new campus, and with Wesley Chapel High School, which is nearby.

The college also has a Teaching-Learning Center, which is committed to helping students achieve their potential. The idea is to help students engage in learning, whether they are tackling a complex research project or struggling to stay on pace, said Natalie Epo, coordinator of the Teaching-Learning Center.

Classes at Porter Campus are set to begin Jan. 13.

For more information, go to www.PHCC.edu.