Pinellas County resident Dr. Thomas Furlong is deeply passionate about higher education.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Between 2001 and 2019, he served in three key leadership roles at St. Petersburg College: senior vice president of baccalaureate programs and university partnerships, interim president and interim vice president for academic affairs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Earlier this month, SPC named its Bachelor of Science in Educational Studies and Community Leadership program in Furlong\u2019s honor.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a nice surprise,\u201d he told the Catalyst. \u201cIt meant a lot that people are thinking about me when I\u2019m actually retired now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
One of Furlong\u2019s most notable achievements at SPC was helping to launch the institution\u2019s first bachelor programs in education, nursing and technology management.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Previously, only universities were allowed to offer bachelor degrees. In the early 2000s, State of Florida leaders saw an opportunity to make workforce education more accessible. Certain industries were in high need of employees.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Furlong was serving as the State Board of Community Colleges deputy executive director at the time. He helped develop the legislation that allowed SPC to become the pilot college for workforce bachelor programs. Once the law took effect, the institution\u2019s Board of Trustees asked Furlong to help implement it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMost of the other community colleges weren\u2019t too excited about doing this,\u201d he explained. \u201cSo, we were really on the spot.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
By 2009, SPC had over 4,000 baccalaureate students, 2,000 baccalaureate graduates and over 20 majors, according to an organization blog post.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a big shortage of nurses and there was also a shortage of teachers,\u201d Furlong added. \u201cThe three local school superintendents asked us to get involved in this and helped us lobby the legislature to allow us to be the pilot college.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now, all 28 of the community institutions in Florida offer at least two or three workforce bachelors programs, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe state wanted to make sure that we weren\u2019t going to be doing things that were on purpose competitive with universities,\u201d Furlong explained. \u201cWe made commitments on that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
After receiving his bachelor\u2019s degree in psychology from La Salle University in Philadelphia, Furlong would earn a master\u2019s degree in counselor education from Florida State University.\u00a0<\/p>\n
However, he eventually decided to pursue a postsecondary education management doctorate degree from Florida State. This focus on academia led to Furlong\u2019s state policy career in Tallahassee.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He has held various positions including Florida Postsecondary Education Planning Commission executive director and Florida Association of Colleges and Universities executive director. Furlong also served twice as the chief academic officer of the Florida College System.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before joining SPC, he was the vice president for educational services at Tallahassee Community College, from 1987 to 1995.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDr. Tom Furlong\u2019s impact on St. Petersburg College is woven into the very fabric of who we are today,\u201d said SPC president Dr. Tonjua Williams in a statement to the Catalyst.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis vision and leadership helped make SPC the first community college in Florida authorized to offer bachelor\u2019s degrees, creating opportunities for thousands of students to earn workforce-focused degrees and transform their lives. Naming this program in his honor recognizes not only his contributions to SPC, but his lasting influence on higher education throughout Florida.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
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