South Florida Community College

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South Florida Community College

Established:	July 7, 1965
Type:	Community college
President:	Dr. Norman L. Stephens, Jr.
Location:	Highlands County, DeSoto County, and Hardee County, Florida, United States
Website:	http://www.southflorida.edu/

South Florida Community College (SFCC), serving more than 19,000 area residents annually, has campuses and centers in Highlands, DeSoto and Hardee counties, Fla. The Highlands Campus, on 228 acres, is located two miles south of Avon Park, Florida. It is bounded on the north by Lake Lelia, to the south by Lake Glenada, and to the west by U.S. Highway 27. SFCC is a public college offering associate's degrees in more than 60 fields of study. The college also offers selected bachelor's and master's degrees and a doctoral degree in partnership with four-year colleges and universities. Specialized courses are geared for adult education needs and coursework is offered through a mix of traditional classroom and distance learning instructional modalities. An athletic program fields teams in volleyball, softball, and baseball.

This college is oriented toward educating and training the citizens of its area for jobs in great demand in the area. It has course offerings in a variety of subjects, including corrections, law enforcement, nursing and other health fields, and the citrus industry. In September of 2002, Dr. Norman L. Stephens, Jr. became the President of South Florida Community College.[1]

[edit] Campuses and Centers

The Highlands Campus, between Avon Park and Sebring, Florida.
The Lake Placid Center, in Lake Placid, Florida.
The Hardee Campus, at Bowling Green, Florida.
The DeSoto Campus, at Arcadia, Florida.
The Hotel Jacaranda, in downtown Avon Park.
The Crews Center, in Avon Park.
The Teacherage, in Sebring, Florida.
The Lorida Center, in Lorida, Florida.

Since 2002, the Highlands Campus has been home to the SFCC Museum of Florida Art and Culture (MOFAC), which is open October through May, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, 12:30-4:30 p.m. SFCC MOFAC provides an exhibition venue for contemporary Florida regional artists and preserves Florida’s history and heritage through its art. The Museum also serves as a repository for the discoveries unearthed by members of the Kissimmee Valley Archaeological and Historical Conservancy.

The Hardee and Desoto campuses and Lake Placid Center have administrative offices and various classrooms catering to a variety of vocational and academic programs.

The Hotel Jacaranda serves a variety of purposes. It has dormitory facilities for SFCC students, and commercial hotel rooms for guests. The Hotel Jacaranda Dining Room is a restaurant where food service students learn culinary and food management skills. Finally, several administrative offices are located in the Hotel, and remaining office space is rented out.

The Crews Center has facilities for commercial driving students and plumbing and electrical apprenticeship students.

The Teacherage is an administrative office dealing with SFCC's public teacher education program.

The Lorida Center is a small facility where a few SFCC classes and seminars are offered.

[edit] History

In 1960, efforts began to open a junior college in Avon Park. In 1965, the college was founded as South Florida Junior College. A Highlands-Hardee Junior College Advisory Committee was appointed by the Florida State Board of Education. Dr. William A. Stallard was appointed as the first president of the college. The first term of college began in temporary quarters in Avon Park on Aug. 22, 1966. The first term had a full-time faculty of 14, serving 164 full-time students and 119 part-time and evening students.

The college immediately began expansion of its programs and even had a basketball team in its first year of existence. In 1968, the college became fully accredited by the state, the first junior college to gain full accreditation in less than three years. That same year, a vocational technical program was started and groundbreaking ceremonies were held on the Highlands Campus's current site.

In January 1970, permanent facilities for the college's staff were completed and the staff was moved there. In 1974, the vocational buildings, a bookstore, and a student center were constructed. The school's auditorium was completed in 1978, and in 1982 the gymnasium was completed.

In January 1984, Dr. Stallard retired as president and Dr. Richard Morley was named interim president. In March 1984, the College District Board of Trustees renamed the South Florida Junior College with its present name, South Florida Community College. Two months later, the South Florida Community College Foundation, Inc., held its first meeting. The Foundation's goal was to offer grants and scholarships to SFCC students. In July 1984, Dr. Catherine Cornelius became SFCC's president.

In late 1984, the DeSoto and Lake Placid centers of SFCC were opened. The DeSoto Center first had three classrooms and an office. Today the DeSoto Campus is housed in a large modern building. The Lake Placid Center was established in a former public school. Today this center consists of five buildings. The DeSoto Center originally had three classrooms and an office in the Fountain Plaza. A new campus was built in 2003 with much more space.

In 1988, the Hotel Jacaranda was acquired. The hotel was built in the 1920s and was a distinguished hotel for many years. Babe Ruth, George Burns and Gracie Allen, among others, stayed there. The hotel has since been developed to fit SFCC's needs as a residence facility as well as various community needs.

Telecourses were first offered by SFCC in 1992. In 1993, the Public Service Academy (PSA) was opened. This unit provides training and education in criminal justice, emergency medical services, and law endorcement.

In 1999, the Crews Center was opened. In 2002, MOFAC and the SFCC University Center, which houses the college's bachelor's and advanced degree programs, were opened. Also, that year Dr. Norman L. Stephens, Jr. became president of SFCC.

In 2003, the Dental Education Center opened. The Hardee Campus and the DeSoto Campus also opened.