The Florida College System, previously the Florida Community College System, is a system of 28

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichk ...

community colleges A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior sec ...

and state colleges in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. In 2013-14, enrollment consisted of more than 813,000 students. Together with the State University System of Florida, which consists of Florida's twelve public

universities A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...

, the two systems control all public

higher education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after comple ...

in the state of Florida. While governed by local boards of trustees, the colleges are coordinated under the jurisdiction of Florida's State Board of Education. Administratively, the chancellor of the Florida College System is the chief executive officer of the system, reporting to the commissioner of Education who serves as the chief executive officer of Florida's public education system. In 2009, the Florida Legislature changed the name from the "Florida Community College System" to the "Florida College System," reflecting the fact that some of its member institutions now offer four-year

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

s. Only two schools in the Florida College System still have the word "community" in their official name: Hillsborough Community College and Tallahassee Community College. Map of the Florida College System

Member institutions

Student profile

Mission and offerings

Section (s.) 1004.65, Florida Statutes (F.S.), establishes the primary mission and responsibility of Florida College System institutions as responding to community needs for post secondary academic education and career degree education. This mission and responsibility includes: :(a) Providing lower level undergraduate instruction and awarding associate degrees. :(b) Preparing students directly for careers requiring less than baccalaureate degrees. This may include preparing for job entry, supplementing of skills and knowledge, and responding to needs in new areas of technology. Career education in a Florida College System institution shall consist of career certificates, credit courses leading to associate in science degrees and associate in applied science degrees, and other programs in fields requiring substantial academic work, background, or qualifications. A Florida College System institution may offer career education programs in fields having lesser academic or technical requirements. :(c) Providing student development services, including assessment, student tracking, support for disabled students, advisement, counseling, financial aid, career development, and remedial and tutorial services, to ensure student success. :(d) Promoting economic development for the state within each Florida College System institution district through the provision of special programs, including, but not limited to: ::1. Enterprise Florida-related programs. ::2. Technology transfer centers. ::3. Economic development centers. ::4. Workforce literacy programs. :(e) Providing dual enrollment instruction. :(f) Providing upper level instruction and awarding baccalaureate degrees as specifically authorized by law. A separate and secondary role for Florida College System institutions includes the offering of programs in: :(a) Community services that are not directly related to academic or occupational advancement. :(b) Adult education services, including adult basic education, adult general education, adult secondary education, and General Educational Development test instruction. :(c) Recreational and leisure services. In addition, s. 1007.33(2), F.S., requires that any Florida College System institution that offers one or more baccalaureate degree programs: :(a) Maintain as its primary mission: ::1. Responsibility for responding to community needs for post secondary academic education and career degree education as prescribed in s. 1004.65(5), F.S. ::2. The provision of associate degrees that provide access to a university. :(b) Maintain an open-door admission policy for associate-level degree programs and workforce education programs. :(c) Continue to provide outreach to underserved populations. :(d) Continue to provide remedial education. :(e) Comply with all provisions of the statewide articulation agreement which relate to 2-year and 4-year public degree-granting institutions as adopted by the State Board of Education pursuant to s. 1007.23, F.S.

Athletics

The schools athletic teams are governed by the

Florida State College Activities Association Florida College System Activities Association Incorporated (FCSAA) is the governing body for all extracurricular activities of the member schools of the Florida College System. Activities include athletics, Brain Bowl, forensics, music, publicati ...

(FSCAA) and compete in the

National Junior College Athletic Association The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), founded in 1938, is the governing association of community college, state college and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 separate regions ...

Region 8.

Chancellors and directors

Timeline

James L. Wattenbarger James Lorenzo Wattenbarger (May 2, 1922 – August 14, 2006) was an American educator. A native of Cleveland, Tennessee, Wattenbarger is credited as being the Father of the Community College System of Florida. His doctoral dissertation at the Un ...

, distinguished service professor emeritus, University of Florida and Harry T. Albertson, former chief executive officer, Florida Association of Community Colleges, outlined the history of the Florida College System through 2009.

References

External links

* {{authority control State agencies of Florida 1933 establishments in Florida Public university systems in the United States