Florida School of the Arts
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Former names
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St. Johns River Community College |
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| Type | State college |
| Established | 1958 |
| Chairman | Diane P. Leone |
| President | Joe Pickens |
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Academic staff
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109 |
| Students | 7291 (2010 Fall) |
| Location | Palatka, Florida, United States |
| Campus |
Palatka campus 93 acres (0.38 km2) St. Augustine campus 165.2 acres (0.669 km2) Orange Park campus 95.68 acres (0.3872 km2) Total: 353.88 acres (1.4321 km2) |
| Athletics |
NJCAA • Baseball • Softball • Volleyball |
| Mascot | Vikings |
| Affiliations | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Florida College System |
| Website | www.sjrstate.edu |
St. Johns River State College is a state college located in Northeast Florida with campuses in Palatka, St. Augustine, and Orange Park. Founded in 1958 (for organizational purposes) as St. Johns River Junior College, it is a member institution of the Florida College System, and is one of several colleges in the system designated a "state college", meaning they can offer more four-year bachelor degrees than traditional two-year community colleges. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Notably, Florida School of the Arts, Florida's first state-sponsored arts school, is housed within the Palatka Campus.
According to the college's Web site, the first president, Dr. B. R. Tilley, was appointed in 1958 and the college opened its doors that year; however Walter Smith states that Tilley was appointed in 1959 "to plan for the opening". Initial classes were held in a Baptist church, until it could build its Palatka facility; the school later expanded with campuses in Orange Park and St. Augustine in order to serve Putnam, St. Johns, and Clay Counties. It was founded simultaneously with Collier-Blocker Junior College, for negro students, and nominally absorbed the institution in 1964, although none of the faculty and few of the students moved to St. Johns. Between 1966 and 2011, when it adopted its current name, it changed its name to St. Johns River Community College. The adoption of its current name coincided with its designation as a state college that can offer a greater number of bachelor's degrees to its academic programs. The current president of the college is Joe Pickens. He took over from Dr Robert L. McLendon, Jr., who had served as president of the college from 1972–2008.
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