South Florida Community College
| Type | College |
|---|---|
| Established | July 7, 1965 |
| President | Dr. Thomas C. Leitzel. |
| Location | Highlands County, DeSoto County, and Hardee County, Florida, United States |
| Website | http://www.southflorida.edu/ |
South Florida State College (SFSC), with campuses in Highlands, DeSoto and Hardee counties, is one of 28 colleges within the Florida College System. As of 2012, South Florida Community College became known as "South Florida State College."
SFSC was founded in 1965 and serves around 16,000 students a year. The 228 acres (0.92 km2) Highlands Campus is located two miles (3 km) south of Avon Park, Florida. The college is on an isthmus, bounded on the north by Lake Lelia, to the south by Lake Glenada, and to the west by U.S. Highway 27. SFSC is a public college offering college credit certificates, occupational certificates, and associate degrees in more than 60 fields of study as well as bachelor of science degrees in nursing and elementary education, and a bachelor of applied science degree in business management and supervision. Through the SFSC University Center, SFSC partners with other four-year colleges and universities to offer selected bachelor's and master's degrees. Specialized courses are geared for adult education needs and course work is offered through a combination of traditional classroom and distance learning instruction. An athletic program fields teams in women's volleyball, women's softball, and men's baseball.
This college educates and trains residents of its service district for high-demand jobs. It has course offerings in a variety of subjects, including automotive technology, auto body collision repair, cosmetology, computer networking and programming, corrections, law enforcement, electronics, dental assisting and dental hygiene, nursing, and agriculture.
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.
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