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SJRCC Press Release
February 2009
SJRCC moves forward with bachelor’s degree plans
The St. Johns River Community College District Board of Trustees unanimously approved the College’s request to initiate the first step toward offering a four-year degree. The Trustees participated in a workshop presented by Vice President Rosalind Humerick on Wednesday to determine if the 50-year-old College should proceed with what will be the first of many steps - conducting a community interest/need survey. Results from the survey could justify applying to become a state college and offering a bachelor’s degree by as early as August 2010.
“I see it as the next step for community colleges," SJRCC President Joe Pickens said, predicting that all 28 of Florida’s community colleges will one day offer a bachelor’s degree. “The issue isn’t that something is wrong with the community college system, but that there are not enough baccalaureate degree institutions to meet the need in Florida.”
The survey, to be conducted by an internal panel of administrators, will be given to students and community members as well as members of the workforce industry to indicate where the biggest needs lie. “We need to give the survey plenty of time and listen carefully to what the community tells us,” Pickens said.
Board Chairman William “Bunky” Roberts announced that if the funding is available, the College should proceed with the opportunity. “We don’t want to get left behind,” Roberts said.
Although Pickens admitted that funding would be the College’s biggest challenge, he announced that a bill could soon pass allowing state universities to control their own tuition, thus doubling universities’ tuition in as little as five years. “The financial realities of students being place-bound presents a bigger need for our offerings,” Pickens said.
Programs discussed for bachelor’s degree possibilities included nursing, early childhood education (Pre-K through third grade) and fine arts. In addition to the degree(s) will be a new name for the College.
Additional criteria needed once an interest and need are established is whether the College offers sufficient facilities, faculty and other resources. The College has until May to present its survey presentation to the Board and until June 1 to submit its letter of intent to the Department of Education.
Currently, 13 of the state’s 28 community colleges offer baccalaureate degrees. Colleges that have already made the switch include FCCJ, Daytona State College, Chipola College, Broward College, St. Petersburg College, Northwest Florida State College (formerly Okaloosa-Walton) and most recently, Santa Fe College in Gainesville. Trustees from Central Florida Community College in Ocala have recently approved commencement for a bachelor’s degree program for the fall of 2010.
For eight years, SJRCC has provided access to baccalaureate degree programs through university partnerships. SJRCC currently answers the demand for nurses, radiologic technicians, respiratory care therapists and law enforcement officers with two-year associate in science degrees and for teachers with its EPI program.
The last time SJRCC changed its name was in 1977 when it was called St. Johns River Junior College. SJRCC serves approximately 10,000 students on three full-service campuses in Palatka, Orange Park and St. Augustine.
PHOTO CAPTION:
SJRCC President Joe Pickens (far right) discusses with administrators and Trustees the lack of baccalaureate degree institutions in Florida and the College’s request to answer that shortage. The Trustees approved a survey request the College will need to conduct as the first step toward applying to become a state college and offer its first four-year degree.
Return to SJRCC home page.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Susan Kessler
SJRCC Director of Public Relations and Publications
5001 St. Johns Avenue
Palatka, FL 32177
(386) 312-4020
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