The Florida Board of Education today approved Broward Community College’s application to offer Bachelor of Science in Education degrees.
“This is an historic day for this outstanding college, marking the beginning of our offering our first bachelor’s degrees,” said BCC President J. David Armstrong, Jr.
BCC’s application outlined its plans to offer teaching concentrations in five areas: middle grades mathematics, middle grades general science, secondary biology, secondary mathematics and exceptional student education.
At today’s board meeting, BCC and Palm Beach Community College were first-time applicants seeking approval to offer baccalaureate programs. Chipola College, Daytona Beach Community College, Edison College and Florida Community College at Jacksonville, which already offer baccalaureate programs, presented their proposals to offer additional programs. Additionally, Okaloosa-Walton College sought authorization to change its Bachelor of Science in nursing program from a joint program to a sole-delivery one.
BCC’s path to approval began in spring of 2007, when the Broward Community College District Board of Trustees directed the college to begin the application process. By summer, the paperwork had been submitted to the state. Since then, the application has undergone extensive review and met criteria for approval.
Since receiving approval from the FBOE, BCC’s next steps are to receive programmatic approval from the state and gain approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to move from a Level I (associate degree-granting) school to a Level II (baccalaureate degree-granting) institution.
Should BCC gain these approvals as anticipated, the college could begin offering classes in the baccalaureate programs in the fall of 2008.
“We will now begin several months of important implementation and execution of our plan, including reviews along the way by DOE and accreditors,” Armstrong said.
“We’re charged up,” said Donna Henderson, interim vice president for academic affairs. “We’re on a roll now and we’re excited.”
History of baccalaureate degrees at Florida community colleges
In 1999, the Florida Legislature passed legislation which allows community colleges to seek approval to grant bachelor’s degrees in areas of high demand when community colleges and upper-division universities could not establish partnerships to fulfill community needs.
In 2001, Senate bill 1162 placed into statute (1007.33 F.S.) the process through which community colleges seek approval by the FBOE to grant bachelor’s degrees in certain areas. St. Petersburg College was the first community college to receive approval to offer baccalaureate programs. Three community colleges – Chipola, Edison and Miami Dade – were approved in 2002. Okaloosa-Walton College was approved in 2003; Daytona Beach Community College was approved in 2004, FCCJ in 2006 and Indian River Community College was approved in 2007.
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