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College Background The College
Broward Community College provides higher education and
technical and occupational training for the citizens of Broward County,
its district by law. As the first public higher education institution in
the county, Broward Community College functions as the principal provider
of undergraduate higher education for the residents of Broward County: As
one of the twenty eight community colleges in the Florida system, Broward
Community College is designed to be a community-based institution that offers
a comprehensive range of programs responsive to changes in the community
and in technology. Where appropriate, these programs are articulated with
the public school system, area vocational schools, and upper-level institutions
to insure that students can move smoothly from one system to another.
Through this wide variety of degree and certificate programs and continuing education courses, the College attracts a great diversity of students, including individuals planning to complete a bachelor's degree program, people seeking to acquire job-entry skills, employees desiring to upgrade skills for promotion or career change, and individuals seeking education for their personal enrichment. From high school students who enroll in a course to accelerate their college education, to retirees who return to education after decades devoted to other pursuits, a multitude of age groups is represented at Broward Community College. These culturally diverse students span the learning spectrum from developmental to gifted. The College's programs and services are designed to serve the community by meeting the higher education needs of all these individuals. Serving as the principal entry level institution for higher education in its district, the College is also a source of cultural enrichment; a resource for community development, business, and industry; and an avenue for continued skill upgrading and enhancement and retraining. As a public comprehensive community college, the College serves well its role as a significant segment of America's higher education effort. The College District Board of Trustees, the legal governing body for the operation of the College, serves as a corporate body with all powers necessary and proper for governance and operation. Trustees are appointed by the Governor, approved by the State Board of Education, and confirmed by the Florida State Senate. The College operates under statutory authority and rules of the State Board of Education. The State Board of Community Colleges, which is subject to the overall supervision of the State Board of Education, is responsible for state- wide leadership in overseeing and coordinating the individually governed public community colleges. Operational funding for college programs is provided by state appropriation and student fees. Construction and building maintenance funds are provided through state-wide capital outlay bonds, not through local property taxes. History
In 1959 the Florida State Legislature authorized the establishment of the Junior College of Broward County. With the appointment of a local Advisory Committee under State Board of Education Regulations in October of that year, the College began to develop. Dr. Joe B. Rushing undertook his responsibilities as the first President on April 7, 1960. The following Autumn, with an enrollment of 701 students, the College opened its doors in buildings formerly used by the Naval Air Station at the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport. From this beginning, the College has experienced solid growth in facilities, number of students, and quality of programs. When the first permanent building was completed in August 1963, the College moved to its present Central Campus location on Southwest Davie Road in Davie. Dr. Rushing resigned as President in 1965. His successor was Dr. Myron Blee. Dr. Hugh Adams became the third President, assuming his duties on April 15, 1968. In May 1968, to be compatible with State terminology, the College changed its name to Broward Junior College. In July, the Florida Legislature, in special session, withdrew the State Junior Colleges from governance by the Boards of Public Instruction. Thus, the Advisory Board of Broward Junior College became the governing District Board of Trustees. In September 1970, the Board changed the name of the college to Broward Community College - a name that more aptly represents the comprehensive nature of the College's programs. The College has several centers and numerous off-campus facilities. The Downtown Center is the site of the College's administrative offices. Tigertail Lake, on Ravenswood Road in Fort Lauderdale, is leased from the County for various instructional and recreational purposes. Currently, Broward Community College has three main campuses. After Dr. Adams announced his intent to retire on December 31,1986, Central Campus was renamed the A. Hugh Adams Central Campus in his honor. In addition to the A. Hugh Adams Central Campus on Southwest Davie Road in Davie, the College has a North Campus on Coconut Creek Boulevard in Coconut Creek, and the Judson A. Samuels South Campus on Hollyvood Boulevard in Pembroke Pines. The Center for Health Science has its administrative offices on Southwest Davie Road, but offers courses at each of the other three locations. With the retirement of Dr. Adams, the District Board of Trustees appointed Dr. Wlllis N. Holcombe President, effective January 1,1987. That same month, the opening of University Tower expanded the instructional activity at the Downtown Center. The 1988 Florida Legislature established the Florida-Israel Institute to be coordinated by Broward Community College and Florida Atlantic University to promote educational, cultural, and commercial linkages between Florida and Israel. In September 1988, the Buehler Planetarium re-opened after an extensive renovation that included installation of a state-of-the-art star dome and a Zeiss projector that doubled the number of available stars. That same month, Judson A. Samuels South Campus opened its modular complex comprised of classrooms, faculty offices, and a pavilion. Head count enrollment for Term I, of 1988-89 numbered 21,370, a 9.1 percent increase over the Fall 1987 term. These students were taught by 294 full-time and over 450 part-time faculty. The College has been conducting study/travel tours to foreign countries since 1974. Wlth the establishment of the Division of InternationaVIntercultural Education in 1977, the College offers students the opportunity to study for a semester in various countries, induding Spain, England, and Israel. Broward Community College, beginning with a small university-parallel program, has expanded its curricula to include many technical and occupational programs. Additional university-parallel courses are offered at numerous locations in Broward County as well as several locations internationally. Philosophy
As an institution committed to the ideal of the worth and dignity of the individual, Broward Community College recognizes the religious, racial, and cultural diversity of its students and staff and endeavors to provide equal educational opportunity for all students. Furthermore, the College fosters the value of lifelong learning as it strives through teaching excellence to enable students to appreciate knowledge and to acquire an education which will assist them in assuming positive roles in a changing society. Believing that educated people should be guided in their behavior by decency and civility, the College values honesty, integrity, and social responsibility among both its staff and its students. Furthermore, it aspires to empower students with the critical thinking and problem-solving skills, global perspective, clarified values, and creativity that will enable them to make moral choices and ethical decisions in all aspects of their lives. In addition, the College embraces a commitment to American democratic values and culture, the principles of responsible citizenship, life enrichment, and self-awareness. Accreditation Broward Community College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award Associate Degrees. The College is also authorized by the Florida Department of Education. Equal Opportunity Policy Sites and Buildings North Campus, which is adjacent to the Florida Turnpike at Exit 67 and south of Coconut Creek Parkway in Coconut Creek, covers approximately 113 acres. North Campus has thirteen buildings that include the multipurpose OMNI and the Broward Community College/North Regional Library. The newest addition is the Health Sciences Center II, completed in 1996. The Judson A. Samuels South Campus, which is located west of the Florida Turnpike on Hollywood/Pines Boulevard at 72nd Avenue in Pembroke Pines, covers approximately 103 acres. The campus has ten buildings, including joint use of the Broward Community College/South Regional Library that was completed in October 1983. The twenty acres of land facing Hollywood Boulevard are landscaped to create a park-like setting. A new Student Services Building is scheduled for completion in January 1998. The Downtown Center is located on East Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale, with over 60,000 square feet; it houses the District Offices, classrooms, science and computer labs, and a full array of student services. The Downtown Center is surrounded by the Main Library of the Broward County Library System, the Performing Arts Center, the Discovery Center, the Museum of Art and Riverwalk. |
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