2006-07 College Catalog - South Florida State College

5HWXUQWR6HFWLRQ0HQXGeneral College InformationSouth Florida Community CollegeVision:“We believe in the worth each of our students and, throughall of our educational programs and services, we seek todevelop human potential and to create brighter futures.”SFCC Mission and Purposes:South Florida Community College is a comprehensive,open-access, higher education institution dedicated toproviding a learning-centered environment throughexcellent programs, training, and services. Working inpartnership with organizations and communities, we offerleadership and opportunities for educational, cultural, andeconomic development of the College District.The College assists the people of the College District,including DeSoto, Hardee, and Highlands counties,regardless of economic, social, or educational backgroundto achieve success in:• Completing an associate degree in preparation forpursuing a baccalaureate or other professional degreeor credential;• Completing career and technical training in order to enterthe workforce, or to improve career circumstances;• Completing college preparatory programs of studyincluding earning of a high school diploma;• Obtaining basic skills in literacy, numeracy, andcitizenship in order to prosper as a contributing memberof society;• Gaining personal, cultural, and global awareness,appreciation, and understanding needed in a complexcontemporary society;• Pursuing advanced academic preparation andcredentials available through partnerships with collegesand universities; and• Participating in the social, cultural, environmental, andeconomic development of the communities served bythe College.SFCC Institutional Core Values:Integrity – personal and intellectual; honest and opencommunication; fairness; trust; mutual respect; ethicalleadership;Service – in service-learning and through servantleadership;to students, to communities, and to the entireCollege District;Community – through ensuring cultural diversity;inclusiveness, and collaboration; responsive and productivepartnerships; share resources;Learning – comprehensive, life-enriching; building anenvironment for success through innovation; creative andcontinuous improvement;Excellence – in teaching, creative thinking, scholarship,professionalism, and leadership; accessibility; in ourexpectations for our students;Accountability – personal and institutional; internal andexternal; strategic and fiscal; successful management withintegrated planning and assessment of program andinstitutional effectiveness; andResponsibility – honor commitments in all initiatives,leadership endeavors, and teamwork; local and globalenvironmental stewardship.HistoryFurthering the established policy of placing high-quality postsecondaryeducation within commuting distance of 99percent of Florida’s population, the 1965 Legislatureauthorized the establishment of a state-supported juniorcollege in Highlands County to serve the needs of thecitizens of DeSoto, Hardee, and Highlands counties.The College began operation in August 1966 in temporarydonated facilities provided to the community by publicspirited citizens of the City of Avon Park. These facilities orbuildings were renovated, air conditioned, and partlyfurnished by voluntary contributions of many interestedindividuals and organizations of Hardee and Highlandscounties, and by the municipalities of Avon Park, BowlingGreen, Lake Placid, and Sebring.The College established contact with the SouthernAssociation of Colleges and Schools during its first year ofoperation, and was fully accredited during the third year ofoperation.Since its inception, South Florida Community College wasdesignated as the Area Technical School to serve Hardeeand Highlands counties and later, DeSoto County.8