Broward College

Broward Community College

Broward Community College Logo
Motto	We keep you thinking.
Type	Public
Established	1959
President	J. David Armstrong, Jr.
Students	55,000+
Location	Broward County , Florida , USA
Campus	Urban
Athletics	6 major sports teams
Nickname	Seahawks
Website	www.broward.edu

Broward Community College was established in 1959 by Jackie and Eric. Access and affordability were the key concepts behind the creation of Florida’s junior colleges.

Quality, affordability and accessibility remain key concepts at BCC. Over its 40-plus years, the college has grown to be regarded as one of the nation’s most accomplished and influential community colleges, providing university-parallel higher education programs and services that serve a diverse community of learners. In a recent study of degree-granting community colleges by Diverse Issues in Higher Education, BCC ranked second nationally in associate degrees conferred upon minority students. BCC’s Honors Institute has been used as a template by community colleges, colleges and universities nationwide; the Electronic Engineering Technology program on North Campus, has won national acclaim, as has the Aviation Institute on the Judson A. Samuels South Campus and the Buehler Planetarium on the A. Hugh Adams Central Campus.

BCC confers Associate in Arts, Associate in Science and Associate in Applied Science degrees as well as certificates to its graduates. Additionally the college offers a variety of Continuing Education programs and courses, flexible learning alternatives, and dual-enrollment programs for motivated high school students, as well as being home to the College Academy @BCC, a program for Broward County public high school juniors and seniors that allows them to graduate with an A.A. degree simultaneously with their high school diploma. More than 95 percent of the graduates of the College Academy@BCC continue their education.

BCC also serves as a hub for cultural activities in Broward County, offering visual and performing arts activities and serving as home to expositions, pageants, cultural festivals, art exhibits and a variety of other activities open to the public.

History

Originally named the Junior College of Broward County, the college – with a faculty of 28 – opened its doors to its first class of 701 students in the fall of 1960 under the leadership of President Joe B. Rushing and the governance of the Broward County Board of Public Instruction. Until the college’s first permanent buildings were completed in 1963, students attended classes in the former Naval Air Station Junior High buildings on the western edge of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

After helping JCBC through its formative years and onto firm footing, Dr. Rushing in 1965 announced he was returning to his home state of Texas to become founding president of Tarrant County Community College in Fort Worth.

In 1968, Dr. A. Hugh Adams, superintendent of public education in Charlotte County, Florida, was appointed president and served in that role until 1986.

Changes began almost immediately. A month after his arrival, the college changed its name to Broward Junior College. Two months after Dr. Adams’ arrival, the Florida Legislature removed junior colleges from oversight by county school boards, and transformed their advisory boards into district boards of trustees.

Dr. Adams’ interests lay in expanding access to the college for citizens living throughout the county. In his 19 years as president, South and North campuses were created, as was the Downtown Center and the Tigertail Lake Center.

Succeeding Dr. Adams was Dr. Willis Holcombe, a protégée of Dr. James Wattenbarger, the architect of Florida’s community college system and executive vice-president at Brevard Community College. Dr. Holcombe had served in a variety of administrative capacities at Broward before joining Brevard’s administrative team.

During his 17 years as president, Dr. Holcombe worked to expand infrastructure and to create community partnerships to better serve the needs of the community and its workforce.

Dr. Larry Calderon succeeded Dr. Holcombe upon his retirement in 2004. When Dr. Calderon left the college in 2006, Dr. Holcombe returned to serve as interim president through the appointment of J. David Armstrong, Jr., in July 2007. President Armstrong came to the college from his position as Chancellor of the Florida State Community College System.

Quality, affordability and accessibility were key concepts in the creation of Florida’s “Great 28” community colleges. At BCC, they remain guiding principles today. Beginning at one campus with a small university-parallel program, Broward Community College has grown to continue to serve the area’s higher education needs, workforce development needs, and the training needs of business and industry. Our community and business partnerships contribute to the viability of Broward County.

Campuses and education centers

Broward Community College has three campuses and a variety of educational centers located throughout Broward County.

The A. Hugh Adams Central Campus, the college’s first permanent campus, is in Davie. Originally opened with seven buildings on a 152-acre (0.6 km²) site, the Adams campus is now home to more than 30 buildings including the Buehler Planetarium and Observatory, Institute of Public Safety, an aquatic complex, the Mayer Gymnasium, a health sciences complex and the Ralph R. Bailey Concert Hall. The University/College Library there is a joint research facility owned by BCC with partner Florida Atlantic University. Adams Campus also is home to the CollegeAcademy@BCC a collegiate high school opened in partnership with the Broward County Public Schools in 2001.

The Judson A. Samuels South Campus, named for a South Broward community leader and one of the college’s most influential trustees, is on a 103-acre (0.4 km²) tract in Pembroke Pines, just west of the Florida Turnpike. The campus is home to the college’s Aviation Institute, located adjacent to North Perry Airport, as well as the joint-use Broward Community College/Broward County South Regional Library. Dedicated on Feb. 1, 2007, the library is the first building in Broward County constructed to meet the standards of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design’s building rating system, set by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The North Campus in Coconut Creek covers approximately 113 acres adjacent to the Florida Turnpike. Dedicated in 1972, North Campus has grown to more than a dozen buildings including the Omni Auditorium, Health Science Center II, the Toski-Battersby Golf Training Center and the Broward Community College/North Regional Broward County Library. It will soon be home to the Junior Achievement Huizenga Enterprise Village, named after Broward County entrepreneur and major donor, Wayne Huizenga.

The Willis Holcombe Center is located in the heart of downtown Fort Lauderdale. Built in partnership with Florida Atlantic University, the Holcombe Center forms the Higher Education Complex on East Las Olas Boulevard. The Holcombe Center houses BCC’s district administrative offices as well as over 210,000 square feet (20,000 m²) of high-tech classroom space consisting of wired classrooms, science and technology labs and a full array of student services.

The Institute for Economic Development is located within the Willis Holcombe Downtown Center. The institute offers a variety of continuing education courses, corporate training services, customized workforce development resources as well as support groups and training for women transitioning into the workforce.

The Pines Center serves southwestern Broward County as part of the Pembroke Pines Academic Village, a 77 acre campus built in the Jeffersonian quadrangle style at the University of Virginia. Other entities in the academic village include the Southwest Broward Regional Library, Pembroke Pines Charter High School, an athletic/aquatic complex and a wetlands preserve.

The Weston Center is located within the Weston Branch Library and offers a variety of credit and non-credit courses. The site is home to a fast-track Associate in Arts degree in Business Administration.

BCC Maroone Automotive Training Center at Miramar was opened early in 2007 on a 23 acre site on Riviera Boulevard adjacent to the Florida Turnpike near the Broward/Miami-Dade county line. The center provides classrooms, work bays and administrative offices for the college’s automotive programs.

The Tigertail Lake Center, located alongside I-95 in Dania Beach, offers conference and picnic facilities and aquatic and water sports classes. The center also is home to the BCC Adventure Learning Center, providing low and high-ropes challenge programs and other team-building exercises.

Notable people

Alumni

• Dr. Rita Mae Brown, author, poet, essayist, and screenwriter

Paul Calvert, marine ecologist, RPCV

• Mike Donald, professional golfer
• Dr. Parris N. Glendening, two-term governor of Maryland
• Drake Hogestyn, actor
• Barrington Irving, pilot
• Dr. Seth C. Kalichman, noted social psychologist
• Cherokee Paul McDonald, novelist and non-fiction writer
• Jim Naugle, mayor of Fort Lauderdale, Florida
• Don Newhauser, former Major League Baseball pitcher
• Craig Skok, former Major League Baseball pitcher
• Brian Warner, entertainer better known as Marilyn Manson
• Tory Lane, American nude model, exotic dancer, and pornographic actress.

Faculty

• Elisa Albo, poet and author
• Dr. Michael Cleary, award-winning poet
• Harry Crews, Southern Gothic novelist
• Vicki Hendricks, novelist
• Christine Kling, novelist
• Neal Plakcy, author and editor

External links

• Official Web site