State College of Florida, Manatee–Sarasota

History

State College of Florida was established on September 17, 1957 by the Florida Board of Education as Manatee Junior College. The college came into existence under a plan of the state Board of Education for providing accessible higher education to Florida's population.

The first classes were held on September 2, 1958 in what was formerly a senior high school; enrollment in the first term was 502. The college began administering classes in its own facilities in 1959, where the Bradenton campus stands today.

The Venice center was opened in 1977 by MCC's Board of Trustees. During this period, the center's functions were funded by donations by residents of the surrounding communities, which include Venice, North Port, and Englewood. It was not until 1983 that the college received an appropriation from the Florida legislature to expand the Venice center into what is now the full-service Venice campus. It was dedicated on March 30, 1985. The name was changed that year to Manatee Community College.

In the beginning of 2003, SCF opened the Lakewood Ranch campus. The land appropriated for this was donated by the Schroeder-Manatee Ranch. The Lakewood Ranch campus offers credit and non-credit programs of study, and technical and workforce development courses. In 2007, the Schroeder-Manatee Ranch donated an additional 5 acres (20,000 m²) to the college. SCF obtained supplementary funding from the Florida legislature, which was allocated for the construction of a new classroom/laboratory building.

In 2009, MCC changed its name to the State College of Florida, Manatee–Sarasota. SCF also started offering bachelor's degrees. The first bachelor's degree was a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, started in January 2010. Other bachelor's degrees are now available.

Campus

Students attend classes at campuses in Bradenton, Venice, and Lakewood Ranch, many business and public sector sites throughout the community, and from their homes via eLearning opportunities.

Organization and administration

The college president is Carol Probstfeld.

Academic profile

State College of Florida, Manatee–Sarasota is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate and baccalaureate degrees. Noncredit education is offered under SCF's Corporate & Community Development programs. More than 50 percent of the college bound high school students in Manatee and Sarasota counties attend SCF each year, with current enrollment of over 30,000 students. SCF is among the top 100 producers of associate degrees in the country.

Athletics

College athletic teams are nicknamed the Manatees. They participate in the Suncoast Conference of the Florida State College Activities Association (FSCAA) in Division I of NJCAA Region VIII.

Drama

The theatre and musical theatre department at State College of Florida does a total of 4 productions per year, or 2 per semester. The Theatre faculty includes: Dean Anthony, Craig Smith, James Thaggard (he is also the Box Office Manager) and Melodie Dickerson. Most theatre graduates have gone on to 4 year Universities to receive B.A. or B.F.A. degrees in Theatre and Performing Arts.

Brain Bowl

The Brain Bowl team at State College of Florida, currently coached by Christina Dwyer, has achieved state and national recognition for being one of the top quiz bowl programs in the country. In the 2014-2015 competition season, SCF's "Fire Team" compiled a record of 58-2 against other two-year schools, going on to win championships at tournaments such as the 2014 Delta Burke Invitational, 2015 FCSAA West Central Regional, 2015 FCSAA Brain Bowl State Championship, 2015 NAQT South Florida Community College Sectionals, and the 2015 NAQT Community College Championship Tournament. The team was also invited to compete in NAQT's Intercollegiate Championship Tournament (DII) where the team placed 25th with a record of 7-6, notably defeating four-year schools such as UC Berkeley, Duke University, University of Alabama, and Claremont Colleges in the process.

The 2015 State and National Championship teams consisted of team captain and club president Michael Moore Jr. and players Naimul Chowdhury, Leon Hostetler, Austin Goode, Carlyle Styer, Kara Stevens and Christopher Medrano. In individual competition, Moore and Chowdhury placed third and seventh in the nation respectively.

Former coaches include Dr. Hyun Kim (co-coach with Christina Dwyer during 2014-2015 season) and Dr. Carole Cole.

Family Heritage House Museum

The Bradenton Campus is home to the Family Heritage House Museum, a gallery and resource center for the study of African-American achievements. Exhibits include a timeline of significant events in African-American history, including slavery, fights for freedom, community building and education, the Harlem Renaissance, the Civil Rights movement, Kwanzaa, and the modern era in South Africa. There are also displays about the Underground Railroad and a collection of African masks. Admission is free.

Notable alumni

Alumni Status is open to all graduates of State College of Florida, Manatee–Sarasota (formerly Manatee Community College), all former students of SCF who regularly matriculated and left SCF in good standing.