Brevard Community College
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It has been suggested that this article be merged with Eastern Florida State College. (Discuss) Proposed since May 2013. |
| Brevard Community College | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Motto | World-Wide, World-Class |
| Established | 1960 |
| Type | Public |
| President | Jim Richey |
| Admin. staff | 185 |
| Undergraduates | 14,616 |
| Location | Brevard County, Florida, USA |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Athletics | 6 major sports teams |
| Mascot | Titans |
| Website | www.brevardcc.edu |
Brevard Community College, founded in 1960, is a community college on Florida's Space Coast, in Brevard County, Florida. It has four campuses in Cocoa, Melbourne, Palm Bay, and Titusville, as well as an Aerospace program at Kennedy Space Center and a Virtual Campus. BCC is a member institution of the Florida College System.
Most of BCC's students take part in its Associate in Arts transfer program. In 2007, BCC was listed 21st in the nation in the number of AA degrees awarded.[1]
In 2010, the college reported 25,000 students enrolled for courses.[2] There were 1,200 employees in 2011, including support personnel and faculty.[3]
On July 1st of 2013, Brevard Community College will change its name to Eastern Florida State College. The name change goes hand in hand with BCC's move to offer more 4 year degrees.
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Administration [edit]
The president's office, and therefore the college's headquarters, is on the Cocoa campus.
A four-day summer workweek, instituted in 2008, has proved popular.[4]
History [edit]
Then called Brevard Junior College, the school opened with 768 students in the fall of 1960 in the former Cocoa High School on Forrest Avenue in Cocoa. Dr. Bruce J. Wilson was president. There were 31 faculty members. Four associate degrees were offered.[5]
Segregation prevailed. It was an all-white college. To accomplish desegregation in compliance with the law, it merged with the all-black Carver Junior College in 1963 to form the Brevard Community College.[6]
The college experienced a 51% increase in enrollment for online classes from 2007 to 2010.[7]
In September 2012, a professor was placed on paid leave, and an investigation was started, after the professor allegedly made students sign a pledge to vote for Barack Obama.[8] An investigation concluded that the professor violated policies and should be fired.[9]
Academic [edit]
251 faculty members teach 29 degree programs.[5] In 2009, there were 19.7 students per class, average.[10]
Transfer and articulation partnerships between BCC and the University of Central Florida, a joint initiative called "DirectConnect," and with the Florida Institute of Technology, whose TechTrack program guarantees the admission of BCC graduates who wish to transfer to Florida Tech, make possible the seamless transfer of credits from BCC's Associate's program to these and other four-year institutions.[citation needed] The BCC-UCF partnership also involves the sharing of facilities and services with UCF on BCC's campuses, including the BCC/UCF Joint-Use Library.
Other Programs [edit]
WENDI, training for self-esteem and career, is a program operated by BCC for women newly seeking employment outside the home.[11]
The college include the Law Enforcement Academy which trains people for employment in local law enforcement positions. There are about 25–30 students.[12]
Cultural [edit]
The 2,000-seat Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts, on the Melbourne BCC campus, offers performances and cultural art events. The Astronaut Memorial Planetarium and Observatory, on the Cocoa BCC campus, features one of the largest public-access telescopes in Florida[citation needed] as well as large-format movies, laser light shows, and other presentations.
The Titusville campus contains the John Henry Jones Gymnatorium, used for performing arts as well as athletic events.
The Historic Cocoa Village Playhouse, owned by BCC, offers musical and dramatic productions featuring local and regional performers, and is also host to a "Stars of Tomorrow" program for the development of local performing-arts talent.
The Digital Media Bobcats, have conducted the Independent Digital Features Festival since the Fall of 2011 Showcasing the talent of the Digital Media students. You can view the live red carpet event each Spring.
WBCC TV is a non-commercial educational television station operated by BCC. WBCC TV broadcasts educational, cultural, and informational materials and telecourses of special interest.
The Harry T. and Harriette Moore Multicultural Center commemorates the lives and work of the Moores, African-American community leaders who lived and worked in Brevard County, martyr-pioneers of the civil rights era.
Athletics [edit]
BCC's Athletic teams are nicknamed the Titans and participate in softball, baseball, women's basketball, men's basketball, men's golf, and women's volleyball. They participate with the Florida Community College Activities Association and the National Junior College Athletic Association. The BCC men's golf program has won seven National Junior College Championships since 1969.[13] The men's baseball program has won two state championships.[citation needed]
YMCA [edit]
A local YMCA has its facilities at the Cocoa campus.[14]
Notable alumni [edit]
| Alumni | Notability |
|---|---|
| Paul Azinger | PGA Tour golfer, 1993 PGA Championship winner |
| Bruce Bochy | Major League Baseball manager |
| Warren Bolster | Notable skateboard photographer, published by Skateboarder magazine and Surfer Magazine |
| Steve Crisafulli | Current member of the Florida House of Representatives |
| Darrell Hammond | Former BCC Baseball player and cast member for Saturday Night Live (1995–2008) |
| Pete Marino | Former Major League Soccer player |
| Bill Posey | 1969 graduate. US Representative |
| Carlos Reyes | Major League Baseball player (1994–2003) |
| Mandy Romero | Major League Baseball Player (1997–2003) for San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox and Colorado Rockies. |
| Ernie Rosseau | 1971 graduate. Professional baseball player 1973–1977. Head baseball coach BCC 1981–current[15] |
| Derrick Sharp | American-Israeli professional basketball player |
| Sean Wideberg | Attended in 2006. Notable collegiate baseball player |
| Daniel Tosh | Comedian and host of Comedy Central's Tosh.O. Attended for 1 semester before transferring to the University of Central Florida. |
Presidents [edit]
The following have served as president of the college since its inception[5]:
- J. Bruce Wilson 1960–1966
- Leo C. Muller 1966–1968
- Maxwell King 1968–1998
- Thomas E. Gamble 1998–2006
- Jim Drake 2006–2011
- Jim Richey 2011–present
Footnotes [edit]
- ^ Florida Department of Education statistics
- ^ Spitzer, Michelle (May 11, 2010). "BCC trims 56 positions". Melbourne, Florida: Florida Today. pp. 1B.
- ^ Stover, Bob (October 13, 2011). "Changing of the guard". Florida Today (Melbourne, Florida). pp. 11A.
- ^ Florida Today retrieved June 20, 2008[dead link]
- ^ a b c Spitzer, Michelle (November 7, 2010). "BCC looks beyond half-century". Melbourne, Florida: Florida Today. pp. 1A.
- ^ [1]
- ^ Spitzer, Michelle (June 3, 2010). "BCC preps for role in reshaping work force". Melbourne, Florida: Florida Today. pp. 1A.
- ^ Todd Starnes (17 September 2012). "Professor Made Students Sign ‘Vote for Obama’ Pledge". Fox News Radio. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ James Eng (19 February 2013). "College: Professor urged students to vote for Obama, should be fired". MSN News. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ Spitzer, Michelle (April 2, 2009). "BCC tight, but welcomes more". Melbourne, Florida: Florida Today. pp. 1A.
- ^ Brevard Community College
- ^ Camodeca, Sara (January 8, 2010). "69 graduate from police academy". Melbourne, Florida: Florida Today. pp. 1B.
- ^ GolfProg_Nov07.indd
- ^ Florida Today, "Cocoa holds off on YMCA", January 23, 2008
- ^ "50. Brevard Community College". Florida Today (Melbourne, Florida). February 13, 2011. pp. 4B.
External links [edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Brevard Community College |
Coordinates: 28°10′11.90″N 80°40′8.08″W / 28.1699722°N 80.6689111°W
- Education in Brevard County, Florida
- Cocoa, Florida
- Melbourne, Florida
- Palm Bay, Florida
- Titusville, Florida
- Educational institutions established in 1960
- Two-year colleges in the United States
- Universities and colleges in Florida
- Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
