Seminole State College of Florida is a public college with four campuses in Central Florida. It is part of the Florida College System.
Founded in 1965, the Florida State Legislature signed a charter creating "Seminole Junior College." The college opened in August 1966 with 700 students at a former citrus grove in Seminole County, near U.S. Route 17/92 and County Road 427 (Ronald Reagan Blvd.) now in the city of Sanford. By October 1971, Seminole Junior College's enrollment had exceeded 7,000, and by 1975, Seminole Junior College became "Seminole Community College", with enrollment reaching 14,161. In 2006, Seminole Community College partnered with the University of Central Florida to launch "DirectConnect to UCF", which guaranteed Seminole Community College graduates admission to the university, as well as academic advising by university counselors. In September 2009, the college's board of trustees unanimously approved a motion to rename the institution "Seminole State College of Florida," eight months after the introduction of the institution's first state-approved bachelor's degree program, the Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.S.) in interior design.
As of 2011, the college serves over 30,000 students, full-time and part-time, and is also one of the largest employers in Seminole County. The college has expanded into four campuses since 1965, all based within Seminole County, Florida. Its main campus is located in Sanford, and its satellite campuses are located in Oviedo, Altamonte Springs and Heathrow. The Oviedo campus opened in 2001, the Heathrow in 2007, and the Altamonte Springs in 2008. Seminole State is a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and the Florida College System Activities Association (FCSAA) Mid-Florida Conference (MFC) and competes in baseball, softball and women's golf. The Seminole County Cemetery is located on the property of the Sanford/Lake Mary Campus.
History
Establishment
On July 1, 1965, the Florida State Legislature signed a charter creating Seminole Junior College. That year, the Seminole County School Board hired Dr. Earl S. Weldon to be president of the newly formed college. One of Dr. Weldon's first duties was to locate a piece of land to build the school. After reviewing many possible locations, R.T. Milwee (superintendent of Seminole County Public Schools) and Dr. Weldon chose an lot that once belonged to Chase Citrus Groves, a location chosen for its proximity to U.S. 17-92 and Interstate 4. Portable classrooms and offices were put in place, and plans were made for the construction of the college's permanent structures.
Seminole Junior College
Seminole Junior College opened in 1966. Seven hundred students paid $5 per credit hour to further their educations. Initial class offerings included accounting, business, English I and II, journalism, Spanish, math, science and speech, among others.
Construction began in 1968 on the Campus' first permanent structures. The F-Building, which houses the faculty offices, was built that year. The Vocational Building, Science Building and a library followed in 1969. The Admissions Building, the Student Center, the E-Building, the Health Building (the gym) and the Automotive Technology Building were added in 1974.
Seminole Community College
On July 1, 1975, Seminole Junior College became Seminole Community College. By the end of the college's first decade, enrollment had increased to 14,161. The G-Building (Fine Arts), the J-Building (business technology, drafting and design, digital media and healthcare) and the K-Building (used for automotive technology, EMT and fire training) were added in the late 1970s, and this period of growth for the college continued into the 1980s, seeing construction of the Adult Education Building and the Science Lab.
Dr. Weldon and Dr. Reitz both retired from the college in 1995. The next year, Dr. E. Ann McGee, a community college graduate and administrator at Broward College, succeeded Dr. Weldon as the college's president. Faced with a more than 20 percent dip in attendance when she took office, Dr. McGee has rejuvenated Seminole State with a period of substantial growth in enrollment, new construction, and in new community partnerships. Under Dr. McGee's direction, the SCC Foundation's assets increased from $1 million to more than $7 million.