# Tallahassee State College

Tallahassee State College (TSC) is a public college in Tallahassee, Florida. It is part of the Florida College System and accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Peak enrollment was fall 2014 when TSC reported 38,017 students. From 1970 to 2024, the institution was known as Tallahassee Community College.

## History

Tallahassee Junior College (TJC) was founded in 1966 by the Florida Legislature. The first classes for almost 700 students were held at Godby High School and Rickards High School, before campus construction commenced. The following year, 3 buildings on Appleyard Drive opened for the school's second year. The campus was built on what had been Tallahassee's airport, Dale Mabry Field, which closed in 1961. In 1970, TJC was renamed Tallahassee Community College (TCC) to encourage community education; occupational programs lasting one or two years were added, including nursing. The 1,000th person graduated and dental hygiene was offered. Enrollment was nearly 3,000.
In 1976, enrollment exceeded 5,000 and President Fred Turner retired. Marm Harris replaced him. The Artist Series program attracted community members and leaders to the campus, increasing awareness of the school. That same year the Lifetime Sports Complex was opened and the college foundation began meeting.
Jim Hinson became the third president in 1983 and the school continued to flourish. TCC students won the state's Math Olympics title. A study found that the school has a positive economic impact of $47.2 million in Leon County. In 1986, TCC became Florida's fastest growing college with enrollment increasing by almost 1,000 students. Enrollment had doubled at the end of 1990. In 1988, the school led community colleges in Florida with the percentage of faculty holding Ph.Ds. Athletics were re-established with a strong emphasis on academics. New administration and library buildings were added. The campus was expanded from 54 to 140 acres. Campus infrastructure was upgraded and buildings were renovated. In 1994 the women's softball team won the championship of the NJCAA.
T.K. Wetherell became president in 1995. Beginning in 2000, the college formed partnerships with Flagler College, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (2001), Saint Leo University (2006), Thomas University (2010) and Barry University (2003). This allowed students to obtain bachelor’s and graduate degrees while remaining on the TCC campus.
The TSC Athletics Hall of Fame and Alumni Association were both established. Scholarship programs including Challenge and other scholarships were funded. New buildings included the Student Union, the renovated Academic Computing Center and the Technology and Professional Programs building. The Computer Technology & Social Sciences building had been submitted when he resigned. That building was eventually named for Wetherell. Fifty new programs were added and TCC was nationally ranked in the top-25 for the number of community college graduates.
Bill Law succeeded Wetherell in 2002 and in 2006 the college's 40th anniversary was celebrated with a gala and an induction ceremony for the alumni hall of fame. The school's first capital campaign was successful, raising $10 million including $2 million from the Ghazvini family. Healthcare programs were expanded and workforce development was emphasized.
In 2008, the Learning Commons building was dedicated to William Law and the college's academic support was moved to that building. Ground was broken for the Ghazvini Center for Healthcare Education. Electronic Learning Plans were implemented that permit students to monitor progress toward academic/career goals. A grant from the Department of Defense funded the Advanced Manufacturing Training Center (AMTC) that opened in August 2010.
Jim Murdaugh became president on November 15, 2010. Healthcare training was a priority as well as other workforce initiatives while the transfer program to upper division universities remained important. The Ghazvini Center opened in the fall of 2011 near the two major hospitals in Tallahassee. TSC Wakulla moved in 2012 to a bigger Crawfordville facility and ground was broken the following year for the Wakulla Environmental Institute. A new Center for Veteran's Success opened in the Computer Technology building in 2013.
Ground was broken on a new center for TSC Gadsden in late 2014 as did planning for the Institute for Nonprofit Innovation and Excellence based in the Capitol Center. Also in 2014, a Golden Guarantee program began assuring transfer to Florida State University, Florida A&M University, or the University of West Florida. Tallahassee State College had an annual economic impact of $387.7 million as of 2015.
2016 was TSC's 50th anniversary with activities and special events lasting all year. Wakulla Environmental Institute opened.
There have been six presidents in the history of the college:
| Seq | President | Years in Office |
| 1 | Fred W. Turner | 1965-1979 |
| 2 | Marm M. Harris | 1979-1982 |
| interim | Fred W. Turner | 1982-1983 |
| 3 | Jim Hinson | 1983-1995 |
| 4 | T. K. Wetherell | 1995-2001 |
| 5 | William D. Law | 2002-2009 |
| 6 | Jim Murdaugh | 2010–present |

## Locations

The main campus is located 1.9 miles from Florida State University. The surrounding area is primarily made up of student housing and commercial amenities that cater to college students.

### Campuses

* Main Campus, 195-acre (0.79 km$^2$) located on the west side of Tallahassee, opened in 1967.

### Centers

* Center for Innovation
* Gadsden Center, located in Quincy, Florida, opened in 2016.
* Wakulla Center, located in Crawfordville, Florida, opened in 2006.
* Wakulla Environmental Institute (WEI), located in Crawfordville, Florida.

### Public Safety

A state-sponsored law-enforcement training program was proposed in the 1990s, to be administered by the Leon County Schools. When T.K. Wetherell became President of Tallahassee Community College (TCC) in 1995, he used his legislative influence as former speaker of the house to move the program under TCC control. The Pat Thomas Law Enforcement Academy was named for popular Quincy legislator Pat Thomas in 1996. Jim Murdaugh was hired by Wetherell to lead the Pat Thomas Law Enforcement Academy in 1999.
TCC purchased 833 acres in Gadsden County near Havana in 2003 for the training center. The property grew to include 1,500 acres. Training for firefighters and EMTs was proposed, but none of the involved agencies wanted it to be under a law enforcement group. TCC partnered with Tallahassee Fire Department to establish the Tallahassee Fire Academy in 2007.
The Florida Public Safety Institute (FPSI) was created in 2009 as the umbrella organization for the Pat Thomas Law Enforcement Academy. A new FPSI conference center opened in 2009. Under Murdaugh's direction, the Academy grew to become one of the largest and most highly regarded public safety institutes in the nation, second only to Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers at Glynco, Georgia. As of 2020, 10% of TSCs graduates are from the FPSI. The institute has six programs:
* Pat Thomas Law Enforcement Academy is a 770-hour program required to become a certified law enforcement officer.
** Correctional Basic Recruit is a 420-hour program required to become a certified correctional officer.
** Correctional Probation Officer is a 562-hour program required to become a correctional probation officer. Typically, all students are sponsored by correctional institutions, county jails, or community corrections.
** Advanced and specialized training is available to existing correctional, probation officers, and law enforcement officers in Florida.
** Equivalency of Training is a 10-day course that allows former officers or special forces members to bypass the full basic recruit training.
* Tallahassee Fire Academy is a 492-hour course of Firefighting I and II. The program prepares graduates to take the state Firefighter II certification examination. A passing score qualifies the individual for employment as a Firefighter EMT.
Firefighting I is required to be a volunteer.
The Gadsden Re-entry Center opened in October 2024 on the FPSI campus. It is a minimum security, 400-bed facility designed to provide services for inmates prior to their successful release into society. The $19-million, 76,000 sq ft (7,100 m$^2$) building also provides an opportunity for correctional hand-on training.

## Academics

TSC has 121 programs leading to degrees, certificates and job-training programs in:
| Art, Communication, Design and Humanities Education Business Health Science | Construction, Trucking and Manufacturing Public Safety Engineering, Science, Technology and Mathematics Social & Behavioral Sciences, Human Sciences |
TSC also offers four bachelor's degrees: Bachelor of Applied Science in Business Administration or Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, Exceptional Student Education, or Nursing

### Enrollment

As of the Fall of 2022:
* Enrollment was 11,671
* 97% of students came from Florida; 10 students outside the U.S.; students came from 39 different states and Washington, DC
* 41% of students came to TSC from outside the service district of Leon, Wakulla, and Gadsden counties. Top Florida counties for enrollment include Broward, Miami-Dade, Hillsborough, Orange, and Palm Beach.
* 40% white; 30% Black, 25% Hispanic, 4% Multi-Racial
* 56% female; 44% male
* 54% full-time course load; 46% part-time course load
* 71% 21 & under; 11% 22-24; 13% 25-39; 5% 40+

## Student life

TSC is home to many student clubs, organizations, academic programs, and teams that provide students the opportunity to get involved on campus. A student newspaper, the Talon, is published at least five times a semester by the students of a journalism class, and a literary magazine, The Eyrie, is published annually. There are no dormitories on campus, so students must find their own off-campus housing.

## Athletics

TSC Athletics include men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball, softball, men's cross country, and women's cross country. The official mascot is the eagle. The school's athletic teams compete in the Panhandle Conference of the Florida College System Activities Association, a body of the National Junior College Athletic Association Region 8.

## Sport dome

The Lifetime Sports Complex (LSC) opened in 1976. It is a 70,000-square-foot (6,500 m2) complex located on the west side of campus. The Bill Hebrock Eagledome is one half of the LSC and has been home to TSC Basketball since 1990, when athletics was revitalized.

### Recreation

The facility houses the Eagle Fitness Center and Recreation Gym. There are three full-length basketball courts as well as multipurpose facilities for recreational usage. The recreation gym has open informal recreation time for basketball, volleyball, table tennis, and other sports. The recreation gym contains cardio and weightlifting equipment as well as group fitness classes. This facility is open to students, faculty and staff with a TSC ID. Ajax construction removed the Olympic-sized pool and replaced it with an aerobic studio and practice court for basketball.

### Eagledome

The facility was rededicated on November 4, 2011 to honor Bill Hebrock, a trustee and athletic supporter who recently died. The dome contains 812 seats with west side bleacher seats for students and east side chairback seats with a section reserved for boosters. The facility was upgraded before the 2011 season with nicer changing rooms for both women's and men's basketball teams, the athletic department weight room, training room and offices for coaches.

## Notable alumni

* Jason Bennett - professional basketball player
* Lorenzo Cain - professional baseball player
* John Crawford - author
* Ryan Freel - professional baseball player
* Clay Harvison - professional mixed martial artist
* Marcus Hatten - professional basketball player
* Cheryl Hines - actress, comedian, producer and director
* Bernard James - professional basketball player
* Michael Saunders - professional baseball player
* Bootsy Thornton - professional basketball player
* Gregory Tony - Sheriff of Broward County, Florida