Tallahassee Community College NEWS
TCC announces three bachelor’s degree
programs and scholarship opportunities
TALLAHASSEE – Tallahassee Community College has announced the addition of three new bachelor’s degree programs to prepare students for careers in high-demand fields. The Bachelor of Applied Science in Business Administration, Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, and Bachelor of Science in Exceptional Student Education will launch in August 2023 and are accepting applications now. The three programs were approved by the State Board of Education in March. “This is an exciting new chapter for TCC,” said Dr. Jim Murdaugh, President of TCC. “When Flagler College announced that they would close their Tallahassee campus, we were pleased to be able to step up to continue the programs in these critical areas. We are thankful to the State Board of Education, both Florida State and Florida A&M universities for lending their support, and the generosity of the donors who came forward to provide scholarships. We look forward to welcoming students this fall.” “We know that there is a demand both in the community and among students for these programs,” said Dr. Calandra Stringer, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at TCC. “The need for teachers both locally and across the state is clear and we have thousands of students each year who want to earn a degree in business. At just $128.51 per credit hour, these bachelor’s degrees are an extremely affordable option.”
Heather Mitchell, executive director of the TCC Foundation, announced donations totaling $150,000 to establish three new scholarships – the Amazon Business Degree Scholarship, the Donna Callaway Elementary Education Scholarship, and the President’s Circle Exceptional Education Scholarship. “Today we thank Amazon, Donna Callaway, the members of the TCC Foundation President’s Circle for their donations of $50,000 each to establish scholarships specifically for these three bachelor’s degree programs,” said Sheriff Walt McNeil, president of the TCC Foundation. “The generosity of these donors will allow more students to graduate with a debt-free college degree.” “At Amazon, it’s our mission to strengthen communities by being a good employer and a good neighbor,” said Amazon Regional Public Policy Lead Cristal Cole. “We’re proud to work side-by-side with community partners like TCC in taking an active approach to student success, and we look forward to working together in continuing our commitment to making a lasting and positive impact on students.” “The two bachelor’s degree programs in education are needed to fill critical teacher shortages right here in our community,” said Donna Callaway, a former member of the TCC District Board of Trustees and career educator, having served as a classroom teacher, media specialist, assistant principal, and principal. “I am so pleased to establish the very first scholarship for elementary education at TCC to help future teachers who will positively impact the lives of so many young children in their careers.” “The President’s Circle Exceptional Education Scholarship is the first-ever scholarship funded by the President’s Circle. said Kevin Vaughn, immediate past president of the TCC Foundation and President’s Circle member. “We know that many children struggle in school due to a mismatch between their unique needs and the regular education system which is why special education programs are so important in ensuring that each special child gets an equal opportunity to succeed. This scholarship will help clear pathways to earning a degree in Exceptional Student Education to ensure that all children in our community can receive a quality education.”
The TCC Foundation President’s Circle is a group of donors who give an annual gift of $1,000 or more to the College. Their gifts are unrestricted, allowing the TCC Foundation to respond quickly to student needs and invest in transformational projects across the campus.
The Bachelor of Applied Science in Business Administration prepares graduates for roles in sales, human resources, administrative services, and more. Labor market projections from DEO indicate an increase in demand of 880 annual job openings in TCC’s service area. With a five-year average supply of approximately 200 qualified candidates, the program will help supply talent to bridge the gap.
Labor market projections from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) indicate an increase in demand of 89 annual job openings for elementary education teachers in TCC’s service area. The five-year average supply has been approximately 42, which brings the annual workforce unmet need to 47. Additionally, the unmet need for exceptional education teachers, based on the trends in the education field equates to 89 annual job openings in TCC’s service district. Regarding the five-year average supply, FSU’s similar degree program produces an average supply of approximately 22, which brings the annual workforce unmet need in the area to 57.
All three programs are accepting applications now. Students can apply for the new scholarships at tcc.fl.edu/scholarships.
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TCC Receives AACC Award for student success
TALLAHASSEE – Tallahassee Community College (TCC) received the 2023 Award of Excellence for Student Success from the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). The award was presented during the AACC Awards of Excellence Gala in Denver. “It is an incredible honor to receive this award on behalf of the men and women at our College who are dedicated to the success of our students,” said Dr. Jim Murdaugh, president of TCC. “This recognition is a direct reflection of the continuous improvements we have seen in our graduation and transfer rates to universities and our placement rates from our workforce programs.” The award recognizes a community college that has demonstrated, through evidence, a sustained commitment to and proactively advances the cause of student success at a community college. Evaluation criteria can be found here. TCC received this award for its stand-out work in the area of student success out of more than 1,300 community colleges in the nation.
TCC has been deliberate in its work to redesign the student experience by uniting key stakeholders and increasing student success rates among all demographics. Through the College’s C.A.R.E. initiative, the student experience was re-imagined including a new student onboarding experience, teaching and learning framework and re-employment plan through a collective impact framework. The high touch model from application to graduation has resulted in increased enrollment, narrowing of achievement gaps and has helped more than 85 percent of its graduates find employment or continue their education in the year they graduate. Our fall 2020 student success rates rose by nearly nine percent college-wide among all First Time in College (FTIC) students. Black and Hispanic student success rates rose by five percent among all FTIC cohorts. Spring 2022 overall course success gaps closed by 4.1% due to personalized learning and faculty mentorship. Success rates in college algebra doubled to 80 percent, creating a new model for support. The just-in-time, personalized support that is a cornerstone of the model, helps students to make it across the finish line.
The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) is the primary advocacy organization for the nation’s community colleges. The association represents more than 1,000 two year, associate degree-granting institutions and nearly 12 million students. Learn more at aacc.nche.edu.
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TCC announces three new
bachelor’s degree programs
TALLAHASSEE – Tallahassee Community College received approval from the State Board of Education to add three new bachelor’s degree programs: Bachelor of Applied Science in Business Administration, Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, and Bachelor of Science in Exceptional Student Education. “We are excited to receive approval for three new degrees,” said Jim Murdaugh, president of TCC. “Pursuing these programs represents our steadfast commitment to producing qualified, in-demand talent for our community.” “The new baccalaureate programs will support the growing need in our area for more skilled workers in entry-level business and administration roles, and will help address the critical teacher shortage both locally and throughout the state,” said Dr. Calandra Stringer, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at TCC. “We are grateful to the State Board of Education and our colleagues at Florida State University, Florida A&M University, and Flagler College for their support in bringing these programs to our campus.”
The Bachelor of Applied Science in Business Administration will prepare graduates for roles such as human resource managers, management analysts, personal service managers, administrative services managers, and sales managers. Labor market projections from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) indicate an increase in demand of 880 annual job openings in TCC’s service area. With a five-year average supply of approximately 200 qualified candidates, the program will help increase the supply of talent to bridge the gap. “TCC has approximately 1,400 currently enrolled students interested in earning a bachelor’s degree in business,” said Stringer.
The Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education will prepare graduates for certification in Elementary Education (K-6) and includes opportunities to take and pass subject area exams to qualify to teach other subjects in middle and high school. Labor market projections from DEO indicate an increase in demand of 89 annual job openings in TCC’s service area. The five-year average supply has been approximately 42, which brings the annual workforce unmet need to 47.
The Bachelor of Science in Exceptional Student Education will prepare graduates for the Florida Elementary Teacher Certification (K-12) and endorsements in Exceptional Student Education, as well as the ESOL (K-12). Unmet need in this field is based on the trends in the education field, which equate to 89 annual job openings in TCC’s service district. Regarding the five-year average supply, FSU’s similar degree program only produces an average supply of approximately 22, which brings the annual workforce unmet need to 57. TCC’s education programs are needed to fill both of these critical teacher shortage areas.
All three programs will launch fall 2023.
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