Florida State College at Jacksonville
The Florida State College at Jacksonville, also known as FSCJ, is a state college in Jacksonville, Florida and is part of the Florida College System. FSCJ is designated as a state college within the Florida College System since it offers more four-year bachelor’s degrees than traditional two-year community colleges. The Florida State College at Jacksonville was established in 1965 and has four physical campuses and several more additional centers located around the First Coast area.
In 1965, the institution was founded as Florida Junior College, and as it grew with the community college movement, it was renamed Florida Community College at Jacksonville in 1986. In 2009, the Florida Legislature created the Florida College System in recognition of the shortage of four-year colleges in Florida. The Florida College System allowed for some community colleges to become state colleges, meaning that they could offer students more bachelor’s degrees than traditional community colleges could. FCCJ was one of the first to change into a state college, and in 2009 the name was changed to its current name of “Florida State College at Jacksonville.”
FSCJ features four campuses: Downtown Campus, North Campus, Kent Campus, and South Campus. The Downtown Campus is the college’s main administrative campus and is located in Downtown Jacksonville next to the historic neighborhood of Springfield. The Downtown Campus was established in 1977, and its programs focus on college degrees, vocational training, and continuing education. Some areas of focus that students can choose from include construction, auto mechanic, and electrical and metal trades. Other downtown facilities include the Administrative Offices which take care of the administrative functions of FSCJ. The Advanced Technology Center is used to teach technical topics such as industrial electricity, various types of technology, and corporate training. The Urban Resource Center includes the college’s military and government programs.
The North Campus is in Jacksonville’s Northside, off of Dunn Avenue. This campus was built in 1970 and houses the college’s health programs such as nursing, emergency medical services, and dental hygiene. The North Campus also includes the Culinary Institute of the South which is a culinary school that has its own restaurant and a cosmetology program. Some facilities located on the North Campus include soccer, softball, and baseball fields.
Kent Campus can be found in the Riverside and Avondale neighborhood, on Roosevelt Boulevard. This campus opened in 1966 and used more than 100 World War II-era houses as classrooms. Kent Campus was initially known as Cumberland Campus but was later renamed after Fred H. Kent who was a well-known attorney that became the first Chairman of the FSCJ District Board of Trustees. In 1979, buildings that were still structurally stable were made into residential housing, and Kent Campus was rebuilt in an all-brick design with a courtyard.
South Campus is in Jacksonville’s Southside, on Beach Boulevard. This campus’s programs focus on technical and liberal arts associate degrees. South Campus is home to art, music, and drama programs. It also features the Nathan H. Wilson Center for the Arts, the Jacksonville Regional Fire/Rescue Training and Education Center, and the Sports Center.