Gulf Coast Community College seeks state college designation
Save Email Print
Bookmark and Share
Updated: 10:38 PM Jul 17, 2009
Gulf Coast Community College seeks state college designation
Gulf Coast Community College has decided to seek a state college designation, which would give the college the opportunity to offer bachelor degree programs.
Posted: 10:15 PM Jul 17, 2009
Reporter: Mark Vaughn
Email Address: mark.vaughn@wjhg.com

G-C-C-C Seeking Four Year Degree Programs
width:100 and height: 100 and picwidth: 100 and pciheight: 100
Font Size:

Gulf Coast Community College has decided to seek a state college designation, which would give the college the opportunity to offer bachelor degree programs.

Some believe the move could create friction and competition between gulf coast and the Florida State University Panama City campus for students.

Gulf Coast president Dr. Jim Kerley says he believes the change will give panhandle students different options that will compliment FSU-PC's programs.

Kerley said, "Gets the wheels rolling far as Gulf Coast Community College to offer selected baccalaureate degrees. Mainly workforce positions."

Dr. Kerley says Gulf Coast isn't changing its mission, or becoming a full time four year institution.

Instead, it will offer degrees that students can't currently get in Panama City.

"There's a void, we looked at research, the lack of baccalaureate degrees in workforce related areas, it areas....universities are not that willing to offer those degrees so I think community colleges can step in and offer those degrees," added Kerley.

He doesn't expect this change to affect the relationship with FSU-PC.

"We value our cooperative effort between us and Florida State. That's very very important to us and our area. We have a very strong relationship with our connect program so we want to keep that in tact... The point of reference is that Florida State is not able to offer all the degrees that are necessary for the local area, for the workforce we have. So I think a community college can come in and offer some of those baccalaureate degrees."

Kerley says the college will target information technology, logistics, and alternative energy majors.

He's hoping to present a letter of intent, spelling-out the baccalaureate degree programs, to the board of trustees for approval in October.

If trustees adopt the letter of intent, it would then go to the Florida Department of Education for approval.

If that happens, Dr. Kerley says gulf coast could begin offering the first bachelors degrees in January 2011.

Headlines - msnbc.com
  • Skyscraper runners take workouts to incredible heights

    Sprinting up 86 flights of stairs of the Empire State Building -- even if it's for a worthy cause -- is not everyone's idea of a good time. Especially when there's an elevator nearby. But tonight, more than 650 participants will take the long way up one of New York's most iconic landmarks at this year's Empire State Building Run-Up.Sprinting up 86 flights of stairs of the Empire State Building -- even if it's for a worthy cause -- is not everyone's idea of a good time. Especially when there's an elevator nearby. But tonight, more than 650 participants will take the long way up one of New York's most iconic landmarks at this year's Empire State Building Run-Up.


  • Tainted wipes destroyed as firm moves forward
    Truckloads of alcohol wipes, tankers of bulk liquids and cartons of chemicals have been hauled to secure landfills and waste disposal centers as a Wisconsin medical products supplier works to recover from a year-long contamination scandal blamed for illness and death.
  • Most docs tell white lies, study finds
    More than half of doctors surveyed told patients an untruth and 20 percent didn't report a medical mistake, new research finds.
  • Heartburn drugs linked to serious infections
    FDA warns that people taking drugs that suppress stomach acid production may be at an increased risk for intestinal bacteria infections.
  • Care to downsize that order? Many want smaller portions

    Study finds that, when offered, many restaurant patrons choose to consume less food and fewer calories. Study finds that, when offered, many restaurant patrons choose to consume less food and fewer calories.


  • Teen pregnancy, abortion rates at record low
    Birth and abortion rates among U.S. teens fell to record lows in 2008 as increased use of contraceptives sent the overall teen pregnancy rate to its lowest level since at least 1972, a study showed on Wednesday.
  • Americans significantly lower trans fat over decade
    Study finds that Americancs have experienced a decline in their blood levels of trans fat, which could mean a decreased risk of heart disease.
  • Inhalable caffeine a cheap buzz, but may have risks

    Critics worry club-goers will use the the 'AeroShot' caffeine device so they can drink until they drop.Move over, coffee and Red Bull. A Harvard professor thinks the next big thing will be people inhaling their caffeine from a lipstick-sized tube. Critics say the novel product is not without its risks.


  • Komen charity under scrutiny for funding, science
    The Susan G. Komen for the Cure charity defines its mission as finding a cure for breast cancer. In recent years, however, it has cut by nearly half the proportion of fund-raising dollars it spends on grants to scientists working to understand the causes and develop effective new treatments for the disease.
  • Paternity questions plague 1 in 10, firm says

    The company that made its name peddling drugstore paternity tests to uncertain parents now says that more than 1 in 10 adults in the U.S. has had reason to ask the question: Who’s your Daddy? Gary Garner finally confirmed he's the real father of Skyler, 14. The company that made its name peddling drugstore paternity tests to uncertain parents now says that more than 1 in 10 adults in the U.S. has had reason to ask the question: Who’s your Daddy? Gary Garner finally confirmed he's the real father of Skyler, 14.


  • Gen Y still upbeat, thanks to mom and dad
    For younger workers these days, it isn’t easy growing up and getting a good job in the real world. Thankfully, an increasing number of parents don’t expect them to.
  • Work may be that bad, but economy is scary
    Many workers are frustrated with their jobs because the tough economy has led to furloughs, wage freezes, and benefit cuts — but not enough to say, “I quit!”
  • Video: Rise in cost of gas about to accelerate
    Experts expect record prices in the coming months. NBC's Jay Gray reports.
  • Stocks set to slip as Greek talks drag
    U.S. stocks are set to slip Thursday as Greek leaders had not yet reached a deal on fiscal reforms and ahead of policy decisions from central banks and U.S. labor market data.
  • Cheapism: The best mattresses for a budget

    
By Kara Reinhardt, Cheapism.com
Could an old mattress be responsible for a lackluster love life? A recent survey found that almost a quarter of respondents with a mattress more than 10 years old report less romance in their lives — and most blame the mattress.By Kara Reinhardt, Cheapism.com Could an old mattress be responsible for a lackluster love life? A recent survey found that almost a quarter of respondents with a mattress more than 10 years old report less romance in their lives — and most blame the mattress.


  • Diamond Foods names new CEO on audit results
    Diamond Foods Inc. is replacing its CEO and chief financial officer after an internal investigation found that the company improperly accounted for payments to walnut growers and needs to restate two years of financial results.
  • Eeewww ... Jack in the Box's new bacon milkshake
    CNBC's Jane Wells has the story on Jack in the Box's campaign for bacon, including a bacon flavored milkshake available in limited supplies.
  • 'Undercover' lessons surface for female CEOs

    “I got my work ethic from my dad and my emotions from my mom. When I’m moved by something, I tear up. It’s just who I am. To pretend I’m not is just a lie," says Dwyer Group CEO Dina Dwyer-Owens. 

The waterworks probably made the boys in the boardroom wince. When Dina Dwyer-Owens listened to an employee’s sob story on “Undercover Boss,” she wept in front of 9 million TV viewers.


  • Kia may be best brand for skinflint car owners

    
There are plenty of bargain-priced cars, trucks and crossovers, but that doesn’t always mean they add up to a good deal.There are plenty of bargain-priced cars, trucks and crossovers, but that doesn’t always mean they add up to a good deal.


  • Honda frets over Civic mileage verdict

    Honda is bracing for a possible flood of lawsuits if it loses an appeal of a recent small claims court decision that ruled the Civic Hybrid's mileage didn't live up to promises. Honda is bracing for a possible flood of lawsuits if it loses an appeal of a recent small claims court decision that ruled the Civic Hybrid's mileage didn't live up to promises.