Central Florida Community College
Encyclopedia
College of Central Florida, formerly known as Central Florida Community College, is a public state college in Ocala, Florida
. The College of Central Florida is a member institution of the Florida College System.
The college is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
to award Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees as well as Certificate program offerings. Starting in 2010, the college will also offer a limited number of bachelor degree programs.
counties in Florida
. In 1958, instruction began, with only 320 student
s using temporary facilities at the Marion County Vocational School. In 1966, the school merged with Hampton Junior College. Hampton Junior College was originally opened in 1958 as well, as one of the first black, two-year colleges in the state. In 1971, the school changed its name to Central Florida Community College. On May 25, 2010 CFCC officially changed its name to College of Central Florida.
campus was donated to the school by Atlantic Realty and Investment Company and the City of Ocala. In 1974, an additional 60 acres (242,811.6 m²) were added to the property, and in 1994, the school purchased another 37 acres (149,733.8 m²) adjacent to the property. In 1995, the school began renovating the abandoned College Park Elementary School (located adjacent to the property), and later that year, the Public Service Division and Criminal Justice Institute were moved onto this property. In 1996, Health and Human Services programs and college support operation also relocated to the new site. In 2002, CCF opened a University Center. In 2004, the Enterprise and Ewers Century Centers were opened, and the campus Library was named in honor of Cliff Stearns
.
The 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) Bronson Center opened in 1982 in Levy County. In 1993, this location was moved to the new Levy Center in Chiefland
. The Levy Center has 7 classrooms, 2 computer labs, and offers both college credit non-credit programs, including a GED program. In 2008, CFCC announced plans to build a new $
8 - $9 million facility on land previously donated. The new 15.4 acres (62,321.6 m²) property is located about 5 miles (8 km) north of Cheifland.
The Citrus Campus, located in Lecanto
, was opened in 1984. It was originally located on the Lecanto Educational Complex property, using part of the Lecanto High School
building. In 1996, the Citrus Campus moved to its own 88 acres (356,123.7 m²) property located a short distance away from the Lecanto Educational Complex. In 2003, the Citrus campus had 1,100 students enrolled.
The Hampton Center was originally opened in 1996. In 2004, the center moved to the former Florida State Fire College in Ocala. This location specializes in Community Outreach and Preventive Health programs.
and the Florida Community College Activities Association.
CF's retired tennis programs produced the program's three NJCAA national championships. The men's program won national titles in 1963 and 1981; the women's team won the NJCAA Division II championship in 2001.
The Patriots won five state championships across three sports in the 1990s, including women's basketball titles in 1992 and in 1997, a men's basketball title in 1996, and consecutive baseball championships in 1997 and 1998.
The CF athletics program annually produces NCAA student-athletes and has started the careers of several professional athletes. Its prominent athletic alumni include former Major League Baseball players Brian Buscher
, Mike Figga
, and Bill Hurst
. Clinton Hart
, a seven-year veteran of the National Football League
, began his collegiate athletic career as an outfielder for the Patriots baseball team.
Since 2006, three CF alumni have celebrated national championships at the NCAA level. Alberta Auguste won consecutive NCAA women's basketball titles at the University of Tennessee
in 2006 and 2007; Nick Ebert won a College World Series
title at the University of South Carolina
in 2010; and Breanna Fort won an NCAA Division II national championship at Clayton State University
in 2011.
In the spring of 2010, men's basketball standout Ricardo Ratliffe capped an historic two-year career at CF by winning the 2010 NJCAA Male Student-Athlete of the Year Award. The honor, selected from among all male student-athletes in all sports across the NJCAA's 525 member schools, marked the first national player of the year award won by a CF student-athlete.
In June 2010, the CF District Board of Trustees voted to add women's volleyball to the school's athletics program, with its inaugural season scheduled for the fall of 2011.
Ocala, Florida
Ocala is a city in Marion County, Florida. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 53,491. It is the county seat of Marion County, and the principal city of the Ocala, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated 2007 population of 324,857.-History:Ocala...
. The College of Central Florida is a member institution of the Florida College System.
The college is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
to award Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees as well as Certificate program offerings. Starting in 2010, the college will also offer a limited number of bachelor degree programs.
History
Central Florida Junior College was established in 1957 serving Citrus, Levy and MarionMarion County, Florida
Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 316,183. Its county seat is Ocala....
counties in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. In 1958, instruction began, with only 320 student
Student
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
s using temporary facilities at the Marion County Vocational School. In 1966, the school merged with Hampton Junior College. Hampton Junior College was originally opened in 1958 as well, as one of the first black, two-year colleges in the state. In 1971, the school changed its name to Central Florida Community College. On May 25, 2010 CFCC officially changed its name to College of Central Florida.
Locations
The original 60 acres (242,811.6 m²) OcalaOcala, Florida
Ocala is a city in Marion County, Florida. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 53,491. It is the county seat of Marion County, and the principal city of the Ocala, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated 2007 population of 324,857.-History:Ocala...
campus was donated to the school by Atlantic Realty and Investment Company and the City of Ocala. In 1974, an additional 60 acres (242,811.6 m²) were added to the property, and in 1994, the school purchased another 37 acres (149,733.8 m²) adjacent to the property. In 1995, the school began renovating the abandoned College Park Elementary School (located adjacent to the property), and later that year, the Public Service Division and Criminal Justice Institute were moved onto this property. In 1996, Health and Human Services programs and college support operation also relocated to the new site. In 2002, CCF opened a University Center. In 2004, the Enterprise and Ewers Century Centers were opened, and the campus Library was named in honor of Cliff Stearns
Cliff Stearns
Clifford Bundy "Cliff" Stearns, Sr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1989. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education and career:According to his official biography, Stearns was born in Washington, D.C...
.
The 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) Bronson Center opened in 1982 in Levy County. In 1993, this location was moved to the new Levy Center in Chiefland
Chiefland, Florida
Chiefland is a city in Levy County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,993 in the 2000 census. and was estimated at 2,095 in 2005. Chiefland calls itself the "Gem of the Suwannee Valley" and was incorporated in 1929.-History:...
. The Levy Center has 7 classrooms, 2 computer labs, and offers both college credit non-credit programs, including a GED program. In 2008, CFCC announced plans to build a new $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
8 - $9 million facility on land previously donated. The new 15.4 acres (62,321.6 m²) property is located about 5 miles (8 km) north of Cheifland.
The Citrus Campus, located in Lecanto
Lecanto, Florida
Lecanto is a city and suburb of Beverly Hills, Florida, and is part of the Inverness-Beverly Hills Metropolitan Area. It is the smallest city in Citrus County.-Geography:Lecanto is located at ....
, was opened in 1984. It was originally located on the Lecanto Educational Complex property, using part of the Lecanto High School
Lecanto High School
Lecanto High School is a secondary school in Lecanto, Florida. It is a public high school in the Citrus County School District. The school covers grades 9-12, with approximately 1740 students and 103 faculty...
building. In 1996, the Citrus Campus moved to its own 88 acres (356,123.7 m²) property located a short distance away from the Lecanto Educational Complex. In 2003, the Citrus campus had 1,100 students enrolled.
The Hampton Center was originally opened in 1996. In 2004, the center moved to the former Florida State Fire College in Ocala. This location specializes in Community Outreach and Preventive Health programs.
Athletics
College of Central Florida fields intercollegiate athletics teams in men's and women's basketball, baseball, fast-pitch softball and women's volleyball. The Patriots compete in the National Junior College Athletic AssociationNational Junior College Athletic Association
The National Junior College Athletic Association , founded in 1938, is an association of community college and junior college athletic departments throughout the United States. It is held as Divisions and Regions. The current NJCAA holds 24 separate regions.-History:The idea for the NJCAA was...
and the Florida Community College Activities Association.
CF's retired tennis programs produced the program's three NJCAA national championships. The men's program won national titles in 1963 and 1981; the women's team won the NJCAA Division II championship in 2001.
The Patriots won five state championships across three sports in the 1990s, including women's basketball titles in 1992 and in 1997, a men's basketball title in 1996, and consecutive baseball championships in 1997 and 1998.
The CF athletics program annually produces NCAA student-athletes and has started the careers of several professional athletes. Its prominent athletic alumni include former Major League Baseball players Brian Buscher
Brian Buscher
Brian Phillip Buscher , nicknamed "The Urban Legend", is a retired Major League Baseball third baseman and served in 2011 as the undergraduate assistant coach for the South Carolina Gamecocks baseball team....
, Mike Figga
Mike Figga
Michael Anthony Figga is a retired catcher in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles. In a 3-year career, Figga hit .213 with 1 home run.- Early life and education :...
, and Bill Hurst
Bill Hurst
William Hansel Hurst is a former Major League Baseball player.Hurst played for Palmetto High School in Miami, and then for Central Florida Community College....
. Clinton Hart
Clinton Hart
Clinton Glenn Hart is an American football safety for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was signed by the Tallahassee Thunder as an undrafted free agent in 2000. He attended College of Central Florida.Hart has been a member of the Tampa Bay Storm, Philadelphia Eagles and San...
, a seven-year veteran of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, began his collegiate athletic career as an outfielder for the Patriots baseball team.
Since 2006, three CF alumni have celebrated national championships at the NCAA level. Alberta Auguste won consecutive NCAA women's basketball titles at the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
in 2006 and 2007; Nick Ebert won a College World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
title at the University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
in 2010; and Breanna Fort won an NCAA Division II national championship at Clayton State University
Clayton State University
Clayton State University is a public university in Morrow, Georgia, with 6,785 students. Clayton State University is a part of the University System of Georgia....
in 2011.
In the spring of 2010, men's basketball standout Ricardo Ratliffe capped an historic two-year career at CF by winning the 2010 NJCAA Male Student-Athlete of the Year Award. The honor, selected from among all male student-athletes in all sports across the NJCAA's 525 member schools, marked the first national player of the year award won by a CF student-athlete.
In June 2010, the CF District Board of Trustees voted to add women's volleyball to the school's athletics program, with its inaugural season scheduled for the fall of 2011.
Notable alumni and attendees
| Alumni | Notability |
|---|---|
| Brian Buscher Brian Buscher Brian Phillip Buscher , nicknamed "The Urban Legend", is a retired Major League Baseball third baseman and served in 2011 as the undergraduate assistant coach for the South Carolina Gamecocks baseball team.... |
Professional baseball player with the Minnesota Twins Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the... |
| Charles Dean Charles S. Dean, Sr. Charles S. Dean, Sr. is a Republican member of the Florida Senate, representing the 3rd District since June 2007. Previously he was a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 2002 through 2007. Dean was Sheriff of Citrus County from 1981 to 1996. His father had previously served as... |
Current member of the Florida Senate Florida Senate The Florida Senate is the upper house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The Senate is composed of 40 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 470,032.... |
| Mike Figga Mike Figga Michael Anthony Figga is a retired catcher in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles. In a 3-year career, Figga hit .213 with 1 home run.- Early life and education :... |
Professional baseball player with the New York Yankees New York Yankees The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division... and Baltimore Orioles Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league... |
| Clinton Hart Clinton Hart Clinton Glenn Hart is an American football safety for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was signed by the Tallahassee Thunder as an undrafted free agent in 2000. He attended College of Central Florida.Hart has been a member of the Tampa Bay Storm, Philadelphia Eagles and San... |
Professional football player with the San Diego Chargers San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
| Bill Hurst Bill Hurst William Hansel Hurst is a former Major League Baseball player.Hurst played for Palmetto High School in Miami, and then for Central Florida Community College.... |
Professional baseball player with the Florida Marlins Florida Marlins The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at... |
| Kurt Kelly Kurt Kelly Florida Representative Kurt Kelly is an American politician, businessman, and a native of Ocala, Florida. He is a member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 24th district and is the President/CEO and founder of 3-D Background Screening, a full service pre-employment background search... |
Current member of the Florida House of Representatives Florida House of Representatives The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The House is composed of 120 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 156,677.The House convenes at... |
| Todd Lickliter Todd Lickliter Todd Lickliter is a basketball coach. He was the head coach of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes and Butler University Bulldogs men's basketball team. In 2011 he became an assistant coach at Miami .-Early years:... |
NCAA men's basketball coach at Butler University Butler University Butler University is a private university located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university offers 60 degree programs to 4,400 students through six colleges: business, communication, education, liberal Arts and sciences, pharmacy and health... and University of Iowa University of Iowa The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees... |
| Deanna Wright Deanna Wright Deanna Wright is an American actress and former fashion model.-Early life:Deanna Wright was born January 11, 1980 to Robert and Sharon Duncan. She lived in Ocala, Florida until she turned 17, when she moved to Miami.... |
Actress on Passions Passions Passions is an American television soap opera which aired on NBC from July 5, 1999 to September 7, 2007 and on The 101 Network from September 17, 2007 to August 7, 2008.... |