FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 12, 2006
Media Contact: Michael Corby
904.632.3310

Florida Community College approved by SACS to offer first bachelor degree
SACS approval last hurdle in quest for Bachelor of Applied Science in Fire Science Management

The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) has approved Florida Community College at Jacksonville’s application to award the Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Fire Science Management. The approval marks the final step in the College’s endeavor to offer this much-needed program to students in Northeast Florida. The Florida State Board of Education approved the College’s application in February 2006.

This first bachelor’s degree approved for FCCJ was developed with the support of local fire officials, government leaders and university officials.

For more than 15 years FCCJ has offered the associate degree in Fire Science Technology. The College’s application pointed out that their Fire Science Training Academy is the most extensive and sophisticated of its type in Florida. Offering this Bachelor of Applied Science degree in this location offers access to untapped capability and capacity without significant new investment of public dollars.

“The SACS accreditation process is very rigorous, as it should be,” said College President Steven Wallace. “It involved 10 volumes of documentation, months of research, hundreds of hours of staff time and placed tremendous demands on the College team of dedicated professionals whose work has brought us to this point. Our goal is to be a national model, and that does not come without great effort. We are extremely pleased with the news.”

“President Wallace, the board of trustees, and the entire team of faculty and staff who worked to develop the BAS degree in Fire Science and to attain Level II accreditation status with SACS are to be commended for their commitment to addressing the critical workforce needs of their region and the state,” said Chancellor David Armstrong, Florida Department of Education, Division of Community College and Workforce Education.

“This degree will provide a tremendous opportunity for fire department personnel to acquire the advanced leadership skills and technical expertise necessary for their critical role in protecting the lives and safety of Florida’s citizens,” Armstrong said.

The program, as planned, will consist of 120 credit hours. Required professional courses will provide students with knowledge for advanced practice in areas such as hazardous materials, counter-terrorism, urban search and rescue and inter-agency coordination during catastrophic events. Future department leaders will learn the skills required to manage multi-million dollar operations with large employment complements.

Students will be admitted into the program beginning in January 2007.