Lake City Community College
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Lake City Community College
Motto:	"Your hometown college"
Established:	1947
Type:	Public
President:	Charles E. Hall
Staff:	212
Students:	2,736 of which 1,084 were full-time students (2006)[1]
Location:	Lake City, Florida, USA
Campus:	132 acres
Service Area:	Columbia, Baker, Gilchrist, Dixie & Union Counties
Colors:	Green and White
Nickname:	Timberwolves
Website:	http://www.lakecitycc.edu

Lake City Community College (LCCC), located near Lake City, Florida, was founded in 1947 as Columbia Forestry School (CFS). Lake City, known then as the "Forestry Capitol of the World", converted structures that remained from a World War II pilot training air base into an educational facility.

Early years

The school is physically located at the southeast corner of the Lake City Municipal Airport. The first few years had extremely low enrollment and lower funds, causing the college president to appeal to the Florida Legislature for help with funding and administrative support. The University of Florida assumed management of the school, and, in 1950, CFS became the University of Florida Forest Ranger School. In 1962, the school was selected to join the newly created network of 28 state community colleges as Lake City Junior College and Forest Ranger School. Following a campus fire in 1963, many of the wooden buildings were replaced with brick, giving the school a more permanent and collegiate air. However, a few of the WWII era buildings remained, though mostly unused, until the middle 1970's, when the last one was finally demolished. Through the 1960’s, the school had fewer than 400 students.

Name change

In 1970, the "junior" was dropped and the term, "community" was placed in the college's title to emphasize the broad spectrum of transfer and occupational programs offered in addition to workforce and community education and community service courses.

Forest Ranger

LCCC's Forest Technology program, the college and the field of forestry, have undergone many changes. The original one-year certificate program became a two-year associate in science (AS) degree program in Forest Technology in 1970. In 1974, the Timber Harvesting Technician certificate became an AS degree in Forest Engineering Technology. The two programs were merged in 1989 to become an AS in Forest Technology. This 92-hour program is designed to train students in such areas as timber cruising, wood procurement, logging operations, and land surveying. Approximately 60% of the program takes place in outdoors classrooms, though course work also focuses on technical writing, botany, and mathematics.^[2]

Golf Course

The Associate in Science degree in Golf Course Operations and Landscape Technology programs started in 1967 and throughout the 70's & 80's it was one of the most popular vocational programs.^[3] The Golf and Landscape Operations program at Lake City Community College is recognized as one of the finest..^[4]

Nursing

The nursing program at LCCC begain in 1964 and is now part of the Allied Health Department which includes a dozen other health career programs. Nursing is comprised of four programs:

1. Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), which runs 11 months
2. Registered Nurse (RN), which is a two-year course of study; some students transfer to an upper division school to complete their bachelor's degree in Nursing.
3. LPN to RN bridge, which can be completed in 14 months as a full-time student or 12 months in the fast track evening/weekend program.
4. Patient Care Assistant, which requires 11 months to complete

To meet the shortage of RNs, a bridge program was created for existing LPNs. However, most working LPNs cannot afford to take a year off and return to school. In 2005, the Lake City Medical Center donated $130,000 to fund a new 12-month fast track bridge program. Classes are held two nights a week with clinical experience on Saturdays.^[5]

In 2003, the nursing program at LCCC was limited to 24 students.^[6] In June, 2008 that number had grown to 60.^[7]

Activities

• Anime
• Art Club
• Baptist Campus Ministries
• Chess Club
• College Choir
• Cosmetology Club I
• Cosmetology Club II
• Cultures in Action
• Debate Club
• Future Teachers Club
• Florida Turf Grass & Golf Course Superintendents Association
• The Irriscape Project
• Jazz Attack
• LCCC Environmental Club
• Phi Theta Kappa – Xi Phi Chapter
• Practical Nursing Association
• Student Government Association
• Student Nursing Association

Athletics

Intramurals

• Basketball
• Flag Football
• Ping Pong
• Spades Tournament

Intercollegiate

Main article: Basketball at Lake City Community College

The college had a competitive intercollegiate athletic history for over 45 years.

The mens basketball program was state runners-up in 1968 and state champions in 1970, the year they placed third in the National Junior College tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas. The sport was discontinued in 1995.

The women's softball team has eight National titles:

• Women's Slow Pitch Softball: 1983, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993
• Women's Division I Fast Pitch Softball: 2001

On March 12, 2008 the college announced that at the end of the 2007-2008 school year, the Lake City Community College intercollegiate athletic program would be disbanded. The proposal was made by college president Charles Hall and endorsed by the college board of trustees. The reasons given were financial, including expected reductions in state funding, lower enrollment, program cutbacks after the Florida Department of Corrections withdrew its training courses, athletic dormitory and food service costs and the prospect of making similar cuts in the next school year.^[8]

Current status

A record 883 students graduated from Lake City Community College in the 2002-03 school year^[9]; however, enrollment since then has declined. In 2006, enrollment was 2,736, of which 1,084 were full-time students.

In 2006, the most popular fields of study were Corrections, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Nursing and Emergency Medical Technology. LCCC occupies 132 acres of natural pinelands, with over twenty-five modern buildings surrounded by crepe myrtle and azalea shrubbery.^[10] Florida Leader Magazine designated LCCC as the most beautiful college campus in Florida.^[11] The natural surroundings contribute to the ambiance of the college, making the campus a quiet and serene setting for study and reflection.

LCCC operates 3 satellite locations (Macclenny, Cross City & Bell) in the surrounding counties included in the college's service area. At these "storefront centers", local residents can attend live classes, take distance learning courses or talk to advisors via the internet and pick up brochures, catalogs, schedules, and forms.

On February 1, 2008 Dr. Chuck Hall, President of LCCC announced that the correctional officer training program at LCCC, a cooperative effort between the college and the Florida Department of Corrections would terminate at the end of February, 2008. The DOC began training staff internally, and the college lost between 450-650 students annually.^[12] Hall said LCCC was the first community college in the state to offer an associates degree that bridges the gap between corrections and law enforcement.^[13]

As of May 2, 2008 Granger Hall closed its doors as the 84-student residence hall at Lake City Community College. It was one of only two community colleges to offer on-campus housing in Florida but was used predominately for students on athletic scholarship.

Notable Alumni

References

External links

• Lake City Community College website