1963

The Florida Legislature authorizes the creation of a junior college in Jacksonville.

1965

"The State Junior College Board allocates $6.48 million for construction of a college in Duval County, on the condition that the county provide the land on which the junior college would be erected."

1966

"The Duval Public Board of Instruction, on the recommendation of the Duval-Nassau Junior College Advisory Committee, tentatively adopts the name “Florida Junior College at Jacksonville” for the new college."

1966

Dr. J. Bruce Wilson begins his first day as FJC’s first president by inspecting possible temporary sites for the College and setting up offices in the Atlantic Coast Line building.

1966

Florida Junior College opens for its first day of classes at the Southside Campus on Flagler Avenue and the Cumberland Campus on Roosevelt Boulevard.

1966

What would become known as the FJC Artist Series launches at the Civic Auditorium with a concert by the Lettermen.

1967

"FJC’s cross-country team, in its first year of competing, finishes 9th out of 40 teams at the national meet at Farmingdale, NY."

1967

"In its second Fall Term, FJC launches several new programs, including Law Enforcement, Nursing and Data Processing."

1967

"In the fall, FJC launches an Athletics program featuring basketball, golf, track and cross-country teams. They are cheered on by the college’s first cheerleading squad."

1967

"The first issue of the original student newspaper, Alpha, goes to print on February 1, 1967. The newspaper continues under that name until spring 1971 when it rebranded as Orionis."

1968

"After publishing one issue the previous year as Reason ’67, the College’s student art and literature magazine rebrands as “The Experience” and prints its first issue in fall. The Experience continues today as the College’s oldest and longest running publication."

1968

"In fall, the College adds new programs for medical lab technology, childcare, ophthalmic dispensing and food service technology, as well as an introductory aviation class."

1968

"In spring, FJC establishes the Experimental College, a non-traditional honors program which “aimed at unleashing the bright student from routine classes, providing instead a program for individual achievement.”"

1968

"On July 1, FJC officially separates from the Duval County School System and comes under the direction of the newly formed Board of Trustees. At this time, FJC takes over adult education from the school system."

1968

FJC holds its first graduation ceremony at the Civic Auditorium on May 3. President Wilson presents diplomas to 43 students who earned their degree in 1967 and 146 who earned their degree in 1968.

1969

"FJC offers its first telecourse, a 15-week course on American federal government made available through the State Board of Education that runs on WJCT-TV."

1969

"In December, FJC is officially accredited by The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools."

1969

"In fall, the College’s Athletics program expands to include men and women’s tennis and baseball."

1969

"In January, FJC begins offering classes at the San Diego Campus, located at 2445 San Diego Road in the old Douglas Anderson Junior High School. With this expansion, the College has access to its own gymnasium for the first time."

1969

"In January, FJC launches new programs in Hospitality Education and Fire Science Technology. The fire science and prevention classes are the first college-level courses in the country."

1969

FJC founds its own Phi Theta Kappa chapter in May with four charter students.

1970

"Dr. Benjamin Wygal becomes president of FJC. Wygal, who had been serving as acting president since Wilson’s departure in April, had joined the College only a year prior as the vice president for planning and development."

1970

"FJC opens North Campus, its first permanent site, and closes its Flagler Avenue Campus."

1970

"Professors Joe Sasser and John Bruce found the Florida Junior College Natural History and Science Museum in Building 81 of Cumberland Campus to highlight natural and social history of Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia. At the time of its dissolution a couple of decades later, the museum contained hundreds of Timucuan artifacts, many of which wound up in the collection of Jacksonville’s Museum of Science and History."

1970

FJC has the largest adult and vocational education enrollment of any junior college in the state.

1971

"FJC begins offering Weekend College at the Cumberland, North and South Campuses."

1971

"FJC launches its Division of Aging, located at Cumberland Campus, which aims to tailor classes to the needs of local senior citizens and then take the courses to the people where they live."

1971

"FJC’s South Campus opens in a new $5 million facility with an expected 3,300-3,500 students, or about the same size as Jacksonville University’s enrollment."

1971

A Job Placement Program launches at the College to help students find work at local businesses.

1971

FJC becomes one of the first junior colleges in the nation to be approved by the Veterans Administration to offer the Pre-discharge Educational Program (PREP) to servicemen at Naval Air Station Jacksonville.

1972

"After almost two years of planning, the FJC Foundation is established with George Whitner as its first president and executive director."

1972

"FJC introduces enrollment by computer at North Campus, allowing students to register in one place for courses held at one or more campuses. In the previous term, almost 13% of students had to go to more than one campus to register."

1972

What would now be considered dual enrollment begins when FJC allows high school students with better than a B average to complete their senior high school year with their freshman year at the College.

1973

"A dedication ceremony is held for the Northeast Florida Criminal Justice Training and Education Center, located on 20 acres at South Campus"

1973

"Fifty-two members of FJC’s Chorale leave for its first European tour, which includes participation in Holland’s Tulip Time Music Festival, an appearance at the Kaiser Wilhelm Church in Berlin, plus other performances in London, Paris, Amsterdam and Rotterdam."

1973

"FJC begins offering the TRIO program, which is designed to assist students who are either financially unable or only marginally qualified to attempt college work."

1973

"The FJC Automotive Center opens in the former Mid-City Chrysler building at State and Laura Streets. Courses are offered in general mechanics, small engine repair and some auto body work training."

1973

FJC launches a two-year Associate in Science Dental Hygienist program with the assistance of local dentists.

1973

The District Board of Trustees votes unanimously to waive registration fees for any ex-POWs who want to attend FJC “as a gesture of appreciation from the College.”

1974

"The Job Entry Training (JET) Center opens in portable classrooms at the corner of Main and State Streets. The Center includes training in welding, sheet metal fabrication, machine shop work, carpentry, HVAC and plumbing."

1974

A ceremony is held to celebrate the renaming of Cumberland Campus as the “Fred H. Kent Center” in honor of the former Chairman of the Board of Trustees.

1974

FJC begins offering freshman and sophomore level courses on ships homeported in Naval Station Mayport through the Program for Afloat College Education (PACE).

1974

FJC’s Center for the Continuing Education of Women (commonly known as the Women’s Center) opens under the direction of Roseanne Hartwell. Almost 200 women came to the center for counseling during its first four months.

1975

"After nearly two years of planning, the FJC Chorale travels to the Soviet Union, the first such visit for a community college in Florida, and possibly the nation. The tour begins in Moscow before going on to Leningrad, followed by ten days in Vienna, Austria."

1975

"The baseball team finally gets a home field with the creation of a baseball diamond at North Campus. Prior to this, the team played on the diamond behind the Hogan-Spring Glen Elementary School on Beach Boulevard and Woodstock Park off Beaver Street."

1975

The first FJC Jazz Festival takes place in the Civic Auditorium in front of a packed house. Five local high school bands open the show before the FJC Jazz Rock Ensemble takes the stage.

1976

FJC hosts a dedication ceremony for its new One-Stop Education Center at 124 West Ashley Street. The center is designed to bring agencies providing area jobs and training information together in one location.

1977

"Downtown Campus officially opens for fall classes, replacing the multiple Downtown locations where the College previously held classes."

1977

"The Independent Living for Adult Blind (ILAB) program, which originated at the Gateway Hope Center, becomes a part of FJC. By 1985, iLAB – which offers instruction in cane travel, using public transportation, braille, typing and handwriting as well as household and money management skills – is “touted as being the best instructional program for the blind in the state.” "

1979

"Kalliope,” the College’s journal of women’s art and literature, publishes its first issue. The name Kalliope was chosen because “the muse of epic poetry represents the standard of excellence we are seeking, and the progress of women in the arts, both individually and collectively may be seen as a kind of epic journey.”"""

1979

The “new” Kent Campus officially opens with a ceremony involving knocking down the last naval housing unit with a bulldozer.

1980

"FJC launches its cable television programming featuring four, half-hour programs provided by the state Department of Education including ads about the College’s registration process or art shows. In fall, the College starts running its first two for-credit telecourses on cable."

1980

"Two FJC Jazz Ensembles open the first annual Mayport and All That Jazz Festival, which would become the Jacksonville Jazz Festival."

1981

"The FJC softball team played their first game, with a double header at North Campus against Jacksonville University. FJC wins the first game 5-2 and JU wins the second game 7-3."

1982

"A new tennis complex with 12 hard courts opens at South Campus, with a stadium court that seats 500."

1982

"Author Judith Viorst becomes the first guest in FJC’s Worth Quoting Series, sponsored by the Center for the Continuing Education of Women. The series, which ran for 20 years, features locally and nationally known women speaking to women on various topics of interest."

1982

"FJC wins the first annual Florida College System Activities Association Brain Bowl tournament in Tallahassee, beating St. Petersburg College 665-395."

1982

"The College Administration Building, later known as the Martin Center and then as the Administrative Offices, opens at the corner of State Street and Broad Street."

1982

"The Women’s Cross-Country team wins the National Junior College Championship in Utica, NY, despite sub-freezing temperatures, snow flurries and a hilly course. One hill on the 5,000-meter course was part of a ski slope and, according to runner Becky Motley, “It was steeper than the Hart Bridge, maybe not quite as long.”"

1983

"FJC wins the State Community College Brain Bowl Grand Championships for the second year running, coming from behind to beat St. Petersburg Junior College 660-540."

1983

"Funded by the state legislature, FJC, Jacksonville University, University of North Florida and Edward Waters College form an official cooperative council designed to share resources and present duplication, with the goal of sharing students and faculty on a broad scale."

1983

"The Florida Association of Community Colleges - The Faculty Commission, names Mary Sue Koeppel Florida’s first Professor of the Year and awards her the Red School House Award for excellence in teaching. Koeppel, an English teacher at FJC’s South Campus, competed against 6,000 other community college instructors for the award."

1984

"FJC’s Lawrence R. Geis Southeastern Marine Technical Center opens. The new campus includes 400 feet of waterfront and will boast a 600-foot pier with a 180-foot, T-shaped dock. It is named after former Rear Admiral Larry Geis, who served as assistant to the president for business and industry relations at FJC from 1974-80."

1985

"An art gallery opens at South Campus for the first time since the early 1970s, with a reception for its first show featuring internationally recognized potter Toshiko Takaezu."

1985

"Dr. Charles C. Spence, the 42-year-old former president of Clinton Community College in Iowa, becomes FJC’s third president."

1985

"The District Board of Trustees appoints Dr. Joan Hill as the provost of South Campus, making her the College’s first female provost."

1985

"The Partnership in Learning Conference, sponsored by FJC’s Instructional Network, takes place at the WJCT studio with the goal of stimulating the sharing of ideas, concerns and insights into teaching among faculty, counselors and librarians from FJC, and instructors from public and private high schools in local counties."

1986

"As part of its 20th anniversary celebration, FJC rolls out its new name: Florida Community College at Jacksonville. At the same time, it rolls out a new logo, which “is intended to depict the dynamic excitement created by the College, while maintaining a sense of tradition and pride in the College’s 20 years of service.”"

1986

"Classes begin at the Florida Junior College Center at Grande Boulevard Mall, eventually known as the Deerwood Center."

1986

"FJC golf team wins The National Junior College Athletic Association golf championship in Conroe, TX, with a collective 5-over-par 289, beating runner up Brevard Community College by 12 shots. Coach Ernie Romine said, “This is the first national championship for a men’s team at FJC. And to win the gold championship in our first trip to the nationals is super. Everything went right.”"

1986

"FJC offers its first travel study program for language course credit; previously, programs had only been offered for Humanities credit. The French course will devote the first two weeks to highlights of Versailles, Mont Saint Michel, D-Day beaches, Chateaux of the Loire Valley, Chartres, Eze, Reims and Meaux, as well as Monaco."

1986

"In only its third year of competing, FJC‘s Math Team, under the direction of Professor Debbie Millard, places 1st in the national competition (of 36), sponsored by the American Mathematics Association of Two-Year Colleges."

1986

"The Broadway Season of the 21st year of the Artist Series opens with CATS, which plays for six days in the Civic Auditorium. When tickets go on sale on October 27, people line up for up to two hours at the box office for a chance at good seats."

1986

FJC begins offering college programs at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay.

1986

North Campus dedicates a memorial rose garden to professors John Youree (Biology) and Fern Smith (Microbiology) after they are killed in a car crash along with their two infant daughters and Youree’s mother.

1987

"FCCJ hosts its first annual Poetry Festival at the Downtown Campus. Sponsored by the Communications Department, it includes a full day of educational sessions and workshops and is capped by the reading of the poetry contest winning entries. By December, the event has rebranded as the State Street Poets & Writers Festival. In 1989, it rebrands again as the First Coast Writers Festival. The festival continues annually under that name at various locations around town until 2007."

1987

"The College officially launches its ESL program when 47 students register for a combination of English as a Second Language Academic Professional courses. Students in the program come from South America, the Philippines, Cambodia, China, Puerto Rico, Ethiopia, Cuba and more."

1987

"The District Board of Trustees approves an Associate in Science Career and Technical Skills for the Military degree, designed to enable active-duty personnel, reservists, national guard personnel and those with prior service to take advantage of their military service training and experience to obtain an associate degree."

1987

"The Kent Campus Arboretum, a cooperative effort of FCCJ, the Wildling Garden Club and the county Forestry Department, opens with a ribbon ceremony. This is the city’s first arboretum."

1988

"FCCJ rolls out STARS, the Student Telephone Assisted Registration System, becoming the first educational institution in northeast Florida to offer automated touchtone telephone registration."

1989

"The FCCJ Stars Baseball team plays the Jacksonville Expos as part of a three-game series in which the Double A club play UNF, FCCJ and JU."

1989

"The Jacksonville Connection, a new monthly show from FCCJ, debuts on Cable Channel 35. Hosted by Bobbi de Cordova-Hanks, the show is a way for the College to demonstrate how it impacts the community through continuing education, and features segments with President Spence talking about the College’s role in Jacksonville’s economic development, an art professor demonstrating bronze and metal casting, and a look at the training available at the Geis Marine Center."

1989

"The Women’s Basketball team finishes 3rd in NJCAA national tournament in Tyler, TX. They won the state title for the fourth straight year and were ranked #1 in the state and #2 in the nation."

1990

"The dedication of The River, a 225-foot mural depicting 600 years of life along the St. Johns River on the east side of the Profilers building at 745 W. Forsyth, was held. The mural was done by 32 FCCJ students, led by Professor Anne Banas."

1990

"The First National Conference on Teaching and Learning, sponsored by FCCJ’s Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning, takes place at the Omni Hotel and focuses on innovative college teaching/learning techniques, classroom research projects conducted by teachers and developing teaching/learning centers."

1990

"The Jacksonville Regional Fire/Rescue Training and Education Center (formerly the Fire Training Academy) on South Campus is dedicated. Firefighters and trainees battle a controlled fire, rappel from the tower and demonstrate other fire and rescue techniques to a crowd that includes Mayor Tommy Hazouri, President Charles Spence and a host of fire officials visiting from other counties."

1990

The Institute of the South for Hospitality and Culinary Arts moves from Kent Campus and opens at North Campus with eight students and pots and pans Chef Harrold brought from home.

1991

"In honor of its 25th anniversary, FCCJ publishes “A College Tells Its Story.” This oral history, the work of Professor Robert Gentry, was the result of hours of interviews with current and former faculty, staff and students, covering the history of the institution from its inception to 1991."

1992

FCCJ debuts its new fight song at Wolfson Park at the opening of an exhibition game between the Jacksonville Suns and the FCCJ Baseball team.

1992

The first Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard/American Culinary Federation national recipe contest cook-off is held at the Institute of the South for Hospitality and Culinary Arts.

1993

"A dedication ceremony for the Urban Resource Center, which has been operating since January 26, was held. By this time, 30 area businesses have used the center for company training and 500 students have taken classes in the building."

1995

"The College and Mayo Clinic start offering a Mayo Clinic Option Radiography Associate in Science, a two-year program where students apply to Mayo Clinic, and if accepted, take coursework and clinic instruction at FCCJ and Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville for eight months before attending full-time clinical and didactic training in Rochester, MN, for 15 months."

1995

"The National Junior College Athletic Association inducts FCCJ Stars Baseball Coach Howard Roey into the Hall of Fame during the JuCo World Series in Grand Junction, CO. Roey said, “This was totally unexpected. Except for my wife and my kids, this is the most exciting thing to happen in my life.”"

1995

FCCJ is the only community college in the nation to be honored with the Hesburgh Certificate of Excellence. This coveted national award recognized success and innovation in undergraduate teaching and was awarded based on the success of the College’s Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning.

1996

"FCCJ launches its first dance program under the direction of Professor Rosemary Fletcher, starting with just a dozen beginners in two classes. By 2004, the program has 300 students in 15 classes."

1996

"FCCJ offers its first online course, with 19 students in Professor Bill NesSmith’s Introduction to Sociology course. By Spring Term 1999, there would be 32 classes and 23 courses being offered online. Three years after that, 13.5% of all the College’s classes would be online. "

1996

"The Betty J. Cook Nassau Center opens in a cluster of aluminum-sided portable buildings. While the College had offered classes in Nassau County prior to this, those classes had taken place at various and changing locations, and only at night."

1996

FCCJ dedicates its new Nathan H. Wilson Center of the Arts. The combined theatrical/gallery space was named after local attorney and former District Board of Trustees Chair Nathan Wilson.

1997

"Angeleka Gorobchenko, a 32-year-old dentist from Murmansk, Russia, graduates after a year of study in the dental hygiene program. She returns to Russia to open a department of dental hygiene at the medical/dental school in Murmansk, which will be the first dental hygiene program in Russia."

1997

"Dr. Steven Wallace, former president of Inver Hills Community College in Minnesota, takes office as the fourth president of FCCJ after a sixteen-month search."

1998

"FCCJ and the U.S. Navy partner to create a Naval Nuclear Operations program to train students for a career in the nuclear Navy as they pursue a two-year associate degree in nuclear technology. During their second year in the program, students can enlist in the Navy and receive the benefits of an active-duty sailor, including medical and dental care and a salary of ~$900 a month. After two years at FCCJ, students will go to Navy’s nuclear power school in Charleston, SC."

1998

"Professor Anne Banas and eleven student artists complete the First Team Mural, which at 96x203’ is the largest hand-painted mural in the country. Located on the west wall of the Ed Ball Building on Hogan Street, the mural is a joint project by First Union Bank and the Jaguars and features six team members."

1998

The District Board of Trustees votes to officially name the location previously called Grande Boulevard Mall as Deerwood Center.

1999

"Cisco Systems, Inc., the global leader in networking for the internet, selects FCCJ as one of just six Cisco Academy Training Centers (CATC) in the world."

1999

"The new Northeast Florida Criminal Justice Training and Education Center at North Campus is dedicated in a ceremony featuring remarks by Florida House Speaker John Thrasher, Jacksonville City Council President Ginger Soud, Sheriff Nathaniel Glover, Florida Senator Jim Horne and Director of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Al Powell."

2000

"A dedication of the Richard and Annette Bloch Cancer Survivors Park next to the Administrative Offices was held. The presentation, attended by President Steve Wallace and City Council President Ginger Soud, involved giving a plaque to Richard and Annette Bloch."

2000

"The Forensics team competes in the National Phi Rho Pi Forensics Competition in Portland, OR and walks away with two gold, one silver and three bronze medals. The team won a total of 113 awards during the academic year, making this team, coached by Dr. Jeff Hess and featuring now-professor Nick Martino, the most successful since the program began in 1968."

2000

"The newly constructed Betty P. Cook Nassau Center is dedicated in a ceremony which honors Cook, former chair of the District Board of Trustees, who along with her family donated the original 43 acres for the site. The new buildings have more than triple the capacity of the eight aluminum portables they are replacing, which had served as classrooms and offices since 1996."

2001

"Baseball Coach Howard Roey earns his 1,000th career win during his final season, when the Stars defeat Santa Fe Community College 5-4 in the Mid-Florida Conference opener. Roey was the first coach of the Stars Baseball team and has a 1,000-515 record (.661 winning percentage) across 32 seasons. Roey said, “I’d like to go to the Junior College World Series one more time and, instead of {just} being there, win the whole thing. I’d like every one of our ballplayers to get a ring. That would show for one brief moment you are the very best.”"

2001

"Camp Broadway, a New York-based theater camp provides a unique and intensive one-week, 40-hour theatrical camp for children ages 10-17. The camp is an outreach activity of the Artist Series and brings Broadway professionals and local theater professionals to campus to provide workshops while FCCJ students serve as camp counselors, and Artist Series volunteers provide additional assistance."

2002

"FCCJ hosts a dedication ceremony for the Advanced Technology Center, attended by Governor Jeb Bush, who uses the event as a backdrop to sign the Florida Technology Development Act into law."

2002

"FCCJ launches a program at Kings Bay Submarine Base to train future masters at arms. By March, classes are offered every six weeks to 25 new sailors at Kings Bay who will become masters at arms of the U.S. Navy. The College leveraged its expertise in law enforcement to help the Navy develop this internal security infrastructure in the aftermath of 9/11."

2002

"The College’s Aviation Center for Excellence opens at the Cecil Commerce Center, creating a home for the Aviation program, which started at the Cumberland Campus in 1968. The new center isn’t the first time FCCJ has offered classes at Cecil; College courses had been available to Naval personnel at the old Cecil Field Naval Air Station for decades."

2003

"FCCJ runs a six-week intensive program designed to recruit, support and retain new teachers in high-need schools."

2003

"North Campus hosts its First Family Literacy Fair featuring celebrity readers including Mayor John Peyton, City Council members Glorious Johnson and Reggie Fullwood, FCCJ Alum Dawn Lopez of Action News, Ju’Coby Pittman, Angela Spears of First Coast News, FCCJ President Steven Wallace and Kent Campus President Duane Dumbleton."

2004

"FCCJ launches a hospitality training program called Waves of Welcome prior to Super Bowl XXXIX being hosted in Jacksonville to train approximately 750 hospitality industry employees. The three-hour course covers not only basic customer service and communication skills but also helps familiarize workers with local features, attractions and resources that may be of interest to Super Bowl tourists."

2004

"The Cecil Education Center (Cecil Center) opens in portable classrooms at 133367 Normandy Boulevard, where it will offer college credit and business courses."

2005

"Jacksonville hosts Super Bowl XXXIX, a showdown between the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles. The chef at Alltel Stadium, FCCJ Alumnus Mike Pappas, called upon the College’s Culinary department for help staffing hospitality, so Chef Joseph Harrold closes the FCCJ culinary school for a week while his 50 students work the event. Chef Harrold himself prepares a seven-course vegan menu for Paul McCartney, who appeared as the halftime musical act."

2005

President George W. Bush holds an event in the South Campus Gym to share how community college skills-training impacts lives and discusses his plans to ask Congress for an increase to the maximum amount of the Federal Pell Grant Program.

2006

"FCCJ offers its first bachelor’s degree in Fire Science Management. The addition of this program, which includes traditional courses as well as hands-on learning tailored to the expanding responsibilities of local fire departments, will eventually lead to the College having to change its name."

2006

"FCCJ was awarded two training contracts with the Department of Defense for FSCJ’s Military Education Institute (MEI) to provide personnel, supervision, management, equipment and materials to perform training and educational services for sailors at the Great Lakes Naval Station near Chicago and the Pensacola Naval Air Station. These contracts are the largest in the College’s history and allow students at these locations to receive college credit for some of their training, enabling them to work toward an associate in arts or associate in science in areas that complement their military occupations."

2006

"FCCJ’s first Summer Musical Theatre Experience (SMTE) production, “Guys and Dolls,” debuts at the Wilson Center. SMTE was created to provide resources to teenage artists, providing the best teaching and directorial talents with the top performance and technical training facilities in northeast Florida. The program was the brainchild of Beth Harvey, program director at the Wilson Center for the Arts."

2006

"Students from FCCJ’s Department of Interior Design Technology participate for the first time in the Symphony Showhouse, a home design showcase benefiting the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra that had run annually since the 1970s. The students design a concept for the Ellis garage apartment in Springfield that they call the “Glamour Garage.”"

2007

"Phase I of the new Cecil Center North opens with two buildings totaling 44,000 square feet, the first permanent structure on the 130-acre site given to FCCJ by the City."

2007

"The U.S. Navy selects FCCJ as the designated degree-granting institution for a three-year pilot program called Accelerate to Excellence, which allows enlistees to obtain an associate degree as part of their initial rate training while in the Delayed Entry Program prior to reporting to their first permanent-duty station. The pilot program is open to eligible applicants in all 50 states, DC, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico."

2008

"FCCJ offers an Air Traffic Control Summer Experience for 40 high school students from Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns. Free to accepted students, the program provides hands-on experience with air traffic control simulators and the chance to explore career opportunities."

2008

"In a program designed to help alleviate a shortage of soldiers working in communications, 28 guardsmen from the around the state, including three from Jacksonville, come to FCCJ for a crash course in communications technology before being deployed to Iraq. The students completed what would normally be a year and a half program in ten weeks, working ten hours a day, six days a week."

2008

The FCCJ Chorale kicks off the Jaguars game against the Cleveland Browns by singing the National Anthem.

2009

"As part of FCCJ’s first Author Series,” A Long Way Gone” Author Ishmael Beah spoke at the Wilson Center, sharing his story with students. The Author Series, initiated by English Professor Heidi Marshall, ran through 2022, featuring a year-long Collegewide memoir read followed by the author's visit."

2009

"FCCJ graduates its first two baccalaureate degree achievers, Corey Kendall McKinney and Brandon Trevor Nelson (magna cum laude), both in fire science management."

2009

"FCCJ is now officially known as Florida State College at Jacksonville, a name change necessitated by its addition of baccalaureate degrees and transition to a state college."

2010

"FSCJ holds a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly remodeled classroom and administration building of the 20-year-old Fire Academy at South Campus, also marking the launch of a construction project to build a burn ship and support building. Both Mayor John Peyton and JFRD Director Daniel Kleman attend the event and speak on the College’s ongoing partnership with the City to support public safety."

2010

Students Jamie Nerenberg and Joshua Daunhuer form a chapter of the Student Veterans of America (SVA) at the FSCJ to help make the process of transitioning from the military to school easier for veterans.

2011

"FSCJ hosts a memorial service at South Campus to honor the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Attended by local elected and military officials, the event included a 21-gun salute, a musical performance and a flyover. The event took place in a plaza designed by Professor Patrick Miko which would soon feature a 9/11 memorial statue sculpted by Professor Mike Cottrell."

2011

"Project Achieve, a collaboration among FSCJ, Duval County Public Schools and the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council, begins offering a vocational training program for students with intellectual or developmental disabilities. The program was for students to hone their skills in a specific trade, then apply those skills to fulfilling careers and increased independence. The program changes its name during the 2013-14 year and is now known as the V.E.R.T.I.C.A.L. (Vocational and Employment Readiness Training in Comprehensive Adult Learning) Training program."

2011

"The first annual Blocktoberfest, where student and faculty printmakers create large-scale block prints with the help of a steamroller, takes place at South Campus with guest artists John Hancock and Drive By Press. As part of that year’s Learning Community for the Author Series book, a memoir of the Iraq War by Clint Van Winkle, Professor Patrick Miko and his students create a collaborative piece responding to passages from the book which is later presented to the author. Blocktoberfest continues to occur at South Campus annually."

2012

"After 45 years as the Stars, the College rebrands its sports teams to become the Blue Wave."

2012

"Softball Coach Jami Lind, who joined the College in 1986, earns her 1,000th career victory. In 2014-15, Lind is inducted into the Florida College System Activities Association Hall of Fame. At the time, Lind had more wins than any other coach, retired or active, in the National Junior college Athletic Association."

2013

"Esther Zuniga takes home the championship trophy for FSCJ’s Women’s Tennis at the National Junior College Athletic Association championships in Tucson, AZ. Zuniga is named National Junior College Player of the Year and is the College’s first-ever national #1 singles champion."

2013

"FSCJ opens the Military and Veterans Service Center (MVSC) in the Main Street Building at 940 North Main. The Center is a one-stop, comprehensive shop for all military, veterans and family members and is staffed by two dedicated military advisors who will help with educational resources to increase academic success, lead them to degrees, certificates and licensures, and ultimately provide job placement."

2014

"Dr. Cynthia Bioteau, former president of Salt Lake Community College, takes office as the fifth president of FSCJ."

2014

"FSCJ hosts its first independently organized TEDx event, TEDxFSCJ, at the Wilson Center for the Arts at South Campus. Organized by Dr. Jose Lepervanche and produced by student Keith Walters, the event addresses the theme, “Lessons Beyond the Learning Edge,” focusing on sharing innovative ideas on how to influence those around you in positive and enlivening ways. TEDxFSCJ went on to offer annual main events, supplemented with frequent smaller salon events until 2021."

2014

"The first Jax By Jax Festival, the slogan for which is “Jacksonville Writers Writing Jacksonville,” takes place at Park and King Streets in Riverside. Nine businesses act as venues for more than a dozen local writers performing readings of their work. Organized by Professor Tim Gilmore and inspired by a suggestion from Professor Jo Carlise, the festival was initially sponsored by the College. By 2019, the event had come under different leadership, though it continues as an annual event."

2015

"FSCJ and UNF launch the CONNECT program, making it easier for students to transfer from FSCJ to UNF. The Connect program allows students who wish to earn a baccalaureate degree from UNF, but may not meet the initial eligibility requirements, to begin their educational career at FSCJ, allowing students to earn credits, and then transfer to UNF at a future time."

2015

"FSCJ partners with Year Up to help young adults ages 18-24 through an intensive year-long program, composed of six months of technical training and professional skills development, followed by a six-month internship with one of the local business partners. The 24 students who begin the program in the Spring Term will earn college credits and be paid a stipend during both phases of the program."

2015

"Professor Mary Joan Hinson’s art class creates a mural on the west side of Durkeeville and Co. on Myrtle Street that depicts owner Aarion “Slim” Williams and his family standing in their storefront with fresh fruits and vegetables on display around them. Williams, a native of St. Ann’s, Jamaica and a former student of FSCJ, took his education and used it to help revitalize his community by providing a friendly atmosphere along with delicious food in the style of New York’s bodegas."

2015

"The first FSCJ Student Paper/Presentation Conference, later known as the Student Research Conference, takes place at Deerwood Center, with over 150 people attending to hear nine paper presentations on topics ranging from food gentrification to mosquito control. The idea for the conference originated with discussions between Professors John Woodward and Carl Colavito, and the first organizing committee included Woodward, Colavito, Maureen McCormick, Doug Kuberski and Paul Hendrickson. The Conference continued through 2019."

2016

"FSCJ becomes one of over 200 community colleges throughout the country to be selected to join Achieving the Dream (ATD), a national community college network dedicated to improving student success."

2016

"North Campus hosts a Health Literacy Fair, expanding the health services activities offered at its long-running Family Literacy Fair into their own event featuring a wellness walk, fitness training classes, health screenings and education sessions. Though it rebranded variously over the years under names like the Health-Up Family and Fitness Fair or Community Wellness Fair, the event continues annually through 2020."

2016

"With the help of a $500 Learning Community Grant, Professor Jennifer Chase’s Humanities 2250 class and Professor Ashli Archer’s EAP 1540 Writing students work together to create “Culinary Camaraderie,” a cookbook with original student recipes and personal stories."

2017

"FSCJ hosts the first annual Mathematics Council Mini-Conference, later known simply as the Math Conference at the Deerwood Center. The event is organized by the College’s mathematics faculty. Every spring thereafter, the College hosts the Math Conference to provide a forum for K-12, college mathematics educators and those who support them to learn from one another, share ideas and resources, and to effectively prepare students in basic and higher-level math skills."

2017

"FSCJ launches the Business Speaker Series, funded by a $250,000 gift from First Florida Credit Union to support future business leaders in the community. The series opens with “Generational Dynamics in the Workplace,” featuring keynote speaker Matt Beaudreau, who explores how generations can collaborate and connect, with insights tailored to Northeast Florida. Over three years, the series will include more than a dozen events."

2017

"Professor Dustin Harewood teaches a mural painting class for four students to create two stairwell murals, “Land, Sea, River, Air” (stairwell 5) and “This Bridge, That Bridge” (stairwell 6). The beautification project was successful and popular enough that Professor Harewood ran it again the following summer, painting four additional murals: “The Art of Work” (Building B), “A Diversity of Knowledge” (stairwell inside A2102), “See the World” (stairwell 2) and “Greetings from FSCJ” (stairwell 1)."

2017

"The grand opening of the H.O.P.E. (Helping Out People Every Day) Food Pantry takes place at South Campus. Staffed by FSCJ students and employees, the pantry allows students to visit one time each day to receive up to five pounds of food and seeks to heighten awareness of food insecurity and sustainable food practices. In 2020, the pantry moved to its current location in D-116."

2018

"20West Café, a student- and staff-operated restaurant on the ground-floor of FSCJ’s soon-to-open student housing, holds its grand opening at 20 W. Adams St. with a brief program and ribbon-cutting followed by a menu sampling inside the new restaurant. The farm-to-table, counter-service restaurant begins offering breakfast and lunch to the public on March 19, 2018 and is open for just over a year before closing."

2018

"20West housing, the College’s first student housing project, located in the heart of downtown Jacksonville in the historic Lerner Building at 20 W. Adams St., celebrates its grand opening. FSCJ leadership, community leaders and construction partners begin the ceremony with a brief program and ribbon cutting, followed by tours of the building, which had been renovated to maintain the building’s historical character and offer 58 apartment-style living spaces positioned on the second through sixth floors."

2018

"FSCJ becomes the only college in Florida to be designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Two-Year Education. This designation, awarded through a partnership between the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security, aims to reduce vulnerability in national information infrastructure by promoting higher education and research in cyber defense and producing professionals with cyber defense expertise for the nation."

2018

"FSCJ holds a grand opening ceremony for Cafe Frisch, the new simulated restaurant environment for the College’s Culinary department. The event features a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a brief program, followed by a tour of the facilities and a student-prepared lunch in the new dining area. The Cafe, which provides students a hands-on learning experience while showcasing their culinary and service talents to the community, was made possible by a generous gift from the Harry Frisch family and the Beaver Street Foundation."

2019

"Dr. John Avendano, former president of Kankakee Community College in Illinois, takes office as the sixth president of FSCJ."

2019

"FSCJ’s Vision Education and Rehabilitation Center (VERC), formerly known as iLAB, holds a ribbon-cutting ceremony to present their newly redesigned space to the community. The event happens in conjunction with the program’s seventh annual Vision Awareness Day, which begins with guided visual disability activities to bring awareness to some of the experiences faced by many who are living with blindness and visual impairment."

2020

"During FSCJ’s Spring Break, the World Health Organization declares COVID-19 a global pandemic. The College initially extends the break through March 26, but as the situation evolves, all instruction and operations shift online. Classes remain mostly virtual through spring 2021, with normal operations resuming in fall 2021."

2020

"For the first time in its history, the College hosts an entirely virtual Commencement ceremony. To help highlight graduates denied the traditional experience by the ongoing pandemic, the College runs an hour-long special segment on WJXT that includes messages from administrators, faculty, staff and students honoring the graduates' accomplishments."

2020

"The DramaWorks production of “Much Ado About Nothing,” originally scheduled to open in April of 2020, finally debuts at South Campus, but on a special stage in the parking lot and with seating socially distanced in deference to COVID."

2021

"FSCJ and UNF host a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Deerwood Center to celebrate a new facility and academic partnership between UNF MedNexus and FSCJ. Through the facility agreement, UNF MedNexus will locate its nurse training and health care simulation center at the FSCJ Deerwood Center. The Health Honors Direct master’s pathway created by the agreement allows FSCJ’s RN-BSN students to get a head start in UNF’s nursing graduate programs."

2021

"FSCJ honors the first cohort of graduates from the ESOL English Literacy Career and Technical Education (ELCATE) Medical Assisting Career Certificate program with a pinning ceremony. ELCATE, a language support framework, helps students train to become a medical assisting professional in 10 months or less while taking ESOL classes."

2021

"The H.O.P.E. Food Pantry cookbook, “From Food Pantry to Table,” is released. The recipes, created by faculty and students in the Culinary Arts program, use everyday items that can be found in the home or at local food pantries."

2022

"After two years of holding remote ceremonies due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the College returns to an in-person Commencement at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, awarding more than 6,300 degrees and certificates to FSCJ graduates and candidates."

2022

"FSCJ holds a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the new Dental Clinic on the first floor at North Campus, moving the department from its 50-year home on the third floor. Students in the program use the new state-of-the-art facility to get hands-on experience by offering low-cost dental care to the community, just as the College has been doing since the mid-1970s."

2022

"FSCJ's Baseball team finishes their 2022 season with a third-place finish at the NJCAA Division II World Series in Enid, OK. This is the team’s first trip to the World Series since 2000, and their best performance since their initial appearance at the competition in 1987, when they tied for third."

2022

"With its new History of Jacksonville course, FSCJ launches the first comprehensive class on the City’s history ever taught in Jacksonville. Developed by Dr. Scott Matthews and timed to release during the Jacksonville's bicentennial year, the course covers the development of northeast Florida from prehistoric times through the arrival of the Jaguars."

2023

"After fourteen years, the FSCJ Author Series undergoes a transformation and evolves into “Beyond the Big Screen.” The updated program, now under the direction of Professor of English Dr. Sam Ertenberg, focuses on a term-long deep read of a book paired with a screening of its film adaptation."

2023

"FSCJ’s Nathan H. Wilson Center of the Arts hosts the world premiere of “TRACES, Voices of the Second Generation” on United Nations International Holocaust Remembrance Day in advance of the documentary screening on WJCT. FSCJ Digital Media Professors Isaac Brown, Brian Oakley and Thomas Doughty all worked on the film, which included interviews with children of holocaust survivors filmed by students in Brown’s classes as part of a service-learning project."

2024

"After a five-month search that included two rounds of public balloting and more than 20,000 votes cast, the College announces its new mascot, the Manta Ray, during Commencement. A mascot costume is later revealed on World Manta Day on September 17 and by mid-October students, faculty and staff settled on a name, “Rayzor Ray.”"

2024

"FSCJ becomes the first open-access academic institution to be accepted as a partner in the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomacy Lab program. The State Department course-sources research related to foreign policy while students explore current, real-world diplomacy issues. Professor of Biological Sciences Dr. Lourdes Norman-McKay worked to bring this opportunity to the institution as a part of sabbatical time spent at the U.S. State Department."

2024

"FSCJ opens the new Military and Veterans Service Center (MVSC), located at South Campus. FSCJ leadership, administrators, faculty, staff, students and alumni gathered with military, state and community leaders to celebrate the new, 4,800 square-foot-area, designed to provide and expand services for veteran and military students, and their dependents."

2024

FSCJ hosts a ribbon-cutting ceremony to unveil the new Commercial Vehicle Driving program at the Nassau Center. This is an expansion of the current program offering at Cecil Center and allows the College to double the size of the program.

2025

"FSCJ Men's Basketball became the NJCAA Gulf South District Champions, earning a bid into the NJCAA DII National Championship, becoming the #7 team in the nation."

2025

"FSCJ was named a Top 10 Military Friendly® School for 2025-26, in recognition of leading practices, outcomes and effective programs for student veterans. In addition to the Top 10 ranking, the College was also recognized as a Military Friendly Spouse School. This is the third year in a row the College received Military Friendly Recognition, earning the “Gold” ranking in 2023 and 2024."

2025

"In recognition of Executive Director of FSCJ Artist Series Dr. Milt Russos' nearly 60 years of leadership, service and dedication to the community, Mayor Donna Deegan honored him with the Key to the City and officially proclaimed April 10, 2025 as Dr. Milt Russos Day."

2025

FSCJ was included in the MONOPOLY: Jacksonville Edition game.