Broward College

Broward College, previously known as the "Junior College of Broward County" and "Broward Community College," is a state college in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It is part of the Florida College System. It was established in 1959 as part of a move to broaden Florida's two-year community college system. In 2008 it adopted its current name, reflecting that it is one of the schools designated a "state college", meaning it can offer four-year bachelor's degrees. In 2012, Broward College was named one of the top 10 percent of community colleges in the nation by the Washington D.C.-based Aspen Institute.

History

The institution was founded in 1959 as the Junior College of Broward County (JCBC). It opened its doors the following year under the leadership of President Joe B. Rushing, with a faculty of 28 serving a class of 701 students. Until the college’s first permanent buildings were completed in 1963, students attended classes in the former Naval Air Station Junior High buildings on the western edge of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.