Edison College selected for State College System pilot

COURTESY PHOTO More than 17,000 students attend Edison. Edison College is now a pilot college under Florida's new State College System after Gov. Charlie Crist signed the recent legislation in to law last week.

"This is a momentous day for Edison College and for residents of the great state of Florida," said Edison District President Kenneth P. Walker. "The doors of higher learning are swinging wider to welcome more students."

The bill establishing nine state colleges as a pilot study emerged from the 2008 legislative session out of concern that Florida continues to rank near the bottom on the number of students earning bachelor's degrees. Supporters of the bill cite the success of other states which have established state colleges as a way to maximize open access for students, and cost-effectively respond to the need for post-secondary education meeting community, regional, and statewide employment demand.

The study is slated to commence on July 1 with the goal of developing recommendations for the transition of community colleges to state colleges. Like the other eight participating colleges, Edison will retain its primary mission of meeting community needs through postsecondary associate and certificate programs, while expanding baccalaureate opportunities in areas of high workforce need. Open-door policies will be preserved, and Edison College will continue to reach out to underserved populations including those requiring preparatory courses.

"A baccalaureate degree enriches the lives of students and considerably increases an individual's lifetime income," says Walker. "The result will be more Florida students completing four year degrees, and at a significant savings to students and taxpayers."

Established as a junior college in 1961, Edison College has evolved into a multi-campus baccalaureate degree-granting educational system serving more than 17,000 credit students annually. The College currently is approved to award bachelor's degrees in six programs: Public Safety Management, Elementary Education, Secondary Education- Mathematics, Secondary Education-Biology, Supervision and Management, and Nursing.

Walker said that state colleges are proven economic engines, producing additional home-grown, highly-skilled employees, and raising the quality of life through enhanced educational and cultural opportunities. Edison College serves a five-county area with campuses in Lee, Charlotte and Collier counties, a center serving Hendry/Glades counties, and through Edison Online.