State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota

State College of Florida, Manatee–Sarasota was established on September 17, 1957, by the Florida Board of Education as Manatee Junior College (MJC). The college came into existence under a plan of the State Board of Education to provide accessible higher education to Florida's population. [ 3 ] In November 1957, Samuel R. Neel Jr became the college's first president, and the first classes were held on September 2, 1958, in what was formerly a senior high school; enrollment in the first term was 502 students. The college began administering classes in its own facilities in 1959, where the Bradenton campus stands today. [ 4 ] Neel Auditorium, an 830-seat auditorium, would be dedicated October 29, 1966, on the Bradenton campus. [ 5 ] State College of Florida's 100-acre (40 ha) Bradenton campus is home to The SCF Collegiate School (SCFCS), The Family Heritage House Museum, SCF's Dental Hygiene Clinic, and the athletic facilities for The Manatees. The college's administrative offices are also located on the Bradenton campus. The Venice center was opened in 1977 by MJC's board of trustees. During this period, the center's functions were funded by the donations of residents living in the surrounding communities, which included Venice , North Port , and Englewood . It was not until 1983 that the college received an appropriation from the Florida Legislature to expand the Venice center into a full-service Venice campus. It was dedicated on March 30, 1985, and the college's name was changed that year to Manatee Community College (MCC). The Venice campus lake is nicknamed Lake Jervey and dedicated to Bill Jervey Jr for his outstanding contributions to the college. [ 6 ] At the beginning of 2003, MCC opened the 5-acre (2.0 ha) Lakewood Ranch campus. The land appropriated for this was donated by the Schroeder-Manatee Ranch. The Lakewood Ranch campus offers credit and non-credit programs of study, as well as technical and workforce development courses.

In 2007, the Schroeder-Manatee Ranch donated an additional 5 acres (2.0 ha) to the Lakewood Ranch campus. MCC obtained supplementary funding from the Florida Legislature, which was allocated for the construction of the Medical Technology and Simulation Center. [ 7 ] In September 2008, MCC began the process of becoming a state college under the direction of then-president Lars A. Hafner, and on March 17, 2009, the State Board of Education unanimously approved the college's proposal to offer its first baccalaureate degree . In July of that same year, MCC officially changed its name to State College of Florida, Manatee–Sarasota (SCF) to reflect its new status as a four-year state institution. [ 8 ] The first bachelor's degree to be offered at the college was a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.), which started in January 2010. State College of Florida continues to add baccalaureate degree programs to its offerings based on a combination of regional, state, and national need. Several other bachelor's degree programs are now offered at SCF. [ 9 ] In June 2025 the university was placed on Warning status by its educational accreditor , the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools , after the accreditor's board found significant non-compliance with its standards of student achievement. [ 10 ] Campus Students can attend classes on campuses located in Bradenton , Venice , and Lakewood Ranch . Students can also visit many business and public-sector sites throughout the community as well as attend online classes. The Bradenton campus is outside the city limits, in the Bayshore Gardens census-designated place . [ 11 ] [ 12 ] Bradenton campus. Stephen J. Korcheck Student Services Center Venice campus Lakewood Ranch campus. Medical Technology and Simulation Center (MTSC) Future Parrish campus with college president Carol Probstfeld.

State College of Florida has been awarded The Association of Florida College's Campus Sustainability Award. And in 2011, the college was awarded The U.S. Green Building Council 's Leadership in Energy and Efficient Design (LEED) Gold certification for the construction of the Medical Technology & Simulation Center on its Lakewood Ranch campus. [ 13 ] Maintaining sustainability remains a continuous effort at SCF by integrating environmental, social, and economic goals through design, planning, and operational organization to meet its current needs. [ 14 ]

As a member of the Florida College System , State College of Florida falls under the purview of the State Board of Education . SCF is governed by the Florida Legislature and by a District Board of Trustees, consisting of eight members appointed by the Governor to oversee the college's operations. Tommy Gregory was inaugurated as the seventh president of the college on February 7, 2025, following the start of his presidential term on July 1, 2024. He succeeded Carol F. Probstfeld who was inaugurated as the sixth president of the State College of Florida on November 8, 2013, after serving as the college's vice president of business and administrative services. [ 15 ] During Probstfeld's term as president, the State College of Florida Foundation launched its first Capital Campaign in 2016 to provide facilities that enhance the student experience. The campaign financed $1 million in technological upgrades for the new Library and Learning Center that opened in February 2018 and includes a $3.5 million Studio for the Performing Arts and a $9.5 million Health and Human Performance Center. Both of which will be built on the Bradenton campus. [ 16 ] She also led the college's 2015–2020 Boldly Engaging strategic plan. [ 16 ] Shortly afterward, SCF purchased 74 acres (300,000 m 2 ) of land for a new Parrish campus. [ 16 ]