Running head: IMAGE OF A COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Image of a Community College
Kristen Zernick
Florida State University
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Hillsborough Community College
Hillsborough Community College
Hillsborough Community College (HCC) is a two-year community college
located in Hillsborough County, Florida. Only Pasco-Hernando Community College
joined The Florida College System after HCC, but the institution has grown a great deal
since 1968 and is currently the fifth largest community college in the state of Florida
(“Community College Chronology”, 2013; “Hillsborough Community College Fun
Facts”, 2013.) With five main campuses, three satellite campuses, and an impressive
distance education program, HCC prides itself on the economic impact it has on the
Tampa area. According to a message from President Dr. Ken Atwater (2014), over 75%
of HCC graduates remain in the community and add more than $860 million to the
economy in Hillsborough County. Additionally, the success of the 2+2 Program has
allowed HCC to become the largest “feeder” community college to the University of
South Florida.
Mission Statement
The mission of HCC is to “deliver teaching and learning opportunities that
empower students to achieve their educational goals and become contributing members
of the local community and a global society” (“Mission, Vision, and Values”, 2014).
Based on the information and statistics HCC chooses to include in its mission statement,
marketing efforts, and strong social media presence, it seems as though the most
important priority for this institution is producing graduates who will economically
benefit the community in and around Hillsborough County. Among the K-12 students in
Hillsborough County moving on to higher education, HCC enrolls the highest number of
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students and about three quarters of them stay in the Tampa area upon completing their
education at HCC (“Message from the President”, 2014). Especially notable are
graduates from the healthcare training, police academy, and fire academy; HCC trains the
majority of first responders in Hillsborough County (“Message from the President”,
2014). Although HCC is undeniably community-oriented, the global initiative mentioned
in the mission statement is not lost in practice. International students from over 130
countries receive their education at HCC, and the institution offers study abroad
programs in Belize, Denmark, Ecuador, the United Kingdom, and Spain (“International
Education”, 2014).
Demographics
The total number of students enrolled at HCC is somewhat misleading. Some
promotional materials suggest enrollment is somewhere around 47,000 students
(“Message from the President”, 2014), but if one reads carefully, he or she will notice this
number is inflated because it includes three campus “centers” in addition to the Brandon,
Dale Mabry, Plant City, Southshore, and Ybor City campuses. According to the
institutional research in the HCC Factbook (2013), enrollment was 30, 527 during the
Spring 2013 semester, dropping 2% from the previous year.
While most students at HCC are under the age of 25 and therefore considered to
be traditional students, there is great variation in age between for-credit and not-for-credit
students; the average age is 22.6 for students taking classes for credit, but jumps to 36.1
for students not taking classes for credit. By comparison, the average age in the state of
Florida is 41.1, and the average age in Hillsborough County is 36.4. Women make up
55.6% of HCC students while men constitute 44.4%, and these numbers have remained
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very consistent over the last few years and match nationwide trends. Lastly, HCC is now
considered a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) because over 25% of its student
population identifies as Hispanic. As is true at several other Florida institutions, the
Hispanic population is growing quickly. Just four years ago, Hispanic students
constituted just 23.7% of the population; they are currently 28.3% of the population. This
number is higher than both the percentage of individuals identifying as Hispanic in the
state of Florida (23.2%) as well as in Hillsborough County (25.6%) in the same year
(“HCC Factbook”, 2013).
Governance
HCC is a public, two-year institution, so the State of Florida, and specifically the
Florida Board of Education, does have a role in the governance of the institution.
However, like the other 27 community colleges in the Florida College System, most of
the control remains at the local level via a board of trustees. Together with the President
of HCC, the local Board of Trustees develops the goals and strategic plans for the
institution. The President is responsible for writing the mission statement, although the
Board of Trustees must approve it. According to the HCC organizational chart, the
President answers to the Board of Trustees, while Campus Presidents for Brandon, Dale
Mabry, Plant City, Southshore, and Ybor City report to the President of HCC. This
allows each campus and its respective faculty and administrators to maintain some
authority over the specific needs of their students (“SACS Comprehensive Standards”).
Academics
Since HCC is a two-year institution, it offers degree programs granting an
Associate in Arts, an Associate in Science, or an Associate in Applied Science, as well as
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several technical and vocational programs (“Associate Degrees and Programs of Study”,
2014.) There are over 150 academic programs to choose from, although the majority of
programs are workforce training programs. More specifically, there are only 18 Associate
in Arts programs offered, yet there are 140 workforce programs offered (“Message from
the President”, 2014). This ties back to the mission and strategic goals of the institution,
which both prioritize training individuals to take jobs in fields that are in high demand in
the Tampa area. Jeff Harrington, a writer for the Tampa Bay Times (2012), recognized
HCC for its ability to identify community needs and train students to enter fields like auto
mechanics, where graduates can expect to make between $60,000 and $100,000+ per
year without a bachelor’s degree.
Major Funding Sources
According to the Foundation website for HCC, the institution receives only 60%
of its budget from the State of Florida, which has not kept up with the drastic increases in
enrollment HCC has experienced over the last several years (“Hillsborough Community
College Foundation”, 2014). Student tuition and fees accounted for $48,551,606 in
revenue in 2013, and HCC received $3,784,478 in federal grants and $191,102 in state
and local grants in that same year. In 2013, 54.3% of students received a Pell Grant or
other form of federal grant, while 37.8% took out loans and just 4.8% received
scholarships to help pay for school (“HCC Factbook”, 2013).
Student Affairs
In keeping with the mission to prepare graduates for successful employment,
student affairs at HCC is comprised of offices directly related to academic support and
job placement. Admissions, Advising, Career Center(s), Financial Aid, Students with
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Disabilities, Testing, and Veteran services all fall under the “Student Services and
Enrollment Management” umbrella, which describes its services as helping students to
“enroll, engage, and excel” (“Student Services and Enrollment Management”, 2014).
However, HCC is one of the only community colleges in the Florida College System to
offer an on-campus living option. It is called Hawks Landing, and it is located near the
Dale Mabry campus. Open to all students (including international students!), this
residence hall includes furnished apartments, a “state-of-the-art” computer lab, and a
fitness center (“Hawks Landing Student Apartments”, 2014).
Community Perception
HCC has built an impressive online image, especially when it comes to social
media presence, which illuminates the strong connection between the institution and the
community it serves. By browsing the community college’s active profiles on Facebook,
Twitter, YouTube, and even Foursquare, it would be difficult to miss all the ways HCC
contributes to the community in the Tampa Bay area. According to The Hawkeye (2014),
the student-run newspaper, HCC students are involved members of the community,
recently participating in a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day service learning project, the
Tampa Bay Heart Walk, an on-campus demonstration for LGBTQ rights, and even
traveling all the way to Washington, D.C. to give “free hugs” on Capitol Hill during the
government shutdown. Referring back to the message from the President Atwater (2014),
as 75% of HCC graduates stay in the Tampa area and contribute hundreds of millions of
dollars to the economy of Hillsborough County, it is clear HCC plays an integral role in
the identity of its surrounding community because of its attention to local needs.
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References
Association of Florida Colleges. (2013). Community College Chronology. Retrieved from
https://afc.memberclicks.net/about-us
Atwater, Ken. (2014). Message from the President. Retrieved from
http://www.hccfl.edu/gwsc/president.aspx
Harrington, J. (2012, April 21). Hillsborough Community College helps fill need for auto
technicians. Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved from http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/autos/hillsborough-community-collegehelps-fill-need-for-auto-technicians/1226152
The Hawkeye. (2013). News. Retrieved from
http://www.hawkeyenews.net/category/news/
Hillsborough Community College. (2014). Associate Degrees and Programs of Study.
Retrieved from http://www.hccfl.edu/academics.aspx
Hillsborough Community College. (2014). Hawks Landing Student Apartments.
Retrieved from http://hccstudenthousing.com/
Hillsborough Community College. (2014). Hillsborough Community College
Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.hccfl.edu/gwsc/foundation/faq.aspx
http://www.hccfl.edu/departments/international-education.aspx
Hillsborough Community College. (2014). International Education. Retrieved from
http://www.hccfl.edu/departments/international-education.aspx
Hillsborough Community College. (2013). Hillsborough Community College Factbook.
Retrieved from http://www.hccfl.edu/gwsc/spa-ir-mis/ir.aspx
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Hillsborough Community College. (2014). Mission, Vision, and Values. Retrieved from
http://www.hccfl.edu/mission-and-vision.aspx
Hillsborough Community College. (2013). SACS Comprehensive Standards. Retrieved
from http://www.hccfl.edu/sacs/draft_report/cs3_2_2.htm
Hillsborough Community College. (2014). Student Services and Enrollment
Management. Retrieved from http://www.hccfl.edu/ssem.aspx
Hillsborough Community College Fun Facts [Video file]. 2013. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THZtPJk0Vw&list=PLUYg1ZYqDTuqoh0ciknxWYi-1_y3Uejy_
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