State College of Florida, Manatee–Sarasota
State College of Florida, Manatee–Sarasota is a public college with campuses in the Manatee and Sarasota counties of Florida, United States. Part of the Florida College System, it is designated a "state college" because it offers a greater number of bachelor's degrees than community colleges. SCF is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Founded in 1957 as Manatee Junior College, it was known as Manatee Community College from 1985 to 2009.
State College of Florida is the region's oldest and largest public college, operating three campuses serving Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, and Venice. SCF's official colors are green, white, and blue. The college's intercollegiate sports teams are "The Manatees" and are represented by mascot Maverick the Manatee.
History
State College of Florida, Manatee–Sarasota was established on September 17, 1957, by the Florida Board of Education as Manatee Junior College. The college came into existence under a plan of the State Board of Education to provide accessible higher education to Florida's population.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. Neel Auditorium, an 830-seat auditorium, would be dedicated October 29, 1966, on the Bradenton campus. State College of Florida's Bradenton campus is home to The SCF Collegiate School, 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. The Venice campus lake is nicknamed Lake Jervey and dedicated to Bill Jervey Jr for his outstanding contributions to the college.
At the beginning of 2003, MCC opened the 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 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.
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 to reflect its new status as a four-year state institution. The first bachelor's degree to be offered at the college was a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, 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.
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.
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.Sustainability
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 Gold certification for the construction of the Medical Technology & Simulation Center on its Lakewood Ranch campus. 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.Administration
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.
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. She also led the college's 2015–2020 Boldly Engaging strategic plan. Shortly afterward, SCF purchased of land for a new Parrish campus.
Academics
State College of Florida is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate and baccalaureate degrees. Noncredit education is offered under SCF's Lifelong Learning & Workforce Development programs. More than 50 percent of the college-bound high school students in Manatee and Sarasota counties attend SCF each year, with a current enrollment of over 11,000 students. State College of Florida is among the top 100 producers of associate degrees in the United States.State College of Florida is also a charter member of the Manufacturing Institute's "M-list," which recognizes schools for excellence in manufacturing education. The Manufacturing Institute is an organization that is dedicated to improving and expanding manufacturing in the United States. SCF was one of eleven Florida College System institutions to be selected, helping Florida lead the nation with the most schools on the list.
State College of Florida's nursing program annually records one of the highest certification rates in the state of Florida, and the physical therapy assistant, occupational therapy assistant, dental hygiene, and radiography programs have a 98% percent licensure pass rate.
SCF's study abroad program allows students the unique opportunity to travel to places outside of the United States. Students can visit places such as London, Oxford, Paris, Amsterdam, and more. The program takes place during the summer months.
Libraries
State College of Florida has three campus libraries including a large online collection. These locations include Bradenton, Venice, and Lakewood Ranch. The collections include print and electronic books, academic journals, magazines and newspapers, thousands of online research databases, audio books, streaming videos, DVDs, citation tools, music, and periodicals. Group study rooms, computer labs, and wireless printing services are also available. In addition to the on site librarians, students can use digital reference services such as AskALibrarian, where they can chat, email, or text with an SCF librarian.A new $17.6 million library facility opened in 2018 at the Bradenton location. The facility includes a visualization studio, which has a visual capability of 270 degrees, a 200-seat community room, 3D printers, and a film studio with multiple editing suites, as well as a section of the library into which students may not bring mobile telephones and laptop computers. The mission statement for the college library is as follows, "The SCF Libraries engage students, faculty, staff, and community members in the discovery and creation of knowledge."
Research
SCF is one of the 25 colleges and universities in the United States to participate in Yale University's Small World Initiative, a project that engages students in real-world research by searching for and identifying antibiotic-producing bacteria in soil and other environments. The college has also partnered with Tufts University to test the prevalence of antibiotic resistance in the environment. Other undergraduate research opportunities are offered to SCF students under the Tampa Bay Bridge to Baccalaureate program, a collaboration between The State College of Florida, Hillsborough Community College, and St. Petersburg College. The B2B program is funded by the National Science Foundation. The purpose of the B2B program is to increase the number of underrepresented students completing a bachelor's degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. Under the program, students have the opportunity to participate in research and internships through the college, local businesses, and through other partner universities.Partnerships and Community Development
The college's Venice campus is home to the Gator Engineering program, a collaboration with the University of Florida. Students can take their math and science courses at SCF and upon successful completion will be granted admission to UF's Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering.State College of Florida also participates in the FUSE Transfer Program, a partnership with the University of South Florida. The FUSE Program provides a seamless transition from SCF to the USF System. The program also allows for timely completion of both the Associate of Arts and bachelor's degrees.
Previously, the college held dual enrollment classes on the campuses of high schools operated by the School District of Manatee County and Sarasota County Public Schools. In 2018, the college announced that it would only offer dual enrollment classes held on its own campuses or those accessed on the internet.
The Cross College Alliance is a collaboration between the State College of Florida, the University of South Florida, the Ringling College of Art and Design, New College of Florida, and the Ringling Museum of Art. The purpose of the Cross College Alliance is to provide a network that expands the learning opportunities for students on the west coast of Florida. The CCA hosts a number of events throughout the year that inspire community building and collaboration.