During the Tallahassee Community College (TCC) Board of Trustees meeting held the TCC campus Tuesday, January 17, Jim Murdaugh, President of Tallahassee Community College, and Ken Shaw, Dean of Florida State University Panama City (FSU Panama City), executed a Memorandum of Understanding which establishes a new partnership between the two campuses and new opportunities for TCC students. 

Through the agreement, students enrolled at TCC will be able to take courses offered by FSU Panama City on the TCC Campus. The agreement establishes initial articulations in two academic degree program areas:  the TCC Associate in Science (A.S.) Degree in Criminal Justice Technology will articulate to the FSU Panama City Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Degree in Public Safety and Security, Police Science Major; the TCC Associate in Arts (A.A.) Degree will articulate in its entirety (60 credit hours) to the FSU Panama City Bachelor of Science in Public Safety and Security, Law Enforcement Operations Major.

“Evidence shows that the sooner students develop their career goals and get started in their course work toward those goals the better their retention and success rates are,” stated Barbara Sloan, TCC Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. “This agreement gives TCC students a great opportunity to participate in a major as early as their second year of college.” 

“This is an exciting new opportunity for TCC students who are ultimately seeking a B.S. degree in this high demand field of study,” stated Ken Shaw, dean of FSU Panama City. “While working towards completion of either their A.S. or A.A. degree at the TCC campus, these students will be able to also make significant progress towards completion of their B.S. degree. This partnership is all about helping students complete their degree as cost-efficiently and conveniently as possible.”         

Degree seeking students who have completed at least 30 semester hours at TCC and are in good academic standing will be eligible to participate in the new program. TCC students may take up to 15 semester hours of junior/senior level courses towards completion of the Public Safety and Security B.S. degree offered by FSU Panama City.  After completion of the A.S. or A.A. at TCC, students will be able to transfer to FSU Panama City to complete the Public Safety and Security B.S. degree through online or on campus coursework enrollment.