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History of FSU Panama City
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MARCH 22, 1986 --
Dr. Larry Bland, Dean of FSU PC (right) from 1982 to 1999, presented Senator Dempsey J. Barron (left) with a plaque at the campus dedication ceremony.
Barron is credited with establishing the campus, and the administration building is named in his honor. |
The Florida State University Panama City had its beginning in the early 1980s. Since that time the campus has grown to almost 1,500
students supported by 15 bachelor’s and 19 graduate degree programs.
With a firm commitment to the needs of Northwest Florida, fall 2000 marked the debut of full-time daytime programs offered at FSU Panama City. This scheduling, coupled
with programs offered in the evenings, serves to accommodate the needs of its diverse student population. In addition, over 30 resident faculty have been hired to meet
these program demands.
Continuing its pledge to academic excellence, FSU Panama City is committed to providing area students with a quality education from a nationally-accredited university.
Detailed History
Recognizing the need for four-year degree programs in the Bay County area, in the early 1970’s members of the local business community, Naval Coastal Systems Center, Gulf Coast
Community College, Bay County School Board and Tyndall Air Force Base began lobbying for an institution of higher learning. Shortly after the community began lobbying, the Florida
Board of Regents (BOR) instituted a plan to make higher education available to Florida citizens living in major population areas located beyond a reasonable commuting distance
(50 miles) of a state-supported university. In 1972, the BOR directed the University of West Florida to establish a center in Panama City. Classes began that summer with an
enrollment of 65 elementary education students and a staff of two. Facilities for the center were located in the Bay County School Board Office Building and Gulf Coast Community College.
In 1976, the Bay County Commission purchased 17.5 acres located between Gulf Coast Community College and the beautiful waters of North Bay. The commission deeded the land to
the State for use by the center. In 1981 the commission donated an additional 2.54 acres and three quadriplex buildings.
In the fall of 1982, the State Legislature and the BOR transferred administrative responsibility for the Panama City Center to the Florida State University. The new FSU at
Panama City began operating with six administrative and support staff, five resident faculty, 531 students, and 11 degree programs. Classes continued to be held in the Bay
County School Board Office Building and Gulf Coast Community College. Administrative offices were moved to the quadriplex buildings.
When FSU accepted responsibility for the Panama City campus, it was apparent that five resident faculty could not provide all the instructional support necessary to meet the
demands of a new campus. The University realized that if educational quality and program consistency were to be maintained, it would be essential for the majority of the courses
on the Panama City campus to be taught by regular FSU faculty. So, a plan was developed to transport Tallahassee faculty the 100 miles to Panama City. Two vans were placed on
daily round trips from Tallahassee to Panama City.
On June 23, 1983, ground breaking occurred for the $9.1 million Phase I development of FSU at Panama City. The new facilities were formally dedicated on March 22, 1986.
The administrative building was named in honor of Senator Dempsey J. Barron, who sponsored the bill that secured funds for the permanent location of an FSU facility in Panama City.
The new campus facilities opened for students in January 1987. In March of 1987, an additional 5.62 acres along the bay were deeded to the State for use by the campus. This donation
brought the campus to its current size of 25.66 acres. A new conference center facility was completed in January of 2000, and the master plan for the development of the campus over
the next decade includes the construction of facilities, student life and academic buildings.
Construction of a new academic center in excess of 100,000 square feet will begin by Fall 2006. This new building will house labs to support engineering, computer science, and criminology, additional classrooms and faculty offices, a state of the art learning resource center, and an 8,000 square foot multipurpose room for university and community use.
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