The state’s lawmakers unanimously passed a proposition (SB 522) Tuesday that allows Tallahassee Community College to change its name to Tallahassee State College.
The vast majority of Florida’s 28 state colleges no longer have “community” attached to their name. TCC is one of only two schools that still do.
The proposal heads to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk, where he is expected to approve the measure. The new name — TSC — will be effective July 1.
The school was named Tallahassee Community College in 1970, which means the school has not had a name change in over 50 years.
Schools commonly change their names because of it being attached to sexism or racism.
This positive change has TCC students intrigued by what is to come for the school.
Urielle Clotaire, transfer student from TCC and a bio-psychology major at Life University, is optimistic about the name change.
“I am happy they are changing it to state college instead of community college. The school has a lot to offer. Hopefully that means more bachelor programs will become available,” Clotaire said.
New bachelor programs have led to the change in name at TCC.
A bachelor of applied science in business administration, a bachelor of science in elementary education and a bachelor of science in exceptional student education were added to the school’s curriculum — appealing to a wider variety of students.
Yolanda Charles, a first-year transfer student at TCC, is unsure about the change, however. She, thinks this change will attract more recognition within the state.
“The college changing its name to Tallahassee State College can help with branding and recognition. However, it could also cause confusion and potentially erase the historical identity of the college. Overall, my feelings are very mixed,” said Charles.
The name change will also include a logo change. This is the sixth logo since the establishment of TCC.
Jeanne Joseph, a TCC student, does not believe the name change will have a substantial impact on student life at TCC.
“The name change will increase the growth of the school but not at the rate of FSU or FAMU. This is because the school is only offering specific programs for a bachelor’s degree,” Joseph said.
While waiting for DeSantis’ final stamp of approval, students wonder how the adjustment will affect the community.
“It could be because they want to see the response towards it first before adding more majors. If it is not the major you need to continue your education, it will not make much of a difference,” Joseph said.