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Issue date: 11/1/06 Section: Cover stories

Media Credit: Sarah Gerace Since SACS gave DBCC a thumbs-up for its bachelor's in Applied Science degree, more degrees may follow.

Daytona Beach Community College received excellent reviews after the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools evaluated the college and the implementation of the new bachelor's degree program. This was the final step in the process of becoming a fully accredited Level II - or baccalaureate degree-granting - institution.
For a long time the education level in Volusia and Flagler counties was lagging behind in the state of Florida and the nation. The 2003 Florida Chamber of Commerce Cornerstone Report stated, "Florida's production of baccalaureate and advanced degrees is insufficient to meet the demands of the next decade. There is a lack of skilled professional staff and scientists/engineers." The same report ranked Florida 44th among the states for production of new baccalaureate degrees.
In compliance with its mission statement, DBCC then decided to start offering bachelor's degrees as well. In April of 2005 the Florida Department of Education approved the Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Supervision and Management and from then on the ball started rolling. In the spring semester of 2006 the BAS program started off with 12 students and for this semester 128 students are enrolled already.
The aim of the program is mainly students who already have an AA or AS degree, have possibly already worked in the field for a while and want to upgrade their current career. At the moment the average age is 40 and 95 percent of the students have a full-time job besides their studies.
The Commission on Colleges of SACS is the regional body for the accreditation of higher education institutions in the Southern states and Latin America. Accreditation by SACS means that the college's purpose is appropriate for an institution offering higher education and that the college has the right resources, services and programs to accommodate this purpose.
For DBCC to receive full accreditation to change from a Level I institution - offering AA and AS for highest degrees - to a Level II institution offering a BAS - this meant drastic changes had to be made. For instance, the dismissal of several faculty members who couldn't comply with the requirement that all faculty teaching undergraduate courses have to have at least a master's degree, with 18 hours of credit in their specialized field, such as Humanities.

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