Brazosport College

Brazosport College

Dow Academic Center
Former names
 Brazosport Junior College (1968–1970)
Motto The College of Choice
Type Public
Established 1968
Endowment $3.3 million USD[1]
President Dr. Millicent Valek
Academic staff
 166[1]
Students 4,191[2]
Location Lake Jackson, Texas, USA
Campus Suburban, 156 acres (.63 km²)[3]
Colors Black, Blue, and White[4]
              
Nickname Gators
Affiliations SACS
Website brazosport.edu

Brazosport College, or BC, is a public, coeducational college located in Lake Jackson, Texas in Greater Houston. The college was opened in 1968, and offers two-year and four-year degrees. The campus features The Clarion, which is a regional musical performance venue, in addition to the Brazosport Center for the Arts and Sciences, which houses the Brazosport Museum of Natural Science as well as the Brazosport Planetarium among other institutions.

As defined by the Texas Legislature, the official service area of Brazosport College is the Brazosport, Columbia-Brazoria, Damon, and Sweeny school districts, and the Angleton Independent School District excluding that portion annexed by Alvin Community College prior to September 1, 1995.[5]

History

In 1948, voters of the Brazosport Independent School District voted to create the Brazosport Junior College District. However, it was not until the summer of 1967, after a tax was authorized by voters to maintain the college, was the college actually built. In the Fall of 1968, the college opened as Brazosport Junior College, and the first semester of classes began with an enrollment of 879 students.[4] Classes were held at the Brazosport Education Extension Center in Freeport, Texas.[6]

In 1970, Brazosport Junior College graduated its first 25 students. That same year, Brazosport Junior College was renamed to Brazosport College to represent a broader vision for the school.[4] In 1996, current president Millicent Valek was selected as the fourth president of the college.

On June 20, 2003, then Texas Governor Rick Perry signed Senate Bill 286 of the 78th Legislature into law, which created the pilot project. The program allowed the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to choose Brazosport College along with Midland College, and South Texas College to offer baccalaureate degrees.[7] In December 2004, Brazosport College received accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools as a baccalaureate-level institution. In the Fall of 2005, BC began offering classes for its Bachelor of Applied Technology degree program for the first time.

In 2011, Brazosport College, along with Frank Phillips College in Borger, Ranger College in Ranger, and Odessa College in Odessa, were proposed for closure by the State of Texas. The Texas Association of Community Colleges rallied successfully to keep the four institutions open. In a letter to Texas House Speaker Joe Straus of San Antonio and Jim Pitts of Waxahachie, then the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, TACC leaders referred to state budget restrictions at the time:

Community colleges are fully aware of the state's budget crisis, and we understand that we will have to bear our share of the budget pain. We pledge to work with you to reach a fair and equitable solution ... the decision to close these four colleges is unfair and inequitable in that it appears to be arbitrary and ill-advised. We stand in support of our sister colleges, and we look forward to a productive debate ...[8]


List of Brazosport College presidents

Academics

There are several divisions that comprise the college as follows:

The Byron & Sandra Sadler Health Professions/Science Complex

Two-year and transfer programs

Students at BC have the option to pursue several educational paths. Historically, most students have opted to attend classes at Brazosport College as a stepping stone to other four-year educational institutions. BC participates in the Texas Common Course Numbering System, or TCCNS, a voluntary cooperative effort by many Texas colleges and universities to create a standard set of course designations for transfer students at the freshman and sophomore level. This allows students who wish to transfer courses taken at Brazosport College to take a relevant curriculum for their destination school.

Another option for students at BC is to pursue a two-year Associate's degree. Brazosport College generally graduates around 200 students annually.[3]

Four-year programs

A third option for students at BC is to pursue a four-year Bachelor's degree in the school's Bachelor of Applied Technology program. This program is administered by the Division of Social Sciences & Business. All four-year students at Brazosport College are required to major in Industrial Management. There are several different concentrations offered by the college as follows: Process Operations Management; Business Management; Safety, Health & Environmental Management; and General Technology Management. Four-year students must be admitted through a separate application process than other students enrolled.[4]

Campus

The Clarion

Brazosport College as a campus is nearly 160 acres (0.65 km2) in size. It is a fully commuter-based campus, as there are no housing facilities for students. Most classes are held in a central complex.

Facilities

Brazosport College is home to The Clarion—a 29,000-square-foot (2,700 m2) performance hall that seats 600.[9] The $7.36 million facility was opened in October 2005.[10] Notable artists that have performed at The Clarion include singer-songwriters Don McLean, Lyle Lovett, and Los Lonely Boys.[11][12]

The Brazosport Center for the Arts and Sciences, a 45,000-square-foot (4,200 m2) facility dedicated to arts and sciences is located directly in front of Brazosport College. Hosted by the college on college land, the Brazosport Center for the Arts and Sciences is an independent nonprofit corporation. The center houses Brazosport Center Stages, an art studio and gallery, The Brazosport Museum of Natural Science along with a nature center and planetarium.[13]

BC has a student activity center known as "The Swamp". Students can play pool, table tennis, and participate in other activities. The college also has a central dining facility that serves meals throughout the day to visitors, students, and staff and faculty.

Student life

Brazosport College's Student Senate are elected and represent BC's student body interests. Other activities for students include a fencing club and a performing drama group.[1]

Notable alumni

References

  1. 1 2 3 College Overview:Brazosport College. Peterson's. Retrieved 12 October 2007.
  2. ↑ "Brazosport College". U.S. News and World Report. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
  3. 1 2 "About Brazosport College". Brazosport College. Retrieved 2010-06-11.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Student Guide & Calendar Archived September 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine., Brazosport College, Retrieved 12 August 2007.
  5. ↑ Texas Education Code, Section 130.170, "Brazosport College District Service Area".
  6. ↑ Gillenwaters, Karen. "Brazosport College". Handbook of Texas. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 2010-01-22.
  7. ↑ Wright, Michael (2003-07-19). "BC can offer 4-year degree". Brazosport Facts. Retrieved 2010-06-11.
  8. ↑ "Letter to the Honorable Joe Straus" (PDF). tacc.org. January 24, 2011. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
  9. ↑ About the Clarion. Brazosport College. Retrieved 12 October 2007.
  10. ↑ "Clarion music performance hall holds first concert". Archived February 6, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. The Navigator. Retrieved 12 October 2007.
  11. ↑ Past Performances by Guest Artists. Brazosport College. Retrieved 12 October 2007.
  12. ↑ Loveless, Billy (2010-10-19). "Los Lonely Boys kicks off Clarion's fifth season". Brazosport College. Retrieved 2012-10-10.
  13. ↑ BCFAS.org. The Brazosport Center for the Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 12 October 2007.
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Coordinates: 29°02′41″N 95°24′28″W / 29.044786°N 95.407907°W / 29.044786; -95.407907

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