Pasco-Hernando Community College’s District Board of Trustees approved the college’s new mission and vision statement that includes the institution’s new name—Pasco-Hernando State College—at the college’s regularly scheduled board meeting, held on Tuesday evening, January 21, at the North Campus in Brooksville.

In December 2013, PHCC received approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Board of Directors to offer baccalaureate degrees. A Bachelor of Applied Science degree in supervision and management and a Bachelor of Science in nursing will be offered beginning August 2014.

“Our new name signifies enhanced opportunities for our current and future students,” said John DiRienzo, Jr., PHSC district board of trustees chair. “This is a pivotal moment in our college’s 41-year history. The transition to a state college is reflective of the college’s enhanced mission to provide accessible, affordable, quality higher education that meets the needs of our local residents and employers,” continued DiRienzo.

“These two baccalaureate degrees are in high demand fields that will provide advanced career opportunities in fast-growing, stable industries,” said Katherine M. Johnson, Ed.D., PHSC president. “While the word ‘community’ no longer appears in our new name,” said Johnson, “the college’s commitment to serve the higher education needs of residents from all of our communities has never been stronger.”

The Bachelor of Science degree in nursing (BSN) is designed to prepare graduates of Associate in Science degree nursing (ADN) programs, who already hold a Registered Nursing (RN) license, to obtain additional skills in management, leadership, theory and research to succeed and be promoted within the nursing profession. This program will qualify graduates for opportunities in leadership, management and education. Prerequisite courses for this program can be taken on any PHSC Campus. The BSN program will be offered exclusively online.

The Bachelor of Applied Science degree in supervision and management (BAS-SM) is designed to meet the needs of students with business, technology and workforce-focused Associate in Science (AS) degrees. This baccalaureate degree is offered as an AS to BAS career ladder program designed for students in a variety of organizations to progress to supervisory and managerial levels through upper-level coursework in four areas of concentration: organizational administration, public safety/public service, health care management and fundamentals of supervision and management. Students earning a BAS-SM degree are eligible to continue a progression of studies through the master’s or doctoral level at public and private institutions. Several courses in this program will be available collegewide and online with the full program initially offered at the Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch in Wesley Chapel.

To learn more about Pasco-Hernando State College degree and certificate programs visit www.phsc.edu or call 1-855-NOW-PHSC.

Photo captions: (PHSC Sign.jpg) from left: Pasco-Hernando State College Trustees Edward Blommel, Vice Chair Leonard Johnson, Chair John DiRienzo, Judy Parker, John Dougherty and Rao Musunuru, M.D., and PHSC President Katherine Johnson, Ed.D.; trustees not pictured are Jeanne Gavish, Morris Porton and Victor Young. (PHSC Cake.jpg) from left: Pasco-Hernando State College Trustees Edward Blommel, Vice Chair Leonard Johnson, Chair John DiRienzo, John Dougherty, Rao Musunuru, M.D., and Judy Parker; trustees not pictured are Jeanne Gavish, Morris Porton and Victor Young.

Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) serves the educational needs and interests of its community by awarding certificates, diplomas, associate and baccalaureate degrees. As a comprehensive, multi-campus learning-centered institution, PHSC utilizes various instructional modalities and support services. PHSC provides an accessible, diverse teaching and learning environment rich with opportunities for students to achieve academic success and cultural growth in a global society.

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