Florida Legislature OKs TCC name change to 'Tallahassee State College'
Tallahassee Community College is now just one step away from officially being recognized as Tallahassee State College.
Florida legislators on Tuesday unanimously passed a proposal (SB 522) to change the name of the college in state law.
The final approval came just days ahead of the 2024 regular legislative session’s scheduled end on Friday. TCC remains one of only two colleges in the Florida College System’s 28 schools to still have “community college” in its title. The bill next heads to Gov. Ron DeSantis. If signed by him, the name change becomes effective July 1.
TCC’s renaming plan comes as a result of new bachelor's degree programs — a bachelor of applied science in business administration, a bachelor of science in elementary education and a bachelor of science in exceptional student education — that were recently added to the college, contributing to its evolving status in Florida.
Since the time TCC President Jim Murdaugh announced the college’s name changing plans on The Greg Tish Show in August, the rebranding initiative has received support from TCC’s Board of Trustees, who voted on Murdaugh’s recommended choice of TSC, as well as Rep. Jason Shoaf, R-Port St. Joe, and Sen. Corey Simon, R-Tallahassee, who both sponsored bills in favor of the renaming.
The college opened its doors in 1966 and was originally named Tallahassee Junior College before being renamed TCC in 1970, which means that the school has not had another name in over 50 years.
Along with the name change from TCC to TSC will be a new logo as well, which follows at least five different logos of the college since its establishment. The college is working with the Pace Branding and Marketing consulting firm to make a decision about a new logo as it awaits DeSantis’s signature to put a stamp on future renaming.
Related news: Tallahassee Community College renaming moves closer to approval in legislative session
Contact Tarah Jean at [email protected] or follow her on X: @tarahjean_.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Lawmakers pass measure to rename TCC to 'Tallahassee State College'
