History of the College

Faulkner State Community College, a public two-year institution located in Baldwin County in southwest Alabama, has three campuses located in Bay Minette, Gulf Shores, and Fairhope. The Bay Minette campus is the administrative campus. The College which was one of the 13 original two-year colleges created by an act of the Alabama Legislature in 1963 is under the authority of the State Board of Education. Faulkner State is a member of the Alabama College System which is composed of the thirty-one public two year colleges and the one upper division college.

Faulkner State has undergone several transitions and name changes in its lifetime. For the first few months of operation, it was called Bay Minette State Junior College, but in early 1966, the State Board of Education named the College William Lowndes Yancey State Junior College in honor of a pre-Civil-War statesman and educator. In 1970 the name changed to James H. Faulkner State Junior College to honor Mr. James H. Faulkner, a prominent citizen of Baldwin County. The College name was changed again by the State Board of Education in August 1992 to Faulkner State Community College to more accurately reflect its mission and purpose.

The College has grown from an initial enrollment of 401 students and one campus in 1965 to a current combined enrollment of 4,000 students on all three campuses. Faulkner State began offering courses at Fairhope in 1970 and in 1975 the College added a permanent staff, student services and expanded offering of programs and services to the community. The Fairhope Campus has been housed both at the Fairhope High School and at the old Fairhope Library building. In 1987 the present Fairhope site was acquired. The Fairhope site, originally the home of the Marietta Johnson School of Organic Education, was entered in the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of Interior on July 1, 1988. In 1985 the College opened a site in Foley and moved to the present Gulf Shores Campus location in Fall, 1993.

Faulkner State Community College was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1970, was reaccredited in 1975, 1985, 1995, and again in 2005.

Mission Statement

Faulkner State Community College has an open-door admissions policy and is committed to the professional and cultural growth of each student without regard to race, color, gender, disability, religion, creed, national origin, or age. The College strives to provide an educational environment that promotes development and learning through a wide variety of educational programs and instructional strategies, adequate and comfortable facilities, a caring and well-qualified staff, flexible scheduling, and convenient locations. This effort is based upon the economic and social needs of the College service area.

Faulkner State Community College utilizes a participative management structure which insures broad-based involvement in the planning and evaluation process.

Institutional Goals

In order to fulfill its mission, Faulkner State Community College seeks to:

• provide a comprehensive postsecondary instructional program offering which includes:
  • university parallel programs that transfer to senior colleges or universities,
  • general education programs designed to broaden academic and cultural backgrounds,
  • occupational-technical programs designed to develop marketable skills and support economic development,
  • developmental courses designed to improve basic skills;
• provide student support services and academic support services designed to assist students in setting and/or attaining their educational and career goals;
• provide student activities, including intercollegiate and intramural athletic programs, designed to assist students in reaching their maximum potential and to encourage their social development;
• provide quality instruction by employing qualified personnel and encouraging professional development;
• provide operational support services designed to enhance the College's growth;
• provide adequate physical facilities to house all College activities and to allow for future expansion and growth;
• provide community programs for cultural growth, adult education, literacy instruction and continuing education, and to share College facilities with citizens of the community for educational and/or recreational purposes;
• promote a positive college image through use of the media, cooperation with external service and government agencies, and employee participation in the service area community;
• evaluate, update, and revise on a continuing basis the institutional purpose and objectives through comprehensive institutional planning, management, and evaluation of all aspects of the College operations;
• comply with federal and state regulations on nondiscrimination, equal opportunity employment, and affirmative action, making efforts to recruit qualified minority personnel at every level of the College organization.

Accreditor Information

James H. Faulkner State Community College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia, telephone number 404-679-4501) to award Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, and Associate in Applied Science degrees.

Additional Accreditation:

• American Dental Association; Commission on Dental Accreditation
• American Culinary Federation Educational Institute
• Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs - Surgical Technologist
• Commission on Accreditation of Hospitality Management

Member:

• American Association of Community and Junior Colleges
• American Council on Education
• Coucil for Advancement and Support of Education
• Alabama Association of Community and Junior Colleges

Nondiscrimination Policies

It is the official policy of the Alabama State Department of Postsecondary Education and Faulkner State Community College that no person in Alabama shall, on the grounds of race, color, disability, gender, religion, creed, national origin, or age, be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program, activity, or employment.