By Jaimie Woodard and Constance Marse, University Marketing Communications
When the University of West Florida opened its doors in 1967, Pensacola Junior College graduates, associate’s degrees in hand, were among the first students in line. It’s a partnership that continues to this day. PJC is still UWF’s primary source of transfer students, and many UWF majors, including clinical laboratory sciences and nursing, are tailor-made to accommodate students earning degrees at PJC. Both institutions have teamed up to assist students in understanding the value of earning a college degree.
“Northwest Florida is fortunate to have two public institutions of higher education located at the western gateway of the sunshine state,” said Edward Meadows, president of PJC. “Both institutions have historically contributed greatly to a well-educated and well-trained workforce. UWF and PJC are in a unique position to complement one another and create the synergy critical to the new goal of developing over the next 10 years an innovative, knowledge-based economy.”
According to Meadows, UWF and PJC contribute to the Northwest Florida community in similar, but also different ways. Both institutions are cultural and intellectual centers for the communities they serve. And, both work to provide accessible and quality opportunities for higher education to the citizens they serve. While the programs they offer and sizes of the regions they serve may differ, UWF and PJC ultimately share a symbiotic relationship through which both benefit from each other’s missions.
Committed to bettering the communities they serve, Meadows and UWF President Judy Bense have publicly vowed to find ways to work collaboratively on opportunities that will enhance the services and programs their respective institutions provide. Both presidents agree that earning a college degree is an achievement that should be affordable and accessible.
“Foremost, the value of a degree is a mark of individual achievement,” said Meadows. “It often opens the door to opportunity where it can be used as the educational qualification necessary for eligibility for a specific job, position or promotion.”
Reflecting on the long-standing, successful relationship between Pensacola’s two pillars of higher education, Meadows says the best way to assess the impact of PJC and UWF on the region is to ask the question: What would our region be like without these two institutions?
“The answer is only limited by the amount of paper it would take to make a list,” said Meadows. “Our community feels ownership of our institutions and shows it by the strong support provided through the hundreds of individuals who volunteer their time and resources in support of the many services we collectively provide to students and the community.”
To learn more about PJC, visit pjc.edu. To learn more about UWF, visit uwf.edu.