Santa Fe College
A Message from the President On behalf of our faculty, staff, administration, and District Board of Trustees, I extend to you my best wishes and warmest congratulations. We are enormously proud of the learning and achievement that brought you to this commencement day. Graduation is a symbol and monument. Your diploma symbolizes hard work, love of learning and the best of personal ambition and achievement. The knowledge and skill embodied in your degree are a solid monument inside you that cannot be lost or taken away. Santa Fe College is universally recognized as one of the nation’s best colleges, in many ways for our teaching and service, but primarily because of you. Our greatest impact is the success of our students and alumni. Your success defines our success. It is because of your pursuit to be the best, to persist and to excel academically that we are one of the nation’s best colleges. Your diploma is testament to your intellect, determination, perseverance, and hard work. It informs the world that you embraced new ideas, acquired valuable skills, and are well positioned to have a successful impact within your chosen profession. As you walk across the stage, remember the lasting friendships, the connections with faculty and staff, and the imprint you have left on the college. No matter what your professional or career path, or where you live and go, I am confident that our world is in good hands. What you learned and experienced at our college will serve you well in the years ahead. Santa Fe College is honored to be part of this milestone in your life. Taking this journey with you has been special for us and we appreciate your intellectual, social, and overall contributions to our academic community. Our students stand at the center of everything we do, and your success embodies the core of our beliefs. Today we celebrate your success, today we smile because we know your future will be bright, and as you join our thousands of alumni, today we celebrate you. We want to continue to follow you in your journey and as you enter society as an alum of Santa Fe College, cherish the memories, and remember that you will always be a member of the Santa Fe College family.
Dr. Paul Broadie II President
History of the College Santa Fe College was established by the state government in 1965 to offer wide access to quality higher education. Since then, SF has established programs and services that enable the college to carry out its mission of educational opportunity, responsiveness to the community, economic development and innovation in the public interest. The philosophy of the college has been, and continues to be, one of student centeredness. Over the years, the college has grown rapidly, from fewer than 1,000 students in the fall of 1966 when the college opened in the former Buchholz Junior/Senior High School, to more than 18,000 students taking classes last year. In addition to the Northwest Campus, students can take classes at the Guy Andrews Center in Starke, Charles L. Blount Center in downtown Gainesville, Ron and Norita Davis Center in Archer, George G. Kirkpatrick Jr. Center in Gainesville, Charles R. and Nancy V. Perry Center for Emerging Technologies in Alachua, Alfred B. Sr. and Agnes W. Watson Center in Keystone Heights and online. Formerly named Santa Fe Community College, SF was authorized by the state of Florida in 2009 to offer bachelor’s degrees that meet the demand for specific skills needed in the economy. At that time, the college changed its name. SF has benefitted from strong and stable leadership and has had only five presidents. Dr. Joseph W. Fordyce was president from 1965 until 1971 when he was succeeded by Alan J. Robertson, who served until 1990. Dr. Larry W. Tyree was named president in 1990 and served the college until Dr. Jackson N. Sasser began his tenure in 2002. SF’s fifth president, Dr. Paul Broadie II started February 1, 2020.
Message from the President and History of the College
Commencement Exercises | 1