HCC was one of the last community colleges to be created in Florida, founded in 1968. Only Pasco–Hernando State College, out of the 28-school Florida community college system, was founded later. In January 2008 the school opened its first residence hall, Hawk's Landing, named after the school mascot. This marks HCC as one of the few community colleges with its own residence hall.
Campus
The college has five campuses located throughout the county. Locations include: Brandon, Dale Mabry, Plant City, Ybor City, and South Shore. There are also instructional centers at MacDill Air Force Base and at the Regent aligned with the Brandon Campus. Administrative offices and headquarters are located on Davis Islands, near downtown Tampa.
Academic profile
HCC has grown to include over 43,000 students. In 2010, HCC ranked 8th in the state and 20th in the nation in total number of associate degrees produced. HCC houses the prestigious Honors Institute. In 2007, Dr. Lydia Lyons, Director of the Honors Institute was elected to the office of Vice-President of the National Collegiate Honors Council. In 2009, she served as the President of that organization. The Honors coordinator, Lauren Furry, currently serves as the Vice President of the Southern Regional Honors Council. Every year the graduating students from the Honors Institute transfer to universities and colleges such as Boston University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Mount Holyoke College, UCLA, UC Davis, Virginia Tech, and Yale.
Student life
Athletics
HCC participates in the Suncoast Conference within Division I of NJCAA Region VIII within the Florida State College Activities Association. Sports include men's baseball and basketball, and women's basketball, softball, tennis and volleyball. The school's nickname is the Hawks. The school's competitions are broadcast on both the school's athletic site and the school radio station WMNF 88.5 HD4. Basketball is played at the Dale Mabry campus.
Notable athletes
Robert Mosebach is a baseball player who has played for the Expos and the Phillies.
Chad Zerbe is a baseball player who played for the Dodgers in 1991.
Garry Hancock is an outfielder who played for the Indians and the Rangers in 1974.
