Florida State University Panama City (commonly referred to as FSU Panama City, Florida State PC or FSUPC) is located from the Tallahassee campus in Panama City, Florida. Established in 1982, the campus serves more than 4,000 students supported by 20 bachelor's and 9 graduate degree programs on campus and online. Recognizing the need for four-year degree programs in the Bay County area in the early 1970s, members of the local business community, the Naval Coastal Systems Center, Gulf Coast Community College, the Bay County School Board and Tyndall Air Force Base began lobbying for an institution of higher learning. Shortly after the community began lobbying, the Florida Board of Regents (BOR) instituted a plan to make higher education available to Florida citizens living in major population areas located beyond a reasonable commuting distance (50 miles) of a state-supported university. In 1972, the BOR directed the University of West Florida to establish a center in Panama City. Classes began that summer with an enrollment of 65 elementary education students and a staff of two. Facilities for the center were located in the Bay County School Board Office Building and Gulf Coast Community College. In 1976, the Bay County Commission purchased located between Gulf Coast Community College and the beautiful waters of North Bay. The commission deeded the land to the State for use by the center. In 1981 the commission donated an additional and three quadriplex buildings. In the fall of 1982, the State Legislature and the BOR transferred administrative responsibility for the Panama City Center to the Florida State University. The new FSU at Panama City began operating with six administrative and support staff, five resident faculty, 531 students, and 11 degree programs. Classes continued to be held in the Bay County School Board Office Building and Gulf Coast Community College. Administrative offices were moved to the quadriplex buildings. When FSU accepted responsibility for the Panama City campus, it was apparent that five resident faculty could not provide all the instructional support necessary to meet the demands of a new campus. The University realized that if educational quality and program consistency were to be maintained, it would be essential for the majority of the courses on the Panama City campus to be taught by regular FSU faculty. So, a plan was developed to transport Tallahassee faculty the to Panama City. Two vans were placed on daily round trips from Tallahassee