FSCC first began offering courses in Miami County by partnering with the Adult Education Center of Paola in 1976. Courses focused primarily on secretarial sciences. Four years later, FSCC began offering basic allied health courses, such as geriatric aide and medication aide. In 1983, FSCC established its first technical training program for an electrical contracting company in Miami County. Shortly thereafter, the college began providing more occupational training courses and general core academic courses.
In 1990, continuing its partnership with the Adult Education Center, FSCC moved into a facility specifically constructed to house both organizations. This facility enabled the college offer more generalized core educational courses. Three years later, the college was able to offer the same general education courses for dual college credit at Paola High School. In 1995, Roy Moriconi was hired as the full-time coordinator; he had overseen Adult Education Center classes since 1976. Mariconi managed the Miami County extension site and oversaw nearly 260 students who earned approximately 1,400 college credits.
In 2003, with the assistance of Miami County, FSCC was able to remodel the west wing of the old Miami County Hospital. In August 2004, the Miami County Campus (MCC) was formed when FSCC moved its Paola campus to this new site. This expansion nearly doubled the size of the campus, creating more opportunities for programs in the northern part of the college’s service area. In addition, nearly half of the recently remodeled wing was available for future expansion.
The MCC added additional classroom space during the spring 2012 semester. The college used federal Recovery Act stimulus funds to build two additional classrooms on the east wing of the building. This space allowed the college to provide an additional 20 seats to each of the new classrooms, which were much needed. At this point in time, the college saw an enrollment increase of 25% from the previous academic year.
Through generous donations made by the Gump Foundation, Dean & Cleta Smith Foundation, and the Luis W. & Dolpha Baehr Foundation, the MCC expanded once again in 2014. On October 7, 2014, the MCC, its students, and the community celebrated a ribbon cutting inside the new science lab. After a decade of expansion, the MCC was now able to provide all the courses necessary to allow students to earn an associate degree.
In the fall of 2015, FSCC partnered with local high schools in Louisburg, Osawatomie, and Paola to offer technical courses at the Hillsdale Learning Center in Hillsdale, Kan. These schools transport juniors and seniors to Hillsdale for technical training in manicuring, environmental water technology, and criminal justice.
In 2017, the Hillsdale location was unfortunately closed and the environmental water technology and criminal justice programs were moved to the Paola location.
During the fall of 2018, two more technical programs were added to the schedule: Construction Trades and Welding. These courses are currently part of the CTE Excel initiative and are available to high school junior and seniors at the Miami County location.
Currently, you can attend the FSCC Miami County location and earn an Associate of Science, General Studies, Technical Studies, or Arts degree. With our technical programs, you can also earn a certificate in Allied Health, Criminal Justice, and Welding. The Miami County location offers onsite advising and placement testing.