Bainbridge State College president Dr. Richard Carvajal updated the Bainbridge Lions Club on the institution’s name change and other recent news Wednesday.

“Two weeks ago the college’s name was changed from Bainbridge College to Bainbridge State College,” Carvajal said, in opening his comments.

“In 1970, the voters of Bainbridge passed a $2 million bond referendum to construct a junior college and in 1973 Bainbridge Junior College, which later became Bainbridge College in 1997, opened with 217 students.

“As a state college we can now offer a limited number of four-year bachelor’s degrees focused on the economic and development needs of the region of the state we serve.”

Carvajal said the first bachelor’s degree that the college plants to offer will likely be in business management.

“We plan to have our first class enrolled in a Bachelor’s Degree program no later than 2014,” he said. “The status and name change were the next step in a series of steps we have taken to transform our mission and image.

“We are constructing an addition to the main campus library, which will double its size.”