The Florida Senate

1007.24  Statewide course numbering system.--

(1)  The Department of Education shall develop, coordinate, and maintain a statewide course numbering system for postsecondary and dual enrollment education in school districts, public postsecondary educational institutions, and participating nonpublic postsecondary educational institutions that will improve program planning, increase communication among all delivery systems, and facilitate student acceleration and the transfer of students and credits between public school districts, public postsecondary educational institutions, and participating nonpublic educational institutions. The continuing maintenance of the system shall be accomplished with the assistance of appropriate faculty committees representing public and participating nonpublic educational institutions.

(2)  The Commissioner of Education shall appoint faculty committees representing faculties of participating institutions to recommend a single level for each course, including postsecondary career and technical education courses, included in the statewide course numbering system.

(a)  Any course designated as an upper-division-level course must be characterized by a need for advanced academic preparation and skills that a student would be unlikely to achieve without significant prior coursework.

(b)  A course that is offered as part of an associate in science degree program and as an upper-division course for a baccalaureate degree shall be designated for both the lower and upper division.

(c)  A course designated as lower-division may be offered by any community college.

(3)  The Commissioner of Education shall recommend to the State Board of Education the levels for the courses.

(4)  The statewide course numbering system shall include the courses at the recommended levels.

(5)  The registration process at each state university and community college shall include the courses at their designated levels and statewide course number.

(6)  Nonpublic colleges and schools that are fully accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education and are either eligible to participate in the William L. Boyd, IV, Florida Resident Access Grant or have been issued a regular license pursuant to s. 1005.31, may participate in the statewide course numbering system pursuant to this section. Participating colleges and schools shall bear the costs associated with inclusion in the system and shall meet the terms and conditions for institutional participation in the system. The department shall adopt a fee schedule that includes the expenses incurred through data processing, faculty task force travel and per diem, and staff and clerical support time. Such fee schedule may differentiate between the costs associated with initial course inclusion in the system and costs associated with subsequent course maintenance in the system. Decisions regarding initial course inclusion and subsequent course maintenance must be made within 360 days after submission of the required materials and fees by the institution. The Department of Education may select a date by which colleges must submit requests for new courses to be included, and may delay review of courses submitted after that date until the next year's cycle. Any college that currently participates in the system, and that participated in the system prior to July 1, 1986, shall not be required to pay the costs associated with initial course inclusion in the system. Fees collected for participation in the statewide course numbering system pursuant to the provisions of this section shall be deposited in the Institutional Assessment Trust Fund. Any nonpublic, nonprofit college or university that is eligible to participate in the statewide course numbering system shall not be required to pay the costs associated with participation in the system. No college or school shall record student transcripts or document courses offered by the college or school in accordance with this subsection unless the college or school is actually participating in the system pursuant to rules of the State Board of Education. Any college or school deemed to be in violation of this section shall be subject to the provisions of s. 1005.38

(7)  Any student who transfers among postsecondary institutions that are fully accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education and that participate in the statewide course numbering system shall be awarded credit by the receiving institution for courses satisfactorily completed by the student at the previous institutions. Credit shall be awarded if the courses are judged by the appropriate statewide course numbering system faculty committees representing school districts, public postsecondary educational institutions, and participating nonpublic postsecondary educational institutions to be academically equivalent to courses offered at the receiving institution, including equivalency of faculty credentials, regardless of the public or nonpublic control of the previous institution. The Department of Education shall ensure that credits to be accepted by a receiving institution are generated in courses for which the faculty possess credentials that are comparable to those required by the accrediting association of the receiving institution. The award of credit may be limited to courses that are entered in the statewide course numbering system. Credits awarded pursuant to this subsection shall satisfy institutional requirements on the same basis as credits awarded to native students.

(8)  The State Board of Education shall adopt rules that provide for the conduct of regularly scheduled purges of courses that are listed in the statewide course numbering system but have not been taught at an institution for the preceding 5 years. These rules must include waiver provisions that allow course continuation if an institution has reasonable cause for having not offered a course within the 5-year limit and an expectation that the course will be offered again within the following 5 years.

History.--s. 350, ch. 2002-387.