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2012 Florida Statutes

Title XLVIII K-20 EDUCATION CODE
Chapter 1000 K-20 GENERAL PROVISIONS Entire Chapter
SECTION 21
Systemwide definitions.
F.S. 1000.21
1000.21 Systemwide definitions.—As used in the Florida K-20 Education Code:
(1) “Articulation” is the systematic coordination that provides the means by which students proceed toward their educational objectives in as rapid and student-friendly manner as their circumstances permit, from grade level to grade level, from elementary to middle to high school, to and through postsecondary education, and when transferring from one educational institution or program to another.
(2) “Commissioner” is the Commissioner of Education.
(3) “Florida College System institution” except as otherwise specifically provided, includes all of the following public postsecondary educational institutions in the Florida College System and any branch campuses, centers, or other affiliates of the institution:
(a) Brevard Community College, which serves Brevard County.
(b) Broward College, which serves Broward County.
(c) College of Central Florida, which serves Citrus, Levy, and Marion Counties.
(d) Chipola College, which serves Calhoun, Holmes, Jackson, Liberty, and Washington Counties.
(e) Daytona State College, which serves Flagler and Volusia Counties.
(f) Edison State College, which serves Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry, and Lee Counties.
(g) Florida State College at Jacksonville, which serves Duval and Nassau Counties.
(h) Florida Keys Community College, which serves Monroe County.
(i) Gulf Coast State College, which serves Bay, Franklin, and Gulf Counties.
(j) Hillsborough Community College, which serves Hillsborough County.
(k) Indian River State College, which serves Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, and St. Lucie Counties.
(l) Florida Gateway College, which serves Baker, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, and Union Counties.
(m) Lake-Sumter Community College, which serves Lake and Sumter Counties.
(n) State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota, which serves Manatee and Sarasota Counties.
(o) Miami Dade College, which serves Miami-Dade County.
(p) North Florida Community College, which serves Hamilton, Jefferson, Lafayette, Madison, Suwannee, and Taylor Counties.
(q) Northwest Florida State College, which serves Okaloosa and Walton Counties.
(r) Palm Beach State College, which serves Palm Beach County.
(s) Pasco-Hernando Community College, which serves Hernando and Pasco Counties.
(t) Pensacola State College, which serves Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties.
1(u) Polk State College, which serves Polk County.
(v) St. Johns River State College, which serves Clay, Putnam, and St. Johns Counties.
(w) St. Petersburg College, which serves Pinellas County.
(x) Santa Fe College, which serves Alachua and Bradford Counties.
(y) Seminole State College of Florida, which serves Seminole County.
2(z) South Florida Community College, which serves DeSoto, Hardee, and Highlands Counties.
(aa) Tallahassee Community College, which serves Gadsden, Leon, and Wakulla Counties.
(bb) Valencia College, which serves Orange and Osceola Counties.
(4) “Department” is the Department of Education.
(5) “Parent” is either or both parents of a student, any guardian of a student, any person in a parental relationship to a student, or any person exercising supervisory authority over a student in place of the parent.
(6) “State university,” except as otherwise specifically provided, includes the following institutions and any branch campuses, centers, or other affiliates of the institution:
3(a) The University of Florida.
(b) The Florida State University.
(c) The Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.
4(d) The University of South Florida.
(e) The Florida Atlantic University.
(f) The University of West Florida.
(g) The University of Central Florida.
(h) The University of North Florida.
(i) The Florida International University.
(j) The Florida Gulf Coast University.
(k) New College of Florida.
(l) The Florida Polytechnic University.
(7) “Sunshine State Standards” or the “Next Generation Sunshine State Standards” means the state’s public K-12 curricular standards adopted under s. 1003.41. The term includes the Sunshine State Standards that are in place for a subject until the standards for that subject are replaced under s. 1003.41 by the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards.
(8) “Board of Governors” is the Board of Governors of the State University System.
History.—s. 10, ch. 2002-387; s. 3, ch. 2004-271; s. 67, ch. 2007-217; s. 1, ch. 2008-52; s. 5, ch. 2008-163; s. 3, ch. 2008-235; s. 2, ch. 2009-228; s. 2, ch. 2010-23; s. 7, ch. 2011-5; s. 1, ch. 2011-102; s. 9, ch. 2012-129; s. 3, ch. 2012-134.
1Note.—Section 6, ch. 2012-129, provides that “[t]he Florida Polytechnic University shall retain, not subject to lease or other expense, the space occupied by the University of South Florida Polytechnic campus in the Lakeland joint-use facility and the associated facility utilization rights and obligations and shall allow the University of South Florida to use space pursuant to a mutual agreement specifying the space to be used for the purpose of continuing the local education of students who are enrolled at, or already admitted to, the University of South Florida Polytechnic before the effective date of this act and who wish to remain students at the University of South Florida. Such students shall be afforded the opportunity to complete their degrees at the University of South Florida, subject to university criteria. The mutual facility utilization agreement shall be adjusted annually to reflect the space needs of the University of South Florida for the purpose of continuing the local education of eligible students. The Florida Polytechnic University shall transfer space at the Lakeland joint-use facility to Polk State College as new space becomes available on the new campus of the Florida Polytechnic University. Once the Florida Polytechnic University has no further need for the space at the Lakeland joint-use facility, the Florida Polytechnic University shall complete the transfer of all remaining property and buildings of the joint-use facility to Polk State College. This section does not prevent the University of South Florida, the Florida Polytechnic University, or Polk State College from entering into mutual agreements to share or use space in the Lakeland joint-use facility.”
2Note.—Section 3, ch. 2012-134, amended paragraph (3)(z), “[e]ffective upon the South Florida Community College receiving accreditation of its baccalaureate degree programs by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools,” to read:

(z) South Florida State College, which serves DeSoto, Hardee, and Highlands Counties.

3Note.—Section 7, ch. 2012-129, provides that “[t]he University of Florida, using its expertise in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, shall be available in an advisory or consulting capacity to assist the president and the Board of Trustees of the Florida Polytechnic University in hiring, accreditation, administration, and other areas.”
4Note.—

A. Section 2, ch. 2012-129, provides that:

“The following transfers shall be made:

“(1) All real and personal property, licenses and associated revenues, existing contracts, unexpended balances, appropriations, allocations, funds, and mutually agreed-upon obligations, responsibilities, and liabilities of the University of South Florida which relate to the University of South Florida Polytechnic campus, as determined by the Board of Trustees of the University of South Florida and the Board of Trustees of the Florida Polytechnic University, shall be transferred to the Florida Polytechnic University.

“(2) All Florida Industrial and Phosphate Research Institute programs, functions, offices, records, faculty positions, and staff positions of the University of South Florida Polytechnic shall be transferred to the Florida Polytechnic University.

“(3) After the transfers required in subsections (1) and (2) are complete, all programs, functions, offices, records, faculty positions, and staff positions of the University of South Florida Polytechnic shall be transferred to the University of South Florida.”

B. Section 4, ch. 2012-129, provides that “[a]ll memoranda of understanding between the University of South Florida and the University of South Florida Polytechnic and its successors shall be invalid upon this act becoming a law.”

C. Section 5, ch. 2012-129, provides that “[t]he University of South Florida shall take appropriate action, in collaboration with the Florida Polytechnic University, to obtain all consents required by the Federal Communications Commission and third parties before assigning the educational broadband service station license that has a Federal Communications Commission-issued reference point in Polk County, Florida, to the Florida Polytechnic University. Upon obtaining such consents, and upon the approval of the Federal Communications Commission, the University of South Florida shall assign the license, along with the excess capacity lease agreement for the license, to the Florida Polytechnic University, which shall assume the benefits, obligations, and liabilities as the successor in interest, including all regulatory and contractual responsibilities. This section is contingent upon the approval of the assignment of the lease by the Federal Communications Commission.”

D. Section 6, ch. 2012-129, provides that “[t]he Florida Polytechnic University shall retain, not subject to lease or other expense, the space occupied by the University of South Florida Polytechnic campus in the Lakeland joint-use facility and the associated facility utilization rights and obligations and shall allow the University of South Florida to use space pursuant to a mutual agreement specifying the space to be used for the purpose of continuing the local education of students who are enrolled at, or already admitted to, the University of South Florida Polytechnic before the effective date of this act and who wish to remain students at the University of South Florida. Such students shall be afforded the opportunity to complete their degrees at the University of South Florida, subject to university criteria. The mutual facility utilization agreement shall be adjusted annually to reflect the space needs of the University of South Florida for the purpose of continuing the local education of eligible students. The Florida Polytechnic University shall transfer space at the Lakeland joint-use facility to Polk State College as new space becomes available on the new campus of the Florida Polytechnic University. Once the Florida Polytechnic University has no further need for the space at the Lakeland joint-use facility, the Florida Polytechnic University shall complete the transfer of all remaining property and buildings of the joint-use facility to Polk State College. This section does not prevent the University of South Florida, the Florida Polytechnic University, or Polk State College from entering into mutual agreements to share or use space in the Lakeland joint-use facility.”

E. Section 8, ch. 2012-129, provides that “[t]he Board of Trustees of the University of South Florida and the Board of Trustees of the Florida Polytechnic University, and the their respective officers, trustees, employees, attorneys, and agents, are immune from any and all civil liability pertaining to or arising from compliance with this act, including the transfers required in this act.”