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2015 Florida Statutes

Title XLVIII K-20 EDUCATION CODE
Chapter 1004 PUBLIC POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION Entire Chapter
SECTION 015
Higher Education Coordinating Council.
F.S. 1004.015
1004.015 Higher Education Coordinating Council.—
(1) The Higher Education Coordinating Council is created for the purposes of identifying unmet needs; facilitating solutions to disputes regarding the creation of new degree programs and the establishment of new institutes, campuses, or centers; and facilitating solutions to data issues identified by the Articulation Coordinating Committee pursuant to s. 1007.01 to improve the K-20 education performance accountability system.
(2) Members of the council shall include:
(a) One member of the Board of Governors, appointed by the chair of the Board of Governors.
(b) The Chancellor of the State University System.
(c) The Chancellor of the Florida College System.
(d) One member of the State Board of Education, appointed by the chair of the State Board of Education.
(e) The Executive Director of the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges.
(f) The president of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida.
(g) The president of CareerSource Florida, Inc., or his or her designee.
(h) The president of Enterprise Florida, Inc., or a designated member of the Stakeholders Council appointed by the president.
(i) Three representatives of the business community, one appointed by the President of the Senate, one appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and one appointed by the Governor, who are committed to developing and enhancing world class workforce infrastructure necessary for Florida’s citizens to compete and prosper in the ever-changing economy of the 21st century.
(3) Appointed members shall serve 2-year terms, and a single chair shall be elected annually by a majority of the members.
(4) The council shall serve as an advisory board to the Legislature, the State Board of Education, and the Board of Governors. Recommendations of the council shall be consistent with the following guiding principles:
(a) To achieve within existing resources a seamless academic educational system that fosters an integrated continuum of kindergarten through graduate school education for Florida’s students.
(b) To promote consistent education policy across all educational delivery systems, focusing on students.
(c) To promote substantially improved articulation across all educational delivery systems.
(d) To promote a system that maximizes educational access and allows the opportunity for a high-quality education for all Floridians.
(e) To promote a system of coordinated and consistent transfer of credit and data collection for improved accountability purposes between the educational delivery systems.
(5) The council shall annually by December 31 submit to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Board of Governors, and the State Board of Education a report outlining its recommendations relating to:
(a) The primary core mission of public and nonpublic postsecondary education institutions in the context of state access demands and economic development goals.
(b) Performance outputs and outcomes designed to meet annual and long-term state goals, including, but not limited to, increased student access, preparedness, retention, transfer, and completion. Performance measures must be consistent across sectors and allow for a comparison of the state’s performance to that of other states.
(c) The state’s articulation policies and practices to ensure that cost benefits to the state are maximized without jeopardizing quality. The recommendations shall consider return on investment for both the state and students and propose systems to facilitate and ensure institutional compliance with state articulation policies.
(d) Workforce development education, specifically recommending improvements to the consistency of workforce education data collected and reported by Florida College System institutions and school districts, including the establishment of common elements and definitions for any data that is used for state and federal funding and program accountability.
(6) The Office of K-20 Articulation, in collaboration with the Board of Governors and the Division of Florida Colleges, shall provide administrative support for the council.
History.—s. 13, ch. 2010-78; s. 5, ch. 2011-177; s. 7, ch. 2012-195; s. 8, ch. 2013-51; s. 57, ch. 2015-98.