CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.House Bill 1581
Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 1581
By the Committee on Community Colleges & Career Prep and
Representatives Sindler, Fasano, Diaz de la Portilla,
Harrington, Gay, Wise and Kelly
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to postsecondary distance
3 learning; creating s. 240.65, F.S.; providing a
4 short title; providing legislative intent;
5 creating the Institute on Public Postsecondary
6 Distance Learning; providing for a governing
7 board of the institute; assigning the institute
8 to the Florida Gulf Coast University for
9 purposes of administration; specifying duties
10 of the institute; creating s. 240.66, F.S.;
11 directing the State Board of Community Colleges
12 to establish the Florida Community College
13 Distance Learning Consortium; providing for
14 consortium membership; providing duties of the
15 consortium; providing an effective date.
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17 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
18
19 Section 1. Section 240.65, Florida Statutes, is
20 created to read:
21 240.65 Institute on Public Postsecondary Distance
22 Learning.--
23 (1) SHORT TITLE.--This section may be cited as the
24 "Institute on Public Postsecondary Distance Learning Act."
25 (2) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.--It is the finding of the
26 Legislature that:
27 (a) The integration of the use of distance learning
28 and other technologies as methods of delivering postsecondary
29 instruction has been increasing in Florida.
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1 (b) The coordination of separate and independent
2 distance learning providers will help reduce unwarranted
3 duplication and facilitate student transfer credit.
4 (c) Distance learning can provide postsecondary
5 institutions with a mechanism by which they can:
6 1. Increase student access to education.
7 2. Reduce time needed to obtain a degree by allowing
8 students to take required classes by distance learning which
9 normally would not be available.
10 3. Reduce unwarranted duplication in course
11 development.
12 4. Increase productivity.
13 5. Increase coordination in the development and
14 delivery of distance learning instruction by the State
15 University System and the State Community College System.
16 (3) INSTITUTE ON PUBLIC POSTSECONDARY DISTANCE
17 LEARNING; CREATION AND COMPOSITION.--
18 (a) There is established the Institute on Public
19 Postsecondary Distance Learning with a governing board
20 comprised of the Chancellor of the State University System,
21 the Executive Director of the State Community College System,
22 the Secretary of Management Services or the designee of the
23 secretary, the Commissioner of Education or the designee of
24 the commissioner, the Secretary of State or the designee of
25 the secretary, one member of the Board of Regents, four state
26 university presidents, one member of the State Board of
27 Community Colleges, and four community college presidents.
28 The Chancellor of the State University System shall appoint
29 the member of the Board of Regents and the four state
30 university presidents. The Executive Director of the State
31 Board of Community Colleges shall appoint the member of the
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1 State Board of Community Colleges and the four community
2 college presidents. Such appointments must be for staggered,
3 rotating terms.
4 (b) Pursuant to bylaws, the governing board of the
5 institute shall elect a chair to serve a 1-year term. The
6 position of chair shall rotate between the State University
7 System and the State Community College System.
8 (c) The governing board of the institute shall take
9 official action by consensus only. For purposes of this
10 section, consensus is defined as agreement by the Chancellor
11 of the State University System and the Executive Director of
12 the State Community College System.
13 (d) The institute shall be administratively assigned
14 to Florida Gulf Coast University and may hire an executive
15 director who will be responsible to the governing board and
16 who will act on behalf of Florida's public postsecondary
17 education systems to support distance learning activities.
18 The institute may hire additional support staff as needed.
19 The governing board of the institute shall review and approve
20 all staff position descriptions. The institute shall also
21 draw upon the expertise of the staff within their respective
22 delivery systems to assist in the completion of duties and
23 activities.
24 (4) DUTIES OF THE INSTITUTE ON PUBLIC POSTSECONDARY
25 DISTANCE LEARNING.--
26 (a) The institute is responsible for developing and
27 recommending, for review and adoption by the Board of Regents
28 and the State Board of Community Colleges, policies and
29 procedures that:
30 1. Ensure cooperation and coordination within and
31 between the State University System and the State Community
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1 College System in the development and delivery of distance
2 learning instruction.
3 2. Provide for the cooperative development and
4 distribution of postsecondary distance learning programs and
5 courses.
6 3. Maximize the most efficient access to courses and
7 programs.
8 4. Ensure the transfer of distance learning course
9 credits and the articulation of distance learning degree
10 programs.
11 5. Address the funding and cost of distance learning
12 credit and noncredit courses and programs, including, but not
13 limited to, recommended fees for distance learning courses and
14 programs, subject to approval by the Legislature. The
15 institute shall also identify and recommend to the respective
16 boards specific issues to be included in each system's
17 legislative budget request. Funds appropriated by the
18 Legislature to the State University System and State Community
19 College System specifically to support collaborative
20 postsecondary distance learning must be expended by mutual
21 agreement by the Board of Regents, the State Board of
22 Community Colleges, and the institute.
23 (b) The institute shall be responsible for monitoring
24 the implementation and effectiveness of those policies and
25 procedures that are adopted, for identifying emerging needs
26 and issues in public postsecondary education distance
27 learning, and for evaluating public postsecondary educational
28 institutions' success in meeting the systemwide and
29 institutional goals and objectives established by the Florida
30 Distance Learning Network, the Board of Regents, and the State
31 Board of Community Colleges. By November 1 of each year, the
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1 institute shall submit a report of its findings and
2 recommendations to the State Board of Education, the Florida
3 Distance Learning Network, the Board of Regents, and the State
4 Board of Community Colleges.
5 Section 2. Section 240.66, Florida Statutes, is
6 created to read:
7 240.66 Florida Community College Distance Learning
8 Consortium.--
9 (1) The State Board of Community Colleges is directed
10 to establish the Florida Community College Distance Learning
11 Consortium to be administered by the State Board of Community
12 Colleges.
13 (a) The State Board of Community Colleges shall
14 appoint the membership of the consortium, with the majority of
15 members to be community college representatives. From the
16 membership of the consortium, the Chairman of the State Board
17 of Community Colleges shall appoint a chair to serve a 1-year
18 term. The chair of the consortium shall appoint any
19 appropriate subcommittees to complete the duties of the
20 consortium.
21 (b) The powers and duties of the consortium shall be
22 determined by the State Board of Community Colleges by rule.
23 (c) The Executive Director of the State Board of
24 Community Colleges may hire appropriate support staff for the
25 consortium.
26 (2) The consortium, in coordination with the Institute
27 on Public Postsecondary Distance Learning, shall:
28 (a) Develop, for consideration and approval by the
29 State Board of Community Colleges, plans for the State
30 Community College System related to distance learning. Such
31 plans shall address the following goals:
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1 1. To increase student access.
2 2. To reduce time needed for students to meet their
3 educational goals through the provision of distance learning
4 credit and noncredit programs and courses.
5 3. To reduce unwarranted duplication in the
6 acquisition, development, and distribution of credit and
7 noncredit programs and courses and improve coordination among
8 the community colleges and other educational institutions.
9 4. To provide for coordination with the State
10 University System for the development of articulated associate
11 to baccalaureate degree programs to be offered exclusively
12 through distance learning.
13 (b) Develop, for consideration and approval by the
14 State Board of Community Colleges, procedures for the
15 coordination and delivery of distance learning programs and
16 courses statewide, including guidelines for colleges to
17 deliver distance learning programs and courses across
18 community college district service areas.
19 (c) Develop, for consideration and review by the State
20 Board of Community Colleges, mechanisms to market for
21 distribution distance learning credit and noncredit programs
22 and courses offered by community colleges.
23 (d) Ensure that programs and courses coordinated by
24 the consortium are in compliance with all accreditation
25 requirements.
26 (e) Develop, for consideration and approval by the
27 State Board of Community Colleges, mechanisms to provide for
28 consolidated and coordinated telecommunications infrastructure
29 or program development acquisitions. These mechanisms must
30 ensure maximum cost effectiveness while not interfering with
31 the ability of community colleges to purchase items for which
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1 coordinated purchases are not available, effective, or
2 beneficial to the college. These mechanisms must also provide
3 for cooperative purchasing and leasing.
4 (f) Recommend, for consideration by the State Board of
5 Community Colleges, agreements with community colleges or
6 other state governmental providers for the development of
7 credit and noncredit programs and courses to be coordinated
8 through the consortium.
9 (g) Support the training efforts for faculty and staff
10 members of the community colleges, including training required
11 for all related academic and support services related to
12 distance learning initiatives.
13 (h) Maintain an inventory of distance learning credit
14 and noncredit programs and courses, staff development
15 materials, and academic and student support services software
16 available to support distance learning instruction.
17 (i) Serve as the point of coordination with the
18 Institute on Public Postsecondary Distance Learning.
19 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 1997.
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22 HOUSE SUMMARY
23
Establishes the Institute on Public Postsecondary
24 Distance Learning to recommend for adoption by the Board
of Regents and the State Board of Community Colleges
25 policies and procedures that ensure coordination of
distance learning instruction. Directs the State Board
26 of Community Colleges to establish the Florida Community
College Distance Learning Consortium to develop plans and
27 procedures for the delivery of distance learning.
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