Senate Bill 2160

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    Florida Senate - 1998                                  SB 2160

    By Senator Campbell





    33-499A-98

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to education; amending s.

  3         229.551, F.S.; providing for nonpublic

  4         postsecondary education institutions to use the

  5         common course designation and numbering system

  6         used by public institutions; amending s.

  7         240.115, F.S.; providing guidelines for

  8         awarding credit for transfer students; amending

  9         s. 246.013, F.S.; providing institutional

10         qualifications for participation in the common

11         course designation and numbering system;

12         providing for payment of costs; providing an

13         effective date.

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15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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17         Section 1.  Subsection (1) of section 229.551, Florida

18  Statutes, is amended to read:

19         229.551  Educational management.--

20         (1)  The department is directed to identify all

21  functions which under the provisions of this act contribute

22  to, or comprise a part of, the state system of educational

23  accountability and to establish within the department the

24  necessary organizational structure, policies, and procedures

25  for effectively coordinating such functions.  Such policies

26  and procedures shall clearly fix and delineate

27  responsibilities for various aspects of the system and for

28  overall coordination of the total system.  The commissioner

29  shall perform the following duties and functions:

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    Florida Senate - 1998                                  SB 2160
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  1         (a)  Coordination of department plans for meeting

  2  educational needs and for improving the quality of education

  3  provided by the state system of public education;

  4         (b)  Coordination of management information system

  5  development for all levels of education and for all divisions

  6  of the department, to include the development and utilization

  7  of cooperative education computing networks for the state

  8  system of public education;

  9         (c)  Development of database definitions and all other

10  items necessary for full implementation of a comprehensive

11  management information system as required by s. 229.555;

12         (d)  Coordination of all planning functions for all

13  levels and divisions within the department;

14         (e)  Coordination of all cost accounting and cost

15  reporting activities for all levels of education, including

16  public schools, vocational programs, community colleges, and

17  institutions in the State University System;

18         (f)  Development and coordination of a common course

19  designation and numbering system for community colleges,

20  nonpublic postsecondary education institutions, and the State

21  University System which will improve program planning,

22  increase communication among community colleges, and

23  universities, and nonpublic institutions and facilitate the

24  transfer of students.  The system shall not encourage or

25  require course content prescription or standardization or

26  uniform course testing, and the continuing maintenance of the

27  system shall be accomplished by appropriate faculty committees

28  representing public and nonpublic institutions.  Also, the

29  system shall be applied to all postsecondary and certificate

30  career education programs and courses offered in school

31  districts, nonpublic postsecondary education institutions, and

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    Florida Senate - 1998                                  SB 2160
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  1  community colleges.  The Articulation Coordinating Committee,

  2  whose membership represents public and nonpublic postsecondary

  3  institutions, shall:

  4         1.  Identify the highest demand degree programs within

  5  the State University System.

  6         2.  Conduct a study of courses offered by universities

  7  and accepted for credit toward a degree.  The study shall

  8  identify courses designated as either general education or

  9  required as a prerequisite for a degree.  The study shall also

10  identify these courses as upper-division level or

11  lower-division level.

12         3.  Appoint faculty committees representing both

13  community college and university faculties to recommend a

14  single level for each course included in the common course

15  numbering and designation system.  Any course designated as an

16  upper-division level course must be characterized by a need

17  for advanced academic preparation and skills that a student

18  would be unlikely to achieve without significant prior

19  coursework. A course that is offered as part of an associate

20  in science degree program and as an upper-division course for

21  a baccalaureate degree shall be designated for both the lower

22  and upper division. Of the courses required for each

23  baccalaureate degree, at least half of the credit hours

24  required for the degree shall be achievable through courses

25  designated as lower-division courses, except in degree

26  programs approved by the Board of Regents pursuant to s.

27  240.209(5)(e).  A course designated as lower-division may be

28  offered by any community college. By January 1, 1996, the

29  Articulation Coordinating Committee shall recommend to the

30  State Board of Education the levels for the courses.  By

31  January 1, 1996, the common course numbering and designation

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    Florida Senate - 1998                                  SB 2160
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  1  system shall include the courses at the recommended levels,

  2  and by fall semester of 1996, the registration process at each

  3  state university and community college shall include the

  4  courses at their designated levels and common course numbers.

  5         4.  Appoint faculty committees representing both

  6  community college and university faculties to recommend those

  7  courses identified to meet general education requirements

  8  within the subject areas of communication, mathematics, social

  9  sciences, humanities, and natural sciences.  By January 1,

10  1996, the Articulation Coordinating Committee shall recommend

11  to the State Board of Education those courses identified to

12  meet these general education requirements by their common

13  course code number. By fall semester, 1996, all community

14  colleges and state universities shall accept these general

15  education courses.

16         5.  Appoint faculty committees representing both

17  community colleges and universities to recommend common

18  prerequisite courses and identify course substitutions when

19  common prerequisites cannot be established for degree programs

20  across all institutions. Faculty work groups shall adopt a

21  strategy for addressing significant differences in

22  prerequisites, including course substitutions.  The Board of

23  Regents shall be notified by the Articulation Coordinating

24  Committee when significant differences remain.  By fall

25  semester, 1996, common degree program prerequisites shall be

26  offered and accepted by all state universities and community

27  colleges, except in cases approved by the Board of Regents

28  pursuant to s. 240.209(5)(f).  The Board of Regents shall work

29  with the State Board of Community Colleges on the development

30  of a centralized database containing the list of courses and

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    Florida Senate - 1998                                  SB 2160
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  1  course substitutions that meet the prerequisite requirements

  2  for each baccalaureate degree program; and

  3         (g)  Expansion of the common course designation and

  4  numbering system to include the numbering and designation of

  5  college credit postsecondary vocational courses and facilitate

  6  the transfer of credits between public schools and community

  7  colleges.  The Articulation Coordinating Committee shall:

  8         1.  Adopt guidelines for the participation of public

  9  school districts and community colleges in offering college

10  credit courses that may be transferred to a certificate or

11  degree program.  These guidelines shall establish standards

12  addressing faculty qualifications, admissions, program

13  curricula, participation in the common course designation and

14  numbering system, and other issues identified by the Task

15  Force on Workforce Development and the Commissioner of

16  Education.  Guidelines should also address the role of

17  accreditation in the designation of courses as transferable

18  college credit. Such guidelines must not jeopardize the

19  accreditation status of educational institutions and must be

20  based on data related to the history of credit transfer among

21  institutions in this state and others.

22         2.  Conduct a study identifying postsecondary

23  vocational programs offered by community colleges and public

24  school districts.  The study shall also identify postsecondary

25  vocational courses designated as college credit courses

26  applicable toward a vocational degree.  Such college credit

27  courses must be identified within the common course numbering

28  and designation system.

29         3.  Appoint faculty committees representing both

30  community college and public school faculties to recommend a

31  standard program length and appropriate occupational

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    Florida Senate - 1998                                  SB 2160
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  1  completion points for each postsecondary vocational

  2  certificate program and degree.  A course designated as

  3  college credit may be offered by a public school district or

  4  community college, provided the standards established in

  5  subparagraph 1. are met; and.

  6         (h)  Development of common definitions necessary for

  7  managing a uniform coordinated system of career education for

  8  all levels of the state system of public education.

  9         Section 2.  Subsections (1) and (2) of section 240.115,

10  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

11         240.115  Articulation agreement; acceleration

12  mechanisms.--

13         (1)(a)  Articulation between secondary and

14  postsecondary education; admission of associate in arts degree

15  graduates from Florida community colleges and state

16  universities; the use of acceleration mechanisms, including

17  nationally standardized examinations through which students

18  may earn credit; general education requirements and common

19  course code numbers as provided for in s. 229.551(1)(f)4.; and

20  articulation among programs in nursing shall be governed by

21  the articulation agreement, as established by the Department

22  of Education. The articulation agreement must specifically

23  provide that every associate in arts graduate of a Florida

24  community college shall have met all general education

25  requirements and must be granted admission to the upper

26  division of a state university except to a limited access or

27  teacher certification program or a major program requiring an

28  audition.  After admission has been granted to students under

29  provisions of this section and to university students who have

30  successfully completed 60 credit hours of coursework,

31  including 36 hours of general education, and met the

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    Florida Senate - 1998                                  SB 2160
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  1  requirements of s. 240.107, admission shall be granted to

  2  State University System and Florida community college students

  3  who have successfully completed 60 credit hours of work,

  4  including 36 hours of general education.  Community college

  5  associate in arts graduates shall receive priority for

  6  admission to a state university over out-of-state students.

  7  Orientation programs and student handbooks provided to

  8  freshman enrollees and transfer students at state universities

  9  must include an explanation of this provision of the

10  articulation agreement.

11         (b)  Any student who transfers among regionally

12  accredited postsecondary institutions that are fully

13  accredited by an agency recognized by the United States

14  Department of Education and that participate in the common

15  course designation and numbering system shall be awarded

16  credit by the receiving institution for courses satisfactorily

17  completed by the student at the previous institutions if the

18  courses are judged by the appropriate common course

19  designation and numbering system faculty task force

20  representing community colleges, public universities, and

21  private postsecondary education institutions to be

22  academically equivalent to courses offered at the receiving

23  institution, regardless of the public or nonpublic control of

24  the previous institution.  The award of credit may be limited

25  to courses that are entered in the common course designation

26  and numbering system. Credits awarded pursuant to this

27  subsection shall satisfy institutional requirements on the

28  same basis as credits awarded to native students.

29         (2)  The universities, community college district

30  boards of trustees, and district school boards are authorized

31  to establish intrainstitutional and interinstitutional

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    Florida Senate - 1998                                  SB 2160
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  1  programs to maximize this articulation.  Programs may include

  2  upper-division-level courses offered at the community college,

  3  distance learning, transfer agreements that facilitate the

  4  transfer of credits between public and nonpublic postsecondary

  5  institutions, and the concurrent enrollment of students at a

  6  community college and a state university to enable students to

  7  take any level of baccalaureate degree coursework. Should the

  8  establishment of these programs necessitate the waiver of

  9  existing State Board of Education rules, reallocation of

10  funds, or revision or modification of student fees, each

11  college or university shall submit the proposed articulation

12  program to the State Board of Education for review and

13  approval. The State Board of Education is authorized to waive

14  its rules and make appropriate reallocations, revisions, or

15  modifications in accordance with the above.

16         Section 3.  Subsection (1) of section 246.013, Florida

17  Statutes, is amended to read:

18         246.013  Participation in the common course designation

19  and numbering system.--

20         (1)  Nonpublic colleges and schools that have been

21  issued a regular license under s. 246.081 or s. 246.215 or

22  nonpublic postsecondary colleges that are exempt from

23  licensure under s. 246.085(1)(a) and that are fully accredited

24  by an agency recognized by the United States Department of

25  Education, may by a member of the Commission on Colleges of

26  the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and

27  accredited nonpublic postsecondary colleges exempt from state

28  licensure pursuant to s. 246.085(1)(a) may participate in the

29  common course designation and numbering system in s. 229.551.

30  Participating colleges and schools shall bear the costs

31  associated with inclusion in the system and shall meet the

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    Florida Senate - 1998                                  SB 2160
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  1  terms and conditions for institutional participation in the

  2  system. The department shall adopt a fee schedule that

  3  includes the expenses incurred through data processing,

  4  faculty task force travel and per diem, and staff and clerical

  5  support time. Such fee schedule may differentiate between the

  6  costs associated with initial course inclusion in the system

  7  and costs associated with subsequent course maintenance in the

  8  system. Decisions regarding initial course inclusion and

  9  subsequent course maintenance must be made within 120 days

10  after submission of the required materials and fees by the

11  institution or courses submitted shall be awarded the

12  requested common course code number. Any college that

13  participated in the system prior to July 1, 1986, shall not be

14  required to pay the costs associated with initial course

15  inclusion in the system. Fees collected for participation in

16  the common course designation and numbering system pursuant to

17  the provisions of this section shall be deposited in the

18  Institutional Assessment Trust Fund created by s. 246.31. The

19  Legislature finds and declares that independent nonprofit

20  colleges and universities eligible to participate in the

21  Florida resident access grant program pursuant to s. 240.605

22  are an integral part of the higher education system in this

23  state and that a significant number of state residents choose

24  this form of higher education. Any independent college or

25  university that is eligible to participate in the Florida

26  resident access grant program shall not be required to pay the

27  costs associated with participation in the common course

28  designation and numbering system.

29         Section 4.  This act shall take effect July 1, 1998.

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    Florida Senate - 1998                                  SB 2160
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  2                          SENATE SUMMARY

  3    Revises provisions relating to the common course
      numbering and designation system. Provides guidelines for
  4    nonpublic postsecondary education institutions to the
      system. (See bill for details.)
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