CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.Senate Bill 0390
Florida Senate - 1998 SB 390
By Senator Holzendorf
2-283-98 See HB
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to community colleges; amending
3 s. 240.498, F.S., relating to the Florida
4 Education Fund; establishing the Community
5 Faculty Diversity Program; providing for
6 awarding fellowships; requiring service or
7 repayment; providing requirements of
8 participants' employers; providing an effective
9 date.
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11 WHEREAS, the Florida Legislature recognizes the
12 underrepresentation of ethnic and gender minorities as faculty
13 and executive, administrative, and managerial personnel in
14 Florida community colleges, and
15 WHEREAS, the Florida Legislature is interested in
16 increasing the number of ethnic and gender minorities employed
17 in these positions, and
18 WHEREAS, national availability statistics indicate a
19 severe shortage of minorities holding the requisite degrees to
20 enter the pool as faculty senior-level employees in Florida
21 community colleges, and
22 WHEREAS, the Florida Legislature wishes to establish a
23 means by which to develop, use, promote, and maintain human
24 resources currently employed in the Florida Community College
25 System, NOW, THEREFORE,
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27 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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29 Section 1. Subsection (9) is added to section 240.498,
30 Florida Statutes, to read:
31 240.498 Florida Education Fund.--
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 1998 SB 390
2-283-98 See HB
1 (9) There is created the Community College Faculty
2 Diversity Program of the Florida Education Fund, a
3 collaborative effort of the State Board of Community Colleges
4 and the Florida Education Fund, to provide the opportunity for
5 ethnic minorities and women to attain greater representation
6 as faculty, executive, administrative, and managerial
7 personnel in the State Community College System. The faculty
8 diversity program must include, but need not be limited to, a
9 fellowship program to be administered by the board of
10 directors of the Florida Education Fund for this purpose.
11 (a) The board of directors shall provide, from funds
12 appropriated for this purpose, financial, academic, and other
13 support to those who are selected for participation in this
14 program.
15 (b) The selection of participants must be made in
16 accordance with policies established by the Florida Education
17 Fund and adopted by the board of directors for that purpose
18 and must be based, at least in part, on an assessment of
19 potential for success, merit, and financial need. Such
20 selection must be based in part upon whether the participants
21 will be representative of geographic areas throughout the
22 state. First preference must be given to participants who are
23 employed by institutions where ethnic minorities and women are
24 underrepresented in faculty and executive-level positions.
25 (c) Funds for this program must be appropriated
26 directly to the Florida Education Fund to be distributed
27 appropriately between the sponsoring institution and the
28 selected fellows.
29 (d) Participants must agree in writing to return to
30 the employing community college for a period of time equal to
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 1998 SB 390
2-283-98 See HB
1 the amount of time for which the participant received aid, up
2 to 3 years, or to repay the amount of aid received.
3 (e) During the period of participation, the community
4 college that employs the fellow must agree to continue the
5 fellow on the payroll at full salary and benefits, based on
6 the salary earned by the participant at the time of initial
7 entry into the program.
8 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 1998.
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11 LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY
12 Creates the Community College Faculty Diversity Program
of the Florida Education Fund. Provides for awarding
13 fellowships. Requires each fellow to return to the
employing community college for a period of time or to
14 repay the aid received. Requires each participant's
employer to continue the participant's salary and
15 benefits during the period of participation.
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