Senate Bill 1840

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    Florida Senate - 1999                                  SB 1840

    By Senator Holzendorf





    2-1239-99                                           See HB 179

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to community colleges;

  3         providing an appropriation to the Commissioner

  4         of Education to enter into an agreement with

  5         the Southern Regional Education Board to

  6         support a "Compact for Faculty Diversity

  7         Program" to increase the number of minority

  8         personnel holding doctoral degrees in selected

  9         Florida community colleges; providing for

10         scholarships; establishing a process for

11         selection of community college and minority

12         participants; providing requirements of

13         doctoral candidates; requiring service or

14         repayment; requiring rules; providing an

15         effective date.

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17         WHEREAS, the Florida Legislature recognizes the

18  underrepresentation of ethnic and gender minorities as faculty

19  and executive, administrative, and managerial personnel in

20  Florida community colleges, and

21         WHEREAS, the Florida Legislature is interested in

22  increasing the number of ethnic and gender minorities employed

23  in these positions, and

24         WHEREAS, national availability statistics indicate a

25  severe shortage of minorities holding the requisite degrees to

26  enter the pool as faculty senior-level employees in Florida

27  community colleges, and

28         WHEREAS, the Florida Legislature wishes to establish a

29  means to develop, utilize, promote, and maintain human

30  resources currently employed in the Florida Community College

31  System, NOW, THEREFORE,

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 1999                                  SB 1840
    2-1239-99                                           See HB 179




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

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  3         Section 1.  The sum of $240,000 is hereby appropriated

  4  for fiscal year 1999-2000 from the General Revenue Fund to the

  5  Florida Commissioner of Education to enter into an agreement

  6  with the Southern Regional Education Board to support a

  7  "Compact For Faculty Diversity Program."  The agreement shall

  8  provide for 10 scholarships of $8,000 per candidate, per year,

  9  as a means to increase the number of minority doctoral

10  scholars in Florida community colleges.  The funds shall be

11  maintained in an account of the Office of the Commissioner of

12  Education and shall be appropriated at an amount of $80,000

13  per year for 3 consecutive years.  The Legislature intends

14  that the Southern Regional Education Board will make

15  arrangements with participating state boards, institutions,

16  and foundations for tuition and fee waivers or scholarships

17  for the candidates selected.

18         Section 2.  The selection of participating institutions

19  shall be based on the identification by the State Board of

20  Community Colleges of institutions in the Florida Community

21  College System which have demonstrated commitment to

22  increasing diversity among faculty and senior-level personnel

23  and willingness to grant its participants 3 years of release

24  time for doctoral study. Minority employees holding the

25  credentials to enter doctoral programs shall be nominated to

26  the State Board of Community Colleges and provided support by

27  their respective institutions.  The sponsoring community

28  college shall provide full benefits and may provide up to

29  one-half of the annual salary earned by the candidate at the

30  time of initial approval for program participation.  Two

31  ethnic and/or gender minority employees per region, among the

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 1999                                  SB 1840
    2-1239-99                                           See HB 179




  1  five regions identified by the Florida Association of

  2  Community Colleges, shall be selected by the State Board of

  3  Community Colleges to participate.  Preference shall be given

  4  to ethnic minorities in the selection of candidates.

  5         Section 3.  Program participants must seek and attain

  6  admission to a doctoral program in a participating public

  7  institution identified by the Southern Regional Education

  8  Board.  Participants also must attend school full time and

  9  pursue a doctoral degree in any field, with emphasis on

10  mathematics, science, and fields other than education or

11  professional areas.

12         Section 4.  Upon completion of the program, doctoral

13  scholars must agree to the following: provide at least 1 full

14  academic year of service to the community college where he or

15  she is employed for each year of funding in the program; or

16  repay to the Office of the Commissioner of Education an amount

17  equal to the total cost of state support provided by the

18  program and repay to the sponsoring community college an

19  amount equal to the total cost of salary support provided by

20  the community college. The manner of repayment shall be

21  established by the Office of the Commissioner of Education.

22         Section 5.  The State Board of Community Colleges shall

23  adopt rules for the implementation of this act, including

24  provisions for the exemption of an individual from the

25  requirements of section 4 based on a demonstration of

26  hardship.

27         Section 6.  This act shall take effect July 1, 1999.

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 1999                                  SB 1840
    2-1239-99                                           See HB 179




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  2                          HOUSE SUMMARY

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      Provides an appropriation from the General Revenue Fund
  4    to the Commissioner of Education to enter into an
      agreement with the Southern Regional Education Board to
  5    support a faculty diversity program.  Provides for
      scholarships to increase the number of minority personnel
  6    holding doctoral degrees in the state's community
      colleges. Provides a selection process and repayment
  7    requirements.

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