Senate Bill 0664e1
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SB 664 First Engrossed
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to postsecondary education;
3 providing legislative findings and intent;
4 creating the site-determined baccalaureate
5 degree access program; authorizing funding;
6 providing requirements for the use of such
7 funds; providing for participation by community
8 colleges and 4-year postsecondary institutions;
9 specifying duties of the Postsecondary
10 Education Planning Commission; specifying
11 funding levels; requiring program reviews and
12 evaluation; providing an effective date.
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14 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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16 Section 1. Site-determined baccalaureate degree access
17 program; funding.--
18 (1) The Legislature recognizes that public and private
19 postsecondary education institutions play essential roles in
20 improving the quality of life and economic well-being of the
21 state and its residents. The Legislature also recognizes that
22 economic development needs and the educational needs of
23 place-bound, nontraditional students have increased the demand
24 for local access to baccalaureate degree programs. In some,
25 but not all, geographic regions, baccalaureate degree programs
26 are being delivered successfully at the local community
27 college through agreements between the community college and
28 4-year postsecondary institutions within or outside of the
29 state. It is therefore the intent of the Legislature to apply
30 this concept in the creation and funding of a program that
31 supports local economic development and responds to public
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SB 664 First Engrossed
1 demand for increased access to baccalaureate degrees in areas
2 of the state that are underserved by 4-year institutions.
3 (2) Categorical funding is authorized for the
4 site-determined baccalaureate degree access program created by
5 this section. Funds may not be used to support the
6 construction, renovation, or remodeling of facilities. This
7 program is voluntary and does not preclude other mutually
8 agreed upon arrangements between community colleges and 4-year
9 institutions for the delivery of baccalaureate degrees on
10 community college sites.
11 (3) Each community college wishing to participate in
12 the site-determined baccalaureate degree access program must:
13 (a) Identify baccalaureate degree programs that are
14 not currently offered at the community college but are
15 proposed for delivery at the college to meet the academic and
16 economic development needs of one or more communities within
17 the college's service area. When assessing local needs, the
18 college should seek input from the appropriate chamber of
19 commerce, workforce development council, and other civic and
20 business groups. As used in this section, the term "economic
21 development" means entrepreneurial efforts, the attraction of
22 new business and industry to the area, and the expansion of
23 existing business and industry.
24 (b) Determine the number of students interested in
25 pursuing each proposed baccalaureate degree program and
26 identify the enrollment patterns, any special characteristics
27 of those students, and any unique combination or modification
28 of course offerings that may be necessary to meet student
29 enrollment needs.
30 (c) Submit a proposal to the Postsecondary Education
31 Planning Commission requesting validation of the need for the
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SB 664 First Engrossed
1 proposed baccalaureate degree program and tentative approval
2 for program funding. The proposal must include:
3 1. A description of each proposed baccalaureate degree
4 program identifying the junior-level and senior-level courses
5 to be offered and designating whether the program should be
6 offered for a cohort group or as an ongoing degree program.
7 2. Evidence that regional occupational forecasts
8 support the existence of jobs for graduates of the proposed
9 baccalaureate degree programs.
10 3. An estimated number of students to be served by
11 each proposed degree program.
12 4. An assurance that the community college's existing
13 facilities are sufficient to meet the additional demands for
14 classroom and laboratory space for the proposed degree
15 programs.
16 5. Evidence that the college has requested the
17 participation of no fewer than three regionally accredited
18 4-year postsecondary institutions, including at least one
19 member of the State University System. Any member of the
20 State University System and any independent, regionally
21 accredited, 4-year institution that is chartered in, and has
22 its primary campus located in Florida may be a partner in a
23 site-determined baccalaureate degree access program at any
24 community college.
25 6. A tentative agreement between the community college
26 and the 4-year postsecondary institution selected to offer the
27 upper-level courses leading to the proposed degree or degrees.
28 7. Any additional provisions that the Postsecondary
29 Education Planning Commission considers pertinent to the
30 proposal.
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SB 664 First Engrossed
1 (4) The Postsecondary Education Planning Commission,
2 after soliciting comments from the Board of Regents and the
3 State Board of Community Colleges, shall validate the need for
4 each baccalaureate degree program proposed for delivery
5 according to this section and shall notify the community
6 college that its proposal has been approved or rejected. The
7 commission shall establish procedures for the timely
8 submission, review, and approval of the proposals and
9 agreements required by this section. These procedures must be
10 designed to allow the initiation of approved baccalaureate
11 degree programs at least 3 times each fiscal year.
12 (5) Once the Postsecondary Education Planning
13 Commission validates the need for the proposed baccalaureate
14 degree program and notifies the community college that its
15 proposal has been approved, the community college shall
16 finalize an agreement with the regionally accredited, public
17 or nonpublic, 4-year postsecondary institution selected to
18 provide the upper-level instructional services in the approved
19 baccalaureate degree program. The commission shall identify
20 the common aspects that each agreement must address,
21 including, but not limited to:
22 (a) A course delivery pattern based on the student
23 enrollment patterns and characteristics included in the
24 approved proposal.
25 (b) An articulation provision that guarantees
26 acceptance of students who hold an associate in arts or
27 associate in science degree and satisfy any other
28 prerequisites for admission to the specific baccalaureate
29 degree program.
30 (c) The provision of library services and student
31 support services.
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SB 664 First Engrossed
1 (d) An agreement that the participating 4-year
2 postsecondary institution will continue offering instructional
3 services at least until all qualified members of the initial
4 group of students have had an opportunity to complete the
5 degree program.
6 (e) The specific and measurable performance criteria
7 that the Postsecondary Education Planning Commission may use
8 to evaluate the outcomes and outputs of the baccalaureate
9 degree program within an identified timeframe.
10 (f) An agreement that in-state student tuition for the
11 degree program will not exceed the matriculation fee for the
12 State University System unless the proposal approved by the
13 Postsecondary Education Planning Commission allows the
14 participating institutions to charge differentiated tuition
15 and fees to encourage student attendance and participation.
16 Out-of-state students shall pay full costs. Notwithstanding
17 section 240.605, Florida Statutes, students participating in a
18 site-determined baccalaureate degree program may not receive a
19 Florida Resident Access Grant.
20 (6) Each participating community college must submit
21 the agreement required by this section to the Postsecondary
22 Education Planning Commission for review and final approval
23 before initiating an approved site-determined baccalaureate
24 degree access program. The Postsecondary Education Planning
25 Commission must recommend to the Commissioner of Education the
26 total funds to be released to each participating community
27 college for the initiation of the approved site-determined
28 baccalaureate degree access program. The community college
29 shall distribute funds to the participating 4-year
30 postsecondary institution at the rate specified in the
31 approved agreement. The Postsecondary Education Planning
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SB 664 First Engrossed
1 Commission shall not recommend the release of funding for any
2 program that is terminated before or after the evaluation
3 required by this section. The total funds to be released for
4 the initiation of an approved program shall be based on the
5 number of fundable upper-level student credit hours for each
6 term. Unless otherwise provided in an appropriations act, the
7 funding per credit hour shall be an amount equal to the state
8 funds, excluding student fees, appropriated to the State
9 University System for each full-time equivalent student
10 enrolled in upper-level course work. Student credit hours
11 funded under this program may not be duplicated in any other
12 calculation of state funding for the 4-year institution.
13 (7) The Postsecondary Education Planning Commission
14 may require the participating community colleges and 4-year
15 postsecondary institutions to submit information necessary to
16 monitor the annual performance of the program. Within 90 days
17 after the 2nd and 4th year of the site-determined
18 baccalaureate degree access program, the commission shall
19 submit to the chairs of the education and fiscal committees of
20 the Legislature a progress report, including an evaluation of
21 the funding mechanism created by this section. The commission
22 shall review each site-determined baccalaureate degree access
23 program funded under this section to ascertain whether the
24 performance measures specified in the agreement between the
25 participating community college and the 4-year institution
26 have been met. Each program must be reviewed 4 years after
27 initiation unless a shorter timeframe is specified in the
28 agreement. The performance measures must include the student
29 graduation rate, the employment rate of program graduates both
30 within and outside the community college service area, the
31 continuing need to offer the specific baccalaureate degree
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SB 664 First Engrossed
1 program in the community college service area, and such other
2 information as the Postsecondary Education Planning Commission
3 may determine necessary for program and performance
4 evaluation. Based on its evaluation, the commission shall
5 either approve continuation of the program, require
6 modifications prior to program approval, or recommend that the
7 participating institutions terminate the program after all
8 qualified members of the initial group of students have an
9 opportunity to complete the degree program. The commission
10 must submit to the Commissioner of Education for inclusion in
11 the legislative budget a request for funding for approved
12 site-determined baccalaureate degree access programs.
13 (8) If no accredited 4-year institution is willing to
14 provide a baccalaureate degree program approved by the
15 Postsecondary Education Planning Commission under this
16 section, the community college board of trustees may ask the
17 commission to evaluate the college's request to offer the
18 degree program. If the commission is satisfied that the
19 community college should offer the degree program, it shall
20 recommend to the Legislature the enactment of statutory
21 authority for the community college to offer that specific
22 baccalaureate degree program.
23 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
24 law.
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