House Bill 0765
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Florida House of Representatives - 1999 HB 765
By Representative Lynn
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 for participation by community
7 colleges and 4-year postsecondary institutions;
8 specifying duties of the Postsecondary
9 Education Planning Commission; specifying
10 funding levels; requiring program reviews and
11 evaluation; providing an effective date.
12
13 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
14
15 Section 1. Site-determined baccalaureate degree access
16 program; funding.--
17 (1) The Legislature recognizes that public and private
18 postsecondary education institutions play essential roles in
19 improving the quality of life and economic well-being of the
20 state and its residents. The Legislature also recognizes that
21 economic development needs and the educational needs of
22 place-bound, nontraditional students have increased the demand
23 for local access to baccalaureate degree programs. In some,
24 but not all, geographic regions, baccalaureate degree programs
25 are being delivered successfully at the local community
26 college through agreements between the community college and
27 4-year postsecondary institutions within or outside of the
28 state. It is therefore the intent of the Legislature to apply
29 this concept in the creation and funding of a program that
30 supports local economic development and responds to public
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Florida House of Representatives - 1999 HB 765
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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. This program is voluntary and does not preclude
6 other mutually agreed upon arrangements between community
7 colleges and 4-year institutions for the delivery of
8 baccalaureate degrees on community college sites.
9 (3) Each community college wishing to participate in
10 the site-determined baccalaureate degree access program must:
11 (a) Identify baccalaureate degree programs that are
12 not currently offered at the community college but are
13 proposed for delivery at the college to meet the academic and
14 economic development needs of one or more communities within
15 the college's service area. When assessing local needs, the
16 college should seek input from the appropriate chamber of
17 commerce, workforce development council, and other civic and
18 business groups. As used in this section, the term "economic
19 development" means entrepreneurial efforts, the attraction of
20 new business and industry to the area, and the expansion of
21 existing business and industry.
22 (b) Determine the number of students interested in
23 pursuing each proposed baccalaureate degree program and
24 identify the enrollment patterns, any special characteristics
25 of those students, and any unique combination or modification
26 of course offerings that may be necessary to meet student
27 enrollment needs.
28 (c) Submit a proposal to the Postsecondary Education
29 Planning Commission requesting validation of the need for the
30 proposed baccalaureate degree program and tentative approval
31 for program funding. The proposal must include:
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Florida House of Representatives - 1999 HB 765
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1 1. A description of each proposed baccalaureate degree
2 program identifying the junior-level and senior-level courses
3 to be offered and designating whether the program should be
4 offered for a cohort group or as an ongoing degree program.
5 2. Evidence that local occupational forecasts support
6 the existence of jobs for graduates of the proposed
7 baccalaureate degree programs.
8 3. An estimated number of students to be served by
9 each proposed degree program.
10 4. An assurance that the community college's existing
11 facilities are sufficient to meet the additional demands for
12 classroom and laboratory space for the proposed degree
13 programs.
14 5. Evidence that the college has requested the
15 participation of no fewer than three regionally accredited
16 4-year postsecondary institutions, including at least one
17 member of the State University System. Any member of the
18 State University System may be a partner in a site-determined
19 baccalaureate degree access program at any community college.
20 6. A tentative agreement between the community college
21 and the 4-year postsecondary institution selected to offer the
22 upper-level courses leading to the proposed degree or degrees.
23 7. Any additional provisions that the Postsecondary
24 Education Planning Commission considers pertinent to the
25 proposal.
26 (4) The Postsecondary Education Planning Commission,
27 after soliciting comments from the Board of Regents and the
28 State Board of Community Colleges, shall validate the need for
29 each baccalaureate degree program proposed for delivery
30 according to this section and shall notify the community
31 college that its proposal has been approved or rejected. The
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1 commission shall establish procedures for the timely
2 submission, review, and approval of the proposals and
3 agreements required by this section. These procedures must be
4 designed to allow the initiation of approved baccalaureate
5 degree programs at least 3 times each fiscal year.
6 (5) Once the Postsecondary Education Planning
7 Commission validates the need for the proposed baccalaureate
8 degree program and notifies the community college that its
9 proposal has been approved, the community college shall
10 finalize an agreement with the regionally accredited, public
11 or nonpublic, 4-year postsecondary institution selected to
12 provide the upper-level instructional services in the approved
13 baccalaureate degree program. The commission shall identify
14 the common aspects that each agreement must address,
15 including, but not limited to:
16 (a) A course delivery pattern based on the student
17 enrollment patterns and characteristics included in the
18 approved proposal.
19 (b) An articulation provision that guarantees
20 acceptance of students who hold an associate in arts or
21 associate in science degree and satisfy any other
22 prerequisites for admission to the specific baccalaureate
23 degree program.
24 (c) The provision of library services and student
25 support services.
26 (d) An agreement that the participating 4-year
27 postsecondary institution will continue offering instructional
28 services at least until all qualified members of the initial
29 group of students have had an opportunity to complete the
30 degree program.
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1 (e) The specific and measurable performance criteria
2 that the Postsecondary Education Planning Commission may use
3 to evaluate the outcomes and outputs of the baccalaureate
4 degree program within an identified timeframe.
5 (f) An agreement that in-state student tuition for the
6 degree program will not exceed the matriculation fee for the
7 State University System unless the proposal approved by the
8 Postsecondary Education Planning Commission allows the
9 participating institutions to charge differentiated tuition
10 and fees to encourage student attendance and participation.
11 Out-of-state students shall pay full costs. Notwithstanding
12 section 240.605, Florida Statutes, students participating in a
13 site-determined baccalaureate degree program may not receive a
14 Florida Resident Access Grant.
15 (6) Each participating community college must submit
16 the agreement required by this section to the Postsecondary
17 Education Planning Commission for review and final approval
18 before initiating an approved site-determined baccalaureate
19 degree access program. The Postsecondary Education Planning
20 Commission must recommend to the Commissioner of Education the
21 total funds to be released to each participating community
22 college for the initiation of the approved site-determined
23 baccalaureate degree access program. The community college
24 shall distribute funds to the participating 4-year
25 postsecondary institution at the rate specified in the
26 approved agreement. The Postsecondary Education Planning
27 Commission shall not recommend the release of funding for any
28 program that is terminated before or after the evaluation
29 required by this section. The total funds to be released for
30 the initiation of an approved program shall be based on the
31 number of fundable upper-level student credit hours for each
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1 term. Unless otherwise provided in an appropriations act, the
2 funding per credit hour shall be an amount equal to the state
3 funds, excluding student fees, appropriated to the State
4 University System for each full-time equivalent student
5 enrolled in upper-level course work. Student credit hours
6 funded under this program may not be duplicated in any other
7 calculation of state funding for the 4-year institution.
8 (7) The Postsecondary Education Planning Commission
9 may require the participating community colleges and 4-year
10 postsecondary institutions to submit information necessary to
11 monitor the annual performance of the program. Within 90 days
12 after the 2nd and 4th year of the site-determined
13 baccalaureate degree access program, the commission shall
14 submit to the chairs of the education and fiscal committees of
15 the Legislature a progress report, including an evaluation of
16 the funding mechanism created by this section. The commission
17 shall review each site-determined baccalaureate degree access
18 program funded under this section to ascertain whether the
19 performance measures specified in the agreement between the
20 participating community college and the 4-year institution
21 have been met. Each program must be reviewed 4 years after
22 initiation unless a shorter timeframe is specified in the
23 agreement. The performance measures must include the student
24 graduation rate, the employment rate of program graduates both
25 within and outside the community college service area, the
26 continuing need to offer the specific baccalaureate degree
27 program in the community college service area, and such other
28 information as the Postsecondary Education Planning Commission
29 may determine necessary for program and performance
30 evaluation. Based on its evaluation, the commission shall
31 either approve continuation of the program, require
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1 modifications prior to program approval, or recommend that the
2 participating institutions terminate the program after all
3 qualified members of the initial group of students have an
4 opportunity to complete the degree program. The commission
5 must submit to the Commissioner of Education for inclusion in
6 the legislative budget a request for funding for approved
7 site-determined baccalaureate degree access programs.
8 (8) If no accredited 4-year institution is willing to
9 provide a baccalaureate degree program approved by the
10 Postsecondary Education Planning Commission under this
11 section, the community college board of trustees may ask the
12 commission to evaluate the college's request to offer the
13 degree program. If the commission is satisfied that the
14 community college should offer the degree program, it shall
15 recommend to the Legislature the enactment of statutory
16 authority for the community college to offer that specific
17 baccalaureate degree program.
18 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
19 law.
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22 SENATE SUMMARY
23 Creates the site-determined baccalaureate degree access
program. Provides standards for participating community
24 colleges and 4-year postsecondary institutions. Specifies
duties of the Postsecondary Education Planning
25 Commission.
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