House Bill hb1369c1
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Florida House of Representatives - 2001 CS/HB 1369
By the Committee on Colleges & Universities and
Representatives Bilirakis, Fiorentino, Farkas, Waters,
Wallace, Crow, Justice and Carassas
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to postsecondary education;
3 providing legislative intent; redesignating St.
4 Petersburg Junior College as St. Petersburg
5 College; requiring accreditation; providing
6 mission; providing for students and fees;
7 providing conditional authority to offer
8 baccalaureate degree level programs;
9 authorizing certain baccalaureate degree
10 programs and a process for increasing their
11 number; establishing a board of trustees and a
12 coordinating board; providing for employment;
13 providing for the acquisition of land,
14 buildings, and equipment; authorizing the power
15 of eminent domain; providing intent for state
16 funding; requiring a cost study; providing an
17 effective date.
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19 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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21 Section 1. Legislative intent.--The Legislature
22 intends to create an innovative means to increase access to
23 baccalaureate degree level education in populous counties that
24 are underserved by public baccalaureate degree granting
25 institutions. This education is intended to address the
26 state's workforce needs, especially the need for teachers,
27 nurses, and business managers in agencies and firms that
28 require expertise in technology.
29 Section 2. St. Petersburg College; mission.--St.
30 Petersburg Junior College is redesignated as St. Petersburg
31 College. The college shall immediately seek accreditation from
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Florida House of Representatives - 2001 CS/HB 1369
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1 the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools as a
2 baccalaureate degree granting college.
3 (1) The primary mission of St. Petersburg College is
4 to provide high-quality undergraduate education at an
5 affordable price for students and the state. The purpose is to
6 promote economic development by preparing people for
7 occupations that require a bachelor's degree and are in demand
8 by existing or emerging public and private employers in this
9 state.
10 (2) St. Petersburg College shall maintain the mission
11 and policies of a Florida community college, including the
12 open-door admissions policy and the authority to offer all
13 programs consistent with a public community college's
14 authority.
15 (3) St. Petersburg College shall maintain the
16 distinction between the college and its university center. St.
17 Petersburg College is limited to community college programs
18 and to selected baccalaureate degree level programs that meet
19 community needs and are authorized as provided by this act.
20 The University Center may make available more diverse program
21 offerings, but those programs are offered by a participating
22 college or university and are not to be classified or funded
23 as programs of St. Petersburg College.
24 (4) The academic policies of the upper-division
25 program at St. Petersburg College must be in accordance with
26 policies of the State University System.
27 (5) Sections 240.293 and 240.2945, Florida Statutes,
28 apply to St. Petersburg College.
29 Section 3. St. Petersburg College; students.--
30 (1) St. Petersburg College shall maintain separate
31 records for students who are enrolled in courses classified in
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Florida House of Representatives - 2001 CS/HB 1369
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1 the lower division and the upper division of a baccalaureate
2 program according to the common course numbering system. A
3 student shall be reported as a community college student for
4 enrollment in a lower-division course and as a baccalaureate
5 degree program student for enrollment in an upper-division
6 course.
7 (2) The Board of Trustees of St. Petersburg College
8 shall establish the level of matriculation, tuition, and other
9 authorized student fees.
10 (a) For each credit hour of enrollment in a
11 certificate level course or lower-division level college
12 credit course, matriculation and tuition fees must be within
13 the range authorized in law and rule for a community college
14 student at that level.
15 (b) For each credit hour of enrollment in an
16 upper-division level course, matriculation and tuition fees
17 must be in an amount established by the Board of Trustees of
18 St. Petersburg College. However, fees for upper-division
19 students must reflect the fact that the college does not incur
20 the costs of major research programs. Therefore, the board of
21 trustees shall establish fees for upper-division students
22 within a range that is lower than the fees established for
23 students at a public university but higher than the fees for
24 community college students.
25 (c) Other mandatory fees and local fees must be at the
26 same level for all lower-division students. For upper-division
27 students, other mandatory fees and local fees must be at a
28 level less than fees established for University of South
29 Florida students, regardless of program enrollment or level.
30 However, students in workforce development education courses
31 maintain the authorized fee exemptions described in s.
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Florida House of Representatives - 2001 CS/HB 1369
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1 239.117, Florida Statutes, and may be exempt from local fees
2 imposed by the board of trustees, at the board's discretion.
3 Section 4. St. Petersburg College; degrees.--
4 (1) In addition to the certificates, diplomas, and
5 degrees authorized in s. 240.301, Florida Statutes, St.
6 Petersburg College may offer selected baccalaureate degrees.
7 Initially, the college may offer programs that lead to a
8 baccalaureate degree in the following fields:
9 (a) Bachelor of science in nursing. This program must
10 be designed to articulate with the associate in science degree
11 in nursing. St. Petersburg College shall continue to offer the
12 associate in science degree in nursing.
13 (b) Bachelor of arts and bachelor of science in
14 elementary education.
15 (c) Bachelor of arts and bachelor of science in
16 special education.
17 (d) Bachelor of arts and bachelor of science in
18 secondary education.
19 (e) Bachelor of applied science in fields selected by
20 the Board of Trustees of St. Petersburg College. The board of
21 trustees shall base the selection on an analysis of workforce
22 needs and opportunities in the following counties: Pinellas,
23 Pasco, Hernando, and other counties approved by the Department
24 of Education. For each program selected, St. Petersburg
25 College must offer a related associate in science or associate
26 in applied science degree program, and the baccalaureate
27 degree level program must be designed to articulate fully with
28 at least one associate in science degree program. The college
29 is encouraged to develop articulation agreements for
30 enrollment of graduates of related associate in applied
31 science degree programs.
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1 (2) St. Petersburg College may offer courses that
2 enable teachers to qualify for certification and
3 recertification as required by law or rule.
4 (3) St. Petersburg College may offer programs to
5 provide opportunities for a person who holds a baccalaureate
6 degree, but is not certified to teach, to obtain any
7 additional courses required for teacher certification.
8 (4) Masters degree level programs and doctoral
9 programs may be provided by agreement with a college or
10 university participating in the University Center of St.
11 Petersburg College.
12 (5) For those students living outside the St.
13 Petersburg College service area, St. Petersburg College shall
14 recruit for the upper division only those students who have
15 earned an associate degree. In recruiting upper-division
16 students in Pasco and Hernando Counties, St. Petersburg
17 College shall work cooperatively with Pasco-Hernando Community
18 College and shall seek to offer courses and programs at
19 Pasco-Hernando Community College when feasible.
20 Section 5. St. Petersburg College; boards.--
21 (1) The Board of Trustees of St. Petersburg Junior
22 College is renamed the Board of Trustees of St. Petersburg
23 College and serves as its governing board. The Governor shall
24 appoint members as provided in s. 240.313, Florida Statutes,
25 and the board of trustees has the duties and authorities
26 granted in ss. 240.315 and 240.319, Florida Statutes, and by
27 rules of the State Board of Education.
28 (2) The Board of Trustees of St. Petersburg College
29 may authorize direct-support organizations as authorized in
30 ss. 240.299 and 240.331, Florida Statutes.
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1 (3) The Board of Trustees of St. Petersburg College
2 may continue to award degrees, diplomas, and certificates as
3 authorized for St. Petersburg Junior College, and in the name
4 of St. Petersburg Junior College, until St. Petersburg College
5 receives its accreditation.
6 (4) A coordinating board shall assist the board of
7 trustees in its deliberations concerning issues that affect
8 the upper division of St. Petersburg College. The coordinating
9 board consists of the President of the University of South
10 Florida, the President of St. Petersburg College, the
11 President of Pasco-Hernando Community College, and the chairs
12 of the boards of trustees of those institutions.
13 (5) Beginning 4 years after St. Petersburg College
14 receives accreditation to offer baccalaureate degrees, the
15 board of trustees of the college may determine additional
16 programs to be offered, with the approval of the coordinating
17 board. The determination must consider community needs and
18 economic opportunities.
19 (6) The coordinating board shall meet at the request
20 of the President of the University of South Florida or the
21 President of St. Petersburg College.
22 (7) If the coordinating board cannot decide an issue
23 of importance to the programs designed for upper-division
24 students, the chief educational officer of this state shall
25 resolve the issue.
26 Section 6. St. Petersburg College; employees.--
27 (1) Employment at St. Petersburg College is governed
28 by the same laws that govern community colleges, except that
29 upper-division faculty are eligible for continuing contracts
30 upon the completion of the fifth year of teaching.
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1 (2) Employee records for all personnel shall be
2 maintained as required by s. 240.337, Florida Statutes.
3 Section 7. St. Petersburg College; facilities.--St.
4 Petersburg College may request funding from the Public
5 Education Capital Outlay and Debt Service Trust Fund as a
6 community college and as a university. The municipalities of
7 Pinellas County, the Board of County Commissioners of Pinellas
8 County, and all other governmental entities are authorized to
9 cooperate with the Board of Trustees of St. Petersburg College
10 in establishing this institution. The acquisition and donation
11 of lands, buildings, and equipment for the use of St.
12 Petersburg College are authorized as a public purpose. The
13 Board of County Commissioners of Pinellas County and all
14 municipalities of Pinellas County may exercise the power of
15 eminent domain to acquire lands, buildings, and equipment for
16 the use of St. Petersburg College, regardless of whether such
17 lands, buildings, and equipment are located in a community
18 redevelopment area.
19 Section 8. St. Petersburg College; state funding.--
20 (1) The Legislature intends to fund St. Petersburg
21 College as a community college for its workforce development
22 education programs and for its lower-division level college
23 credit courses and programs.
24 (2) The Legislature intends to fund St. Petersburg
25 College as a baccalaureate degree level institution for its
26 upper-division level courses and programs.
27 (3) During the 2001-2002 fiscal year, St. Petersburg
28 College shall estimate the appropriate level of funding for
29 these programs. By March 1, 2002, the college shall complete a
30 cost study and shall submit to the Legislature a proposal for
31 cost accounting and legislative budget requests designed to
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Florida House of Representatives - 2001 CS/HB 1369
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1 acknowledge its unique classification. The cost study must
2 indicate actual costs projected for the first 4 years of
3 operation as a baccalaureate degree level institution, with
4 the first students expected to enroll in the upper division in
5 the fall semester of 2002.
6 Section 9. This act shall take effect July 1, 2001.
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