Senate Bill sb1636
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2001 SB 1636
By Senator Pruitt
27-1080-01
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to postsecondary education;
3 amending s. 240.3836, F.S.; providing
4 legislative intent; providing a process for
5 authorizing community colleges to offer
6 baccalaureate degree programs; providing an
7 effective date.
8
9 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
10
11 Section 1. Section 240.3836, Florida Statutes, is
12 amended to read:
13 240.3836 Site-determined baccalaureate degree access
14 program; funding.--
15 (1) The Legislature recognizes that public and private
16 postsecondary education institutions play essential roles in
17 improving the quality of life and economic well-being of the
18 state and its residents. The Legislature also recognizes that
19 economic development needs and the educational needs of
20 place-bound, nontraditional students have increased the demand
21 for local access to baccalaureate degree programs. In some,
22 but not all, geographic regions, baccalaureate degree programs
23 are being delivered successfully at the local community
24 college through agreements between the community college and
25 4-year postsecondary institutions within or outside of the
26 state. It is therefore the intent of the Legislature to
27 further expand access to baccalaureate degree programs through
28 the use of community colleges and branch campuses of our state
29 universities apply this concept in the creation and funding of
30 a program that supports local economic development and
31 responds to public demand for increased access to
1
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2001 SB 1636
27-1080-01
1 baccalaureate degrees in areas of the state that are
2 underserved by 4-year institutions.
3 (2) A community college may be authorized by the State
4 Board of Education to offer a limited number of baccalaureate
5 degrees designed to meet local workforce needs through one of
6 the following processes:
7 (a) A community college may enter into a formal
8 agreement with the state university in its service area for
9 the community college to deliver specified baccalaureate
10 degree programs. The agreement must be submitted to the State
11 Board of Education for approval. The college's proposal must
12 include the following information:
13 1. Demand for the baccalaureate degree program is
14 identified by the workforce development board, local
15 businesses and industry, local chambers of commerce, and
16 potential students.
17 2. Unmet need for graduates of the proposed degree
18 program is substantiated.
19 3. The community college has the facilities and
20 academic resources to deliver the program.
21
22 The agreement must be submitted to the Postsecondary Education
23 Planning Commission for review and comment. Upon approval of
24 the State Board of Education, the college shall pursue
25 regional accreditation by the Commission on Colleges of the
26 Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
27 (b) A community college may develop a proposal to
28 deliver specified baccalaureate degree programs in its
29 district. The proposal must be submitted to the State Board of
30 Education for approval. The college's proposal must include
31 the following information:
2
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2001 SB 1636
27-1080-01
1 1. Demand for the baccalaureate degree program is
2 identified by the workforce development board, local
3 businesses and industry, local chambers of commerce, and
4 potential students.
5 2. Unmet need for graduates of the proposed degree
6 program is substantiated.
7 3. The community college has the facilities and
8 academic resources to deliver the program.
9
10 The proposal must be submitted to the Postsecondary Education
11 Planning Commission for review and comment. Upon approval of
12 the State Board of Education, the college shall pursue
13 regional accreditation by the Commission on Colleges of the
14 Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
15 (3) Branch campuses of our public universities play a
16 vital role in providing geographic access to baccalaureate
17 degrees. When the interests of the state, region, and students
18 would be better served by doing so, a branch campus of a state
19 university may submit a proposal, based upon a resolution of
20 its local advisory committee, to the State Board of Education
21 for the branch to become a free-standing, 4-year public
22 college. The proposal must include at least one of the
23 following components:
24 (a) The mission and purpose of the branch campus is
25 unique from that of the main university campus.
26 (b) A full array of undergraduate degree programs and
27 support courses is offered by the branch campus and the branch
28 could be accredited as a separate institution.
29 (c) The new designation will enable the institution to
30 more effectively address unmet demand for baccalaureate
31 education.
3
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2001 SB 1636
27-1080-01
1
2 The proposal must be forwarded to the Postsecondary Education
3 Planning Commission for review and comment. Upon approval of
4 the State Board of Education, the branch shall pursue separate
5 accreditation by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern
6 Association of Colleges and Schools and will maintain its
7 accreditation status as a branch campus until separate
8 accreditation is achieved.
9 (2) Categorical funding is authorized for the
10 site-determined baccalaureate degree access program created by
11 this section. Funds may not be used to support the
12 construction, renovation, or remodeling of facilities. This
13 program is voluntary and does not preclude other mutually
14 agreed upon arrangements between community colleges and 4-year
15 institutions for the delivery of baccalaureate degrees on
16 community college sites.
17 (3) Each community college wishing to participate in
18 the site-determined baccalaureate degree access program must:
19 (a) Identify baccalaureate degree programs that are
20 not currently offered at the community college but are
21 proposed for delivery at the college to meet the academic and
22 economic development needs of one or more communities within
23 the college's service area. When assessing local needs, the
24 college should seek input from the appropriate chamber of
25 commerce, workforce development council, and other civic and
26 business groups. As used in this section, the term "economic
27 development" means entrepreneurial efforts, the attraction of
28 new business and industry to the area, and the expansion of
29 existing business and industry.
30 (b) Determine the number of students interested in
31 pursuing each proposed baccalaureate degree program and
4
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2001 SB 1636
27-1080-01
1 identify the enrollment patterns, any special characteristics
2 of those students, and any unique combination or modification
3 of course offerings that may be necessary to meet student
4 enrollment needs.
5 (c) Submit a proposal to the Postsecondary Education
6 Planning Commission requesting validation of the need for the
7 proposed baccalaureate degree program and tentative approval
8 for program funding. The proposal must include:
9 1. A description of each proposed baccalaureate degree
10 program identifying the junior-level and senior-level courses
11 to be offered and designating whether the program should be
12 offered for a cohort group or as an ongoing degree program.
13 2. Evidence that local occupational forecasts support
14 the existence of jobs for graduates of the proposed
15 baccalaureate degree programs.
16 3. An estimated number of students to be served by
17 each proposed degree program.
18 4. An assurance that the community college's existing
19 facilities are sufficient to meet the additional demands for
20 classroom and laboratory space for the proposed degree
21 programs.
22 5. Evidence that the college has requested the
23 participation of no fewer than three regionally accredited
24 4-year postsecondary institutions, including at least one
25 member of the State University System. Any member of the
26 State University System and any independent, regionally
27 accredited, 4-year institution that is chartered in, and has
28 its primary campus located in, Florida may be a partner in a
29 site-determined baccalaureate degree access program at any
30 community college.
31
5
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2001 SB 1636
27-1080-01
1 6. A tentative agreement between the community college
2 and the 4-year postsecondary institution selected to offer the
3 upper-level courses leading to the proposed degree or degrees.
4 7. Any additional provisions that the Postsecondary
5 Education Planning Commission considers pertinent to the
6 proposal.
7 (4) The Postsecondary Education Planning Commission,
8 after soliciting comments from the Board of Regents and the
9 State Board of Community Colleges, shall validate the need for
10 each baccalaureate degree program proposed for delivery
11 according to this section and shall notify the community
12 college that its proposal has been approved or rejected. The
13 commission shall establish procedures for the timely
14 submission, review, and approval of the proposals and
15 agreements required by this section. These procedures must be
16 designed to allow the initiation of approved baccalaureate
17 degree programs at least 3 times each fiscal year.
18 (5) Once the Postsecondary Education Planning
19 Commission validates the need for the proposed baccalaureate
20 degree program and notifies the community college that its
21 proposal has been approved, the community college shall
22 finalize an agreement with the regionally accredited, public
23 or nonpublic, 4-year postsecondary institution selected to
24 provide the upper-level instructional services in the approved
25 baccalaureate degree program. The commission shall identify
26 the common aspects that each agreement must address,
27 including, but not limited to:
28 (a) A course delivery pattern based on the student
29 enrollment patterns and characteristics included in the
30 approved proposal.
31
6
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2001 SB 1636
27-1080-01
1 (b) An articulation provision that guarantees
2 acceptance of students who hold an associate in arts or
3 associate in science degree and satisfy any other
4 prerequisites for admission to the specific baccalaureate
5 degree program.
6 (c) The provision of library services and student
7 support services.
8 (d) An agreement that the participating 4-year
9 postsecondary institution will continue offering instructional
10 services at least until all qualified members of the initial
11 group of students have had an opportunity to complete the
12 degree program.
13 (e) The specific and measurable performance criteria
14 that the Postsecondary Education Planning Commission may use
15 to evaluate the outcomes and outputs of the baccalaureate
16 degree program within an identified timeframe.
17 (f) An agreement that in-state student tuition for the
18 degree program will not exceed the matriculation fee for the
19 State University System unless the proposal approved by the
20 Postsecondary Education Planning Commission allows the
21 participating institutions to charge differentiated tuition
22 and fees to encourage student attendance and participation.
23 Out-of-state students shall pay full costs. Notwithstanding
24 s. 240.605, students participating in a site-determined
25 baccalaureate degree program may not receive a Florida
26 Resident Access Grant.
27 (6) Each participating community college must submit
28 the agreement required by this section to the Postsecondary
29 Education Planning Commission for review and final approval
30 before initiating an approved site-determined baccalaureate
31 degree access program. Subject to the availability of
7
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2001 SB 1636
27-1080-01
1 legislative appropriations specifically provided for this
2 purpose, the Postsecondary Education Planning Commission must
3 recommend to the Commissioner of Education the total funds to
4 be released to each participating community college for the
5 initiation of the approved site-determined baccalaureate
6 degree access program. The community college shall distribute
7 funds to the participating 4-year postsecondary institution at
8 the rate specified in the approved agreement. The
9 Postsecondary Education Planning Commission shall not
10 recommend the release of funding for any program that is
11 terminated before or after the evaluation required by this
12 section. The total funds to be released for the initiation of
13 an approved program shall be based on the number of fundable
14 upper-level student credit hours for each term. Unless
15 otherwise provided in an appropriations act, the funding per
16 credit hour shall be an amount equal to the state funds,
17 excluding student fees, appropriated to the State University
18 System for each full-time equivalent student enrolled in
19 upper-level course work. Student credit hours funded under
20 this program may not be duplicated in any other calculation of
21 state funding for the 4-year institution.
22 (7) The Postsecondary Education Planning Commission
23 may require the participating community colleges and 4-year
24 postsecondary institutions to submit information necessary to
25 monitor the annual performance of the program. Within 90 days
26 after the 2nd and 4th year of the site-determined
27 baccalaureate degree access program, the commission shall
28 submit to the chairs of the education and fiscal committees of
29 the Legislature a progress report, including an evaluation of
30 the funding mechanism created by this section. The commission
31 shall review each site-determined baccalaureate degree access
8
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2001 SB 1636
27-1080-01
1 program funded under this section to ascertain whether the
2 performance measures specified in the agreement between the
3 participating community college and the 4-year institution
4 have been met. Each program must be reviewed 4 years after
5 initiation unless a shorter timeframe is specified in the
6 agreement. The performance measures must include the student
7 graduation rate, the employment rate of program graduates both
8 within and outside the community college service area, the
9 continuing need to offer the specific baccalaureate degree
10 program in the community college service area, and such other
11 information as the Postsecondary Education Planning Commission
12 may determine necessary for program and performance
13 evaluation. Based on its evaluation, the commission shall
14 either approve continuation of the program, require
15 modifications prior to program approval, or recommend that the
16 participating institutions terminate the program after all
17 qualified members of the initial group of students have an
18 opportunity to complete the degree program. The commission
19 must submit to the Commissioner of Education for inclusion in
20 the legislative budget a request for funding for approved
21 site-determined baccalaureate degree access programs.
22 (8) If no accredited 4-year institution is willing to
23 provide a baccalaureate degree program approved by the
24 Postsecondary Education Planning Commission under this
25 section, the community college board of trustees may ask the
26 commission to evaluate the college's request to offer the
27 degree program. If the commission is satisfied that the
28 community college should offer the degree program, it shall
29 recommend to the Legislature the enactment of statutory
30 authority for the community college to offer that specific
31 baccalaureate degree program.
9
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2001 SB 1636
27-1080-01
1 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
2 law.
3
4 *****************************************
5 SENATE SUMMARY
6 Provides a process for community colleges and branch
campuses of state universities to offer baccalaureate
7 degree programs.
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
10
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.