Senate Bill sb2444
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Florida Senate - 2007 SB 2444
By Senator Wise
5-1554-07
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to education; amending s.
3 1007.24, F.S.; providing for assistance in
4 program planning from the Department of
5 Education for all nonpublic postsecondary
6 institutions; requiring public and nonpublic
7 postsecondary educational institutions that are
8 accredited and participate in financial
9 assistance programs to participate in the
10 statewide course numbering system; revising the
11 period within which the department must make
12 certain decisions regarding course inclusion
13 and maintenance; removing a provision exempting
14 certain nonprofit institutions from paying the
15 costs associated with participating in the
16 statewide course numbering system; deleting a
17 penalty imposed for certain violations;
18 requiring faculty credentials to meet the
19 requirements of the Department of Education;
20 providing that credits may not be denied based
21 on the accrediting agency of the previous
22 institution under certain circumstances;
23 authorizing the Department of Education to
24 impose an administrative fine; requiring that
25 fines be deposited into the Institutional
26 Assessment Trust Fund; amending s. 1007.32,
27 F.S.; prohibiting institutions participating in
28 financial assistance programs from denying
29 transfer credits or degrees from other
30 institutions under certain circumstances;
31 requiring institutions to publicly disclose
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Florida Senate - 2007 SB 2444
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1 their policies regarding credit transfers and
2 degree recognition; providing an effective
3 date.
4
5 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
6
7 Section 1. Subsections (1), (5), (6), and (7) of
8 section 1007.24, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
9 1007.24 Statewide course numbering system.--
10 (1) The Department of Education shall develop,
11 coordinate, and maintain a statewide course numbering system
12 for postsecondary and dual enrollment education in school
13 districts, public postsecondary educational institutions, and
14 participating nonpublic postsecondary educational institutions
15 that will improve program planning, increase communication
16 among all delivery systems, and facilitate student
17 acceleration and the transfer of students and credits between
18 public school districts, public postsecondary educational
19 institutions, and participating nonpublic educational
20 institutions. The continuing maintenance of the system shall
21 be accomplished with the assistance of appropriate faculty
22 committees representing public and participating nonpublic
23 educational institutions.
24 (5) The registration process at each public and
25 nonpublic postsecondary educational institution state
26 university and community college shall include the courses at
27 their designated levels and statewide course number.
28 (6) Postsecondary institutions Nonpublic colleges and
29 schools that are fully accredited by a regional or national
30 accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department
31 of Education and participate in financial assistance programs
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Florida Senate - 2007 SB 2444
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1 established in chapter 1009 shall and are either eligible to
2 participate in the William L. Boyd, IV, Florida Resident
3 Access Grant or have been issued a regular license pursuant to
4 s. 1005.31, may participate in the statewide course numbering
5 system pursuant to this section. Participating institutions
6 colleges and schools shall bear the costs associated with
7 inclusion in the system and shall meet the terms and
8 conditions for institutional participation in the system. The
9 department shall adopt a fee schedule that includes the
10 expenses incurred through data processing, faculty task force
11 travel and per diem, and staff and clerical support time. Such
12 fee schedule may differentiate between the costs associated
13 with initial course inclusion in the system and costs
14 associated with subsequent course maintenance in the system.
15 Decisions regarding initial course inclusion and subsequent
16 course maintenance must be made within 180 360 days after
17 submission of the required materials and fees by the
18 institution. The Department of Education may select a date by
19 which colleges must submit requests for new courses to be
20 included, and may delay review of courses submitted after that
21 date until the next year's cycle. Any institution college that
22 currently participates in the system, and that participated in
23 the system prior to July 1, 1986, shall not be required to pay
24 the costs associated with initial course inclusion in the
25 system. Fees collected for participation in the statewide
26 course numbering system pursuant to the provisions of this
27 section shall be deposited in the Institutional Assessment
28 Trust Fund. Any nonpublic, nonprofit college or university
29 that is eligible to participate in the statewide course
30 numbering system shall not be required to pay the costs
31 associated with participation in the system. An institution
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Florida Senate - 2007 SB 2444
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1 may not No college or school shall record student transcripts
2 or document courses offered by the institution college or
3 school in accordance with this subsection unless the
4 institution college or school is actually participating in the
5 system pursuant to rules of the State Board of Education. Any
6 college or school deemed to be in violation of this section
7 shall be subject to the provisions of s. 1005.38.
8 (7) Any student who transfers among postsecondary
9 institutions that are fully accredited by a regional or
10 national accrediting agency recognized by the United States
11 Department of Education and that participate in the statewide
12 course numbering system shall be awarded credit by the
13 receiving institution for courses satisfactorily completed by
14 the student at the previous institutions. Credit shall be
15 awarded if the courses are judged by the appropriate statewide
16 course numbering system faculty committees representing school
17 districts, public postsecondary educational institutions, and
18 participating nonpublic postsecondary educational institutions
19 to be academically equivalent to courses offered at the
20 receiving institution, including equivalency of faculty
21 credentials, regardless of the public or nonpublic control of
22 the previous institution. The Department of Education shall
23 ensure that credits to be accepted by a receiving institution
24 are generated in courses for which the faculty possess
25 credentials that are appropriate to the subject matter of the
26 courses taught. A determination by the sending institution's
27 recognized accrediting agency as to the adequacy of faculty
28 credentials meets this requirement and shall be accepted by
29 the Department of Education. comparable to those required by
30 the accrediting association of the receiving institution The
31 award of credit may be limited to courses that are entered in
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1 the statewide course numbering system. Credits awarded
2 pursuant to this subsection shall satisfy institutional
3 requirements on the same basis as credits awarded to native
4 students. Credits may not be denied based on the agency or
5 association that accredited the institution at which students
6 previously completed courses if the agency or association is
7 recognized by the United States Department of Education. The
8 Department of Education shall impose an administrative fine of
9 $5,000 for each violation of this section and make public the
10 imposition of each such fine. The fine shall be deposited into
11 the Institutional Assessment Trust Fund.
12 Section 2. Section 1007.32, Florida Statutes, is
13 amended to read:
14 1007.32 Transfer students.--
15 (1) Each university shall provide registration
16 opportunities for transfer students that allow such students
17 access to high demand courses comparable to that provided
18 native students.
19 (2) Each university that provides an orientation
20 program for freshman enrollees shall also provide orientation
21 programs for transfer students.
22 (3) Institutions participating in financial assistance
23 programs established in chapter 1009 may not deny credits for
24 courses satisfactorily completed which students seek to
25 transfer, and an institution may not deny recognition of
26 degrees completed and awarded from other institutions
27 participating in such financial assistance programs on the
28 basis of the agency or association that accredited the
29 institution at which the student earned such credits if the
30 agency or association is recognized by the United States
31 Department of Education or on the basis of the public or
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1 nonpublic control of the institution. Institutions shall
2 publicly disclose their policies and procedures on credit
3 transfers and degree recognition, which disclosure must
4 include a statement as to the institution's participation in
5 the course numbering system established in this chapter and a
6 statement that credits will not be denied on the basis of the
7 accreditation of the institution at which students previously
8 completed courses and degrees as required in this subsection
9 or on the basis of the public or nonpublic control of the
10 institution.
11 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.
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14 SENATE SUMMARY
15 Requires postsecondary institutions that are accredited
and participate in financial assistance programs to
16 participate in the statewide course numbering system.
Requires the Department of Education to make course
17 decisions within 180 days after submission. Removes a
provision exempting participating institutions from
18 paying certain costs. Requires faculty credentials to
meet requirements of the Department of Education.
19 Provides that credits may not be denied based on the
accrediting agency of the previous institution.
20 Authorizes the Department of Education to impose an
administrative fine for violations. Provides fines shall
21 be deposited into a specified trust fund. Prohibits
institutions participating in financial assistance
22 programs from denying transfer credits or degrees from
other institutions. Requires institutions to publicly
23 disclose their policies on credit transfers and degree
recognition.
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