CS/HB 7147

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to postsecondary education enhancements;
3requiring the Office of Program Policy Analysis and
4Government Accountability to conduct a study of certain
5enrollment forecasting models; requiring a final report;
6requiring the Department of Education to conduct a review
7of certain courses in the statewide course numbering
8system and update the system as appropriate; requiring a
9report; requiring nonpublic postsecondary institutions
10that participate in statewide course numbering to provide
11certain information in their catalogs; requiring the
12department's website to include certain information;
13requiring the department to review certain examinations
14and recommend articulated acceleration mechanisms;
15amending s. 1007.33, F.S.; identifying the areas in which
16community colleges may propose to deliver baccalaureate
17degree programs; removing requirement that proposal be
18submitted to the Council for Education Policy Research and
19Improvement for review; amending s. 1009.25, F.S.;
20revising provisions relating to the number of and
21qualifications for community college fee exemptions;
22amending s. 1011.83, F.S.; providing a residency
23requirement for funding baccalaureate degree programs at
24community colleges; providing requirements for funding
25nonrecurring and recurring costs associated with such
26programs; limiting per-student funding to a specified
27percentage of costs associated with state university
28baccalaureate degree programs; providing certain reporting
29and funding requirements; amending s. 1009.23, F.S.;
30providing guidelines and restrictions for setting tuition
31and out-of-state fees for community college upper-division
32courses; providing an effective date.
33
34Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
35
36     Section 1.  The Office of Program Policy Analysis and
37Government Accountability (OPPAGA) shall conduct a study of the
38higher education enrollment forecasting models currently used in
39the state. The study must analyze the current models and provide
40options for improvements. The review shall specifically examine
41ways to include Florida's changing demographics in the
42forecasts. During the course of the study OPPAGA shall consult
43with staff from the Office of Economic and Demographic Research.
44A final report with recommendations shall be submitted to the
45President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
46Representatives by February 1, 2008.
47     Section 2.  (1)  The Department of Education shall conduct
48a comprehensive review of the courses that are listed in the
49statewide course numbering system to:
50     (a)  Identify courses that are listed in the system that
51have not been taught at an institution for the preceding 5
52years;
53     (b)  Identify courses of nonpublic postsecondary
54institutions that may be inappropriately designated as
55equivalent for purposes of transfer of credit; and
56     (c)  Update the statewide course numbering system as
57appropriate based on these findings.
58     (2)  The Department of Education shall submit a report of
59its findings and actions to the President of the Senate and the
60Speaker of the House of Representatives by February 1, 2008.
61     (3)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law or rule to
62the contrary, any nonpublic postsecondary institution, as a
63condition of initial or continued participation in the statewide
64course numbering system, shall identify in all of its catalogs,
65printed or electronic, the specific courses offered by the
66institution that are included in the statewide course numbering
67system.
68     (4)  No later than July 1, 2008, the Department of
69Education shall develop and maintain in the department's website
70a listing of all courses in the statewide course numbering
71system and the institutions that offer each course. The listing
72shall be available to the public. Each institution that
73participates in the statewide course numbering system shall
74include in all of its catalogs, printed or electronic, a
75statement advising the reader of the website address and its use
76as a resource for information on the transferability of credits
77to other Florida institutions.
78     Section 3.  No later than March 1, 2008, the Department of
79Education shall review the Excelsior College Examinations (ECE)
80and Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support
81(DANTES) standardized subject area tests (DSST) and recommend to
82the State Board of Education, the Board of Governors, the
83President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
84Representatives any examination that should be identified as an
85articulated acceleration mechanism under s. 1007.27, Florida
86Statutes. The department shall also identify the minimum scores,
87maximum credit, and course or courses for which credit is to be
88awarded for each examination recommended by the department.
89     Section 4.  Subsection (3) of section 1007.33, Florida
90Statutes, is amended to read:
91     1007.33  Site-determined baccalaureate degree access.--
92     (3)  A community college may develop a proposal to deliver
93specified baccalaureate degree programs in the areas of teaching
94and nursing and in the areas of math and science for the purpose
95of preparing graduates to enter a teaching position and to
96deliver bachelor of applied science workforce-related degrees in
97high need/high demand majors its district to meet local
98workforce needs. The bachelor of applied science degree is a
99workforce baccalaureate degree designed primarily for associate
100in science degree holders desiring career advancement or
101advanced technical training. The proposal must be submitted to
102the State Board of Education for approval. The community
103college's proposal must include the following information:
104     (a)  Demand for the baccalaureate degree program is
105identified by the workforce development board, local businesses
106and industry, local chambers of commerce, and potential
107students.
108     (b)  Unmet need for graduates of the proposed degree
109program is substantiated.
110     (c)  The community college has the facilities and academic
111resources to deliver the program.
112
113The proposal must be submitted to the Council for Education
114Policy Research and Improvement for review and comment. Upon
115approval of the State Board of Education for the specific degree
116program or programs, the community college shall pursue regional
117accreditation by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern
118Association of Colleges and Schools. Any additional
119baccalaureate degree programs the community college wishes to
120offer must be approved by the State Board of Education.
121     Section 5.  Subsection (3) of section 1009.25, Florida
122Statutes, is amended to read:
123     1009.25  Fee exemptions.--
124     (3)  At the discretion of the community college board of
125trustees, each community college is authorized to grant student
126fee exemptions from all fees adopted by the State Board of
127Education and the community college board of trustees for up to
1281 percent of the community college's prior year full-time
129equivalent students or 40 full-time equivalent students,
130whichever is greater, to students who have graduated from a
131Florida public high school and who attended a Florida public
132high school for 3 years at each institution.
133     Section 6.  Section 1011.83, Florida Statutes, is amended
134to read:
135     1011.83  Financial support of community colleges.--
136     (1)  Each community college that has been approved by the
137Department of Education and meets the requirements of law and
138rules of the State Board of Education shall participate in the
139Community College Program Fund. However, funds to support
140workforce education programs conducted by community colleges
141shall be provided pursuant to s. 1011.80.
142     (2)  Funding for baccalaureate degree programs approved
143pursuant to s. 1007.33 shall be specified in the General
144Appropriations Act. A student in a baccalaureate degree program
145approved pursuant to s. 1007.33 who is not classified as a
146resident for tuition purposes pursuant to s. 1009.21 may not be
147included in calculations of full-time equivalent enrollments for
148state funding purposes.
149     (3)  Funds specifically appropriated by the Legislature for
150baccalaureate degree programs approved pursuant to s. 1007.33
151may be used only for such programs. A community college shall
152fund the nonrecurring costs related to the initiation of a new
153baccalaureate degree program under s. 1007.33 without new state
154appropriations unless special grant funds are appropriated in
155the General Appropriations Act. A new baccalaureate degree
156program may not accept students without a recurring legislative
157appropriation for this purpose.
158     (4)  State policy for funding baccalaureate degree programs
159approved pursuant to s. 1007.33 shall be to limit state support
160for recurring operating purposes to no more than 85 percent of
161the amount of state expenditures for direct instruction per
162credit hour in upper-level state university programs. A
163community college may temporarily exceed this limit due to
164normal enrollment fluctuations or unforeseeable circumstances or
165while phasing in new programs. This subsection does not
166authorize the Department of Education to withhold legislative
167appropriations to any community college.
168     (5)  A community college that grants baccalaureate degrees
169shall maintain reporting and funding distinctions between any
170baccalaureate degree program approved under s. 1007.33 and any
171other baccalaureate degree programs involving traditional
172concurrent-use partnerships.
173     Section 7.  Subsections (1) and (2) of section 1009.23,
174Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
175     1009.23  Community college student fees.--
176     (1)  Unless otherwise provided, the provisions of this
177section applies apply only to fees charged for college credit
178instruction leading to an associate in arts degree, an associate
179in applied science degree, or an associate in science degree, or
180a baccalaureate degree authorized by the State Board of
181Education pursuant to s. 1007.33 and for noncollege credit
182college-preparatory courses defined in s. 1004.02.
183     (2)(a)  All students shall be charged fees except students
184who are exempt from fees or students whose fees are waived.
185     (b)  Tuition and out-of-state fees for upper-division
186courses must reflect the fact that the community college has a
187less expensive cost structure than that of a state university.
188Therefore, the board of trustees shall establish tuition and
189out-of-state fees for upper-division courses in baccalaureate
190degree programs approved pursuant to s. 1007.33 consistent with
191law and proviso language in the General Appropriations Act.
192However, the board of trustees may not vary tuition and out-of-
193state fees as provided in subsection (4). Identical fees shall
194be required for all community college resident students within a
195college who take a specific course, regardless of the program in
196which they are enrolled.
197     Section 8.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.


CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.