Proposed Committee Substitute by the Committee on Higher Education

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A bill to be entitled

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An act relating to postsecondary education; amending s.

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1000.21, F.S.; redesignating the names of certain

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community colleges as colleges; creating the Florida

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College System Task Force for the purpose of developing

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recommendations for the migration of community colleges to

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baccalaureate-degree-granting colleges; providing for

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membership and appointments; providing duties of the task

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force and reporting requirements; providing for the task

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force to be dissolved unless extended by general law;

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creating the State College Pilot Project; designating

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certain institutions to participate in the project;

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providing duties and reporting requirements for the

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institutions; providing an effective date.

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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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     Section 1.  Paragraphs (e) and (k) of subsection (3) of

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section 1000.21, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

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     1000.21  Systemwide definitions.--As used in the Florida K-

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20 Education Code:

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     (3)  "Community college," except as otherwise specifically

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provided, includes the following institutions and any branch

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campuses, centers, or other affiliates of the institution:

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     (e) Daytona Beach Community College.

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     (k) Indian River Community College.

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     Section 2. Florida College System Task Force.--

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     (1) The Florida College System Task Force is established

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within the Division of Community Colleges of the Department of

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Education for the purpose of developing findings and issuing

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recommendations regarding the migration of community colleges to

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baccalaureate-degree-granting colleges and the criteria for

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establishing and funding state colleges.

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     (2)(a) All members of the task force must be appointed on

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or before July 15, 2008, and the task force shall hold its first

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meeting on or before August 15, 2008.

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     (b) The task force shall be comprised of eight community

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college presidents appointed by the Commissioner of Education.

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The appointees shall reflect the diversity of program offerings

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and service areas of the 28 community colleges and include

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representatives of community colleges that are authorized to

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grant baccalaureate degrees, community colleges that are not

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authorized to grant baccalaureate degrees, community colleges

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that have urban service areas, community colleges the service

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areas of which have populations of 500,000 or more, and community

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colleges the service areas of which have populations of fewer

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than 500,000. The Commissioner of Education shall be the chair of

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the task force.

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     (3) The task force shall:

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     (a) Recommend a program-approval process for new

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baccalaureate degree programs that are designed to meet the

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employment needs of Florida, including approval as a

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baccalaureate-degree-granting community college and as a state

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college.

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     (b) Recommend a funding model that considers projected

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enrollment, adjustments for actual enrollment, program mix, and

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comparable support for similar programs across all institutions,

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including community colleges authorized by the State Board of

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Education to award baccalaureate degrees pursuant to s. 1007.33,

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Florida Statutes, and state colleges participating in the State

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College Pilot Project. The funding model must ensure that the

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programs and services offered by institutions in the Florida

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College System in providing associate and baccalaureate degrees

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are delivered in a cost-effective manner that demonstrates

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substantial savings to the student and to the state over the cost

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of providing the degree at a state university.

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     (c) Identify the areas, both geographic and academic, in

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which an increased number of graduates who have baccalaureate

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degrees are necessary in order to meet regional and statewide

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workforce needs.

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     (d) Monitor implementation of the State College Pilot

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Project.

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     (4) The task force shall exist within the Division of

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Community Colleges of the Department of Education and shall be

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staffed by existing employees of that office.

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     (5) Community colleges, state universities, the Commission

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for Independent Education, and the Agency for Workforce

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Innovation shall provide information and assistance to the task

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force.

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     (6) The task force shall submit a report and

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recommendations to the Governor, the State Board of Education,

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the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of

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Representatives by January 1, 2009. The report must include any

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specific recommendations of the task force for legislative action

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during the 2009 Regular Session of the Legislature.

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     (7) The task force shall be dissolved effective June 1,

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2009, unless extended by general law.

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     Section 3. State College Pilot Project.--

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     (1) The Legislature finds it is in the best interest of the

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state to provide the residents of the state affordable access to

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baccalaureate degree programs that are designed to meet regional

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and statewide employment needs.

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     (2) Beginning with the 2008-2009 fiscal year, the State

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College Pilot Project is created which shall be conducted as a

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pilot project by St. Petersburg College, Okaloosa-Walton College,

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and Indian River College in collaboration with the Florida

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College System Task Force. The purpose of the project is to

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recommend to the Legislature an approval process for the

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transition of baccalaureate-degree-granting community colleges to

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state colleges in order to meet the employment needs of Florida,

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criteria for the migration of institutions in the Florida College

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System to state colleges, and a funding model for the Florida

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College System.

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     (3) The institutions participating in the pilot project

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shall:

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     (a) Maintain, as the institution's primary mission,

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responsibility for responding to community needs for

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postsecondary academic education and career degree education as

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prescribed in s. 1004.65(6), Florida Statutes.

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     (b) Maintain an open-door admissions policy for associate-

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level degree programs and workforce education programs.

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     (c) Require, as a condition of admission to upper-division

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programs, successful completion of the college-level

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communication and mathematics skills examination established

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pursuant to s. 1008.29, Florida Statutes, unless the student has

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been awarded an associate degree from a community college or

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state university.

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     (d) Continue to provide outreach to underserved

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populations.

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     (e) Continue to provide remedial education.

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     (f) Comply with all provisions of the statewide

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articulation agreement which relate to 2-year and 4-year public

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degree-granting institutions as adopted by the State Board of

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Education pursuant to s. 1007.23, Florida Statutes.

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     (g) Be prohibited from awarding graduate credit or graduate

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degrees.

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     (h) Be prohibited from participating in intercollegiate

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athletics beyond the 2-year level.

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     (i) Deliver the programs and services in providing

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associate and baccalaureate degrees in a cost-effective manner

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that demonstrates substantial savings to the student and the

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state over the cost of providing the degree at a state

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university.

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     (4)(a) The institutions participating in the pilot project

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shall collaborate with the Florida College System Task Force to

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make recommendations to the State Board of Education and the

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Legislature on specific issues that should be addressed in the

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transition of a community college to a state college. At a

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minimum, the following areas should be addressed during the

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course of the pilot project:

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     1. The development of a program-approval process to be

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followed by the State Board of Education when considering

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proposals for new baccalaureate degree programs that are designed

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to meet the employment needs of Florida. Proposals for new

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baccalaureate degree programs are not limited to proposals

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designed to meet regional workforce needs.

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     2. The formulation of criteria for the migration of an

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institution from a community college to a state college.

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     3. The development of a funding model for state colleges.

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     (b) A final report, including a status report on the

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transition of the institutions participating in the pilot project

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and recommendations on the issues outlined in paragraph (a),

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shall be submitted to the President of the Senate and the Speaker

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of the House of Representatives by February 1, 2009.

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     Section 4.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2008.