HB 7071

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to postsecondary education; amending s.
31000.21, F.S.; redesignating the names of certain
4community colleges as colleges; creating s. 1001.60, F.S.;
5establishing the Florida College System to be comprised of
6public postsecondary educational institutions meeting
7certain criteria; providing system purposes; providing
8limitations; authorizing the name change of an institution
9under certain conditions; providing for local boards of
10trustees and membership thereof; amending s. 1004.35,
11F.S.; conforming provisions; creating s. 1004.87, F.S.;
12establishing the Florida College System Task Force for the
13purpose of developing recommendations for the transition
14of community colleges to baccalaureate-degree-granting
15colleges and for establishing and funding state colleges;
16providing for membership and appointments; providing
17duties of the task force; requiring reporting; providing
18for dissolution of the task force; creating s. 1004.875,
19F.S.; creating the State College Pilot Project for the
20purpose of developing recommendations for the transition
21of community colleges to state colleges and for developing
22a funding model for the Florida College System;
23designating certain institutions to participate in the
24pilot project; providing duties of the institutions;
25requiring reporting; providing an effective date.
26
27Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
28
29     Section 1.  Paragraphs (b), (e), and (k) of subsection (3)
30of section 1000.21, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
31     1000.21  Systemwide definitions.--As used in the Florida K-
3220 Education Code:
33     (3)  "Community college," except as otherwise specifically
34provided, includes the following institutions and any branch
35campuses, centers, or other affiliates of the institution:
36     (b)  Broward Community College.
37     (e)  Daytona Beach Community College.
38     (k)  Indian River Community College.
39     Section 2.  Section 1001.60, Florida Statutes, is created
40to read:
41     1001.60  Florida College System.--
42     (1)  PURPOSES.--In order to maximize open access for
43students, respond to community needs for postsecondary academic
44education and career degree education, and provide associate and
45baccalaureate degrees that will best meet the state's employment
46needs, the Legislature establishes a system of governance for
47the Florida College System.
48     (2)  FLORIDA COLLEGE SYSTEM.--There shall be a single
49Florida College System comprised of the public postsecondary
50educational institutions identified in s. 1000.21(3) that grant
512-year and 4-year academic degrees as provided by law. An
52institution within the Florida College System may not offer
53graduate degree programs.
54     (a)  The programs and services offered by institutions in
55the Florida College System in providing associate and
56baccalaureate degrees shall be delivered in a cost-effective
57manner that demonstrates substantial savings to the student and
58to the state over the cost of providing the degree at a state
59university.
60     (b)1.  With the approval of the institution's local board
61of trustees, an institution in the Florida College System may
62change the institution's name and use the designation "college"
63if it has been authorized to grant baccalaureate degrees
64pursuant to s. 1004.73 or s. 1007.33 or if it has received
65approval from the State Board of Education pursuant to this
66paragraph.
67     2.  With the approval of an institution's local board of
68trustees, any institution in the Florida College System may
69request approval from the State Board of Education to change the
70institution's name and use the designation "college." The State
71Board of Education may approve the request if the institution
72enters into an agreement with the State Board of Education to do
73the following:
74     a.  Maintain as the institution's primary mission
75responsibility for responding to community needs for
76postsecondary academic education and career degree education as
77prescribed in s. 1004.65(6).
78     b.  Maintain an open-door admissions policy for associate-
79level degree programs and workforce education programs.
80     c.  Continue to provide outreach to underserved
81populations.
82     d.  Continue to provide remedial education.
83     e.  Comply with all provisions of the statewide
84articulation agreement that relate to 2-year and 4-year public
85degree-granting institutions as adopted by the State Board of
86Education pursuant to s. 1007.23.
87     (3)  LOCAL BOARDS OF TRUSTEES.--Each institution within the
88Florida College System shall be governed by a local board of
89trustees as provided in s. 1001.64. The membership of each local
90board of trustees shall be as provided in s. 1001.61.
91     Section 3.  Section 1004.35, Florida Statutes, is amended
92to read:
93     1004.35  Broward County campuses of Florida Atlantic
94University; coordination with other institutions.--The State
95Board of Education, the Board of Governors, and Florida Atlantic
96University shall consult with Broward Community College and
97Florida International University in coordinating course
98offerings at the postsecondary level in Broward County. Florida
99Atlantic University may contract with the Board of Trustees of
100Broward Community College and with Florida International
101University to provide instruction in courses offered at the
102Southeast Campus. Florida Atlantic University shall increase
103course offerings at the Southeast Campus as facilities become
104available.
105     Section 4.  Section 1004.87, Florida Statutes, is created
106to read:
107     1004.87  Florida College System Task Force.--
108     (1)  The Florida College System Task Force is established
109within the Division of Community Colleges of the Department of
110Education for the purpose of developing findings and issuing
111recommendations regarding the transition of community colleges
112to baccalaureate-degree-granting colleges and the criteria for
113establishing and funding state colleges.
114     (2)(a)  All members of the task force must be appointed on
115or before August 31, 2008, and the task force shall hold its
116first meeting on or before September 15, 2008.
117     (b)  The task force shall be comprised of 11 members
118appointed by the Commissioner of Education. The appointees shall
119include eight community college presidents, one state university
120president, the president of an institution that is eligible to
121participate in the William L. Boyd, IV, Florida Resident Access
122Grant Program, and one member at large. The community college
123presidents appointed to the task force may not include the
124presidents of the institutions named to participate in the State
125College Pilot Project. The community college presidents
126appointed to the task force must reflect the diversity of
127program offerings and service areas of the 28 community colleges
128and include representatives of community colleges that are
129authorized to grant baccalaureate degrees, community colleges
130that are not authorized to grant baccalaureate degrees,
131community colleges that have urban service areas, community
132colleges that have rural service areas, community colleges the
133service areas of which have populations of 500,000 or more, and
134community colleges the service areas of which have populations
135of fewer than 500,000. The Commissioner of Education shall be a
136voting member of the task force and the chair of the task force.
137     (3)  The task force shall:
138     (a)  Recommend a program approval process for new
139baccalaureate degree programs that are designed to meet the
140employment needs of Florida, including approval as a
141baccalaureate-degree-granting community college and as a state
142college.
143     (b)  Recommend a funding model that considers projected
144enrollment, adjustments for actual enrollment, program mix, and
145comparable support for similar programs across all institutions,
146including state colleges and community colleges authorized by
147the State Board of Education to award baccalaureate degrees
148pursuant to s. 1007.33. The funding model must ensure that the
149programs and services offered by institutions in the Florida
150College System in providing associate and baccalaureate degrees
151are delivered in a cost-effective manner that demonstrates
152substantial savings to the student and to the state over the
153cost of providing the degree at a state university.
154     (c)  Identify the areas, both geographic and academic, in
155which an increased number of graduates who have baccalaureate
156degrees are necessary in order to meet regional and statewide
157workforce needs.
158     (d)  Monitor implementation of the State College Pilot
159Project.
160     (e)  Recommend priorities and criteria for baccalaureate
161programs that may be offered without specific approval by the
162State Board of Education.
163     (4)  Any recommendation from the task force to the
164Legislature requires approval by two-thirds of the membership of
165the task force.
166     (5)  The task force shall be staffed by existing employees
167of the Division of Community Colleges.
168     (6)(a)  Community colleges, state universities, the
169Commission for Independent Education, and the Agency for
170Workforce Innovation shall provide information and assistance to
171the task force.
172     (b)  Independent postsecondary educational institutions,
173representatives of the business community, and other
174stakeholders are encouraged to provide the task force with
175information to assist the task force in its deliberations.
176     (7)  The task force shall submit a report and
177recommendations to the Governor, the State Board of Education,
178the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
179Representatives by March 2, 2009. The report must include any
180comments from the task force regarding the final report
181resulting from the State College Pilot Project and any specific
182recommendations of the task force for legislative action during
183the 2009 Regular Session of the Legislature.
184     (8)  The task force shall be dissolved effective June 30,
1852010, prior to which time it shall issue its final report with
186recommended detailed criteria for implementing the Florida
187College System as a permanent part of the state system of higher
188education.
189     Section 5.  Section 1004.875, Florida Statutes, is created
190to read:
191     1004.875  State College Pilot Project.--
192     (1)  The Legislature finds it is in the best interest of
193the state to provide the residents of the state affordable
194access to baccalaureate degree programs that are designed to
195meet regional and statewide employment needs.
196     (2)(a)  Beginning with the 2008-2009 fiscal year, the State
197College Pilot Project is created, which shall be conducted by
198St. Petersburg College, Okaloosa-Walton College, and Indian
199River College in collaboration with the Florida College System
200Task Force. The purpose of the pilot project is to recommend to
201the Legislature an approval process for the transition of
202baccalaureate-degree-granting community colleges to state
203colleges in order to meet the employment needs of Florida,
204criteria for the transition of institutions in the Florida
205College System to state colleges, and a funding model for the
206Florida College System.
207     (b)  With the approval of the community college's board of
208trustees and continued compliance with the provisions of
209subsection (3), a community college identified in paragraph (a)
210as a participant in the State College Pilot Project may change
211the institution's name and use the designation "state college."
212     (3)  The institutions participating in the pilot project
213shall:
214     (a)  Maintain, as the institution's primary mission,
215responsibility for responding to community needs for
216postsecondary academic education and career degree education as
217prescribed in s. 1004.65(6).
218     (b)  Maintain an open-door admissions policy for associate-
219level degree programs and workforce education programs.
220     (c)  Require, as a condition of admission to upper-division
221programs, successful completion of the college-level
222communication and mathematics skills examination established
223pursuant to s. 1008.29 unless the student has been awarded an
224associate degree from a community college or state university.
225     (d)  Continue to provide outreach to underserved
226populations.
227     (e)  Continue to provide remedial education.
228     (f)  Comply with all provisions of the statewide
229articulation agreement that relate to 2-year and 4-year public
230degree-granting institutions as adopted by the State Board of
231Education pursuant to s. 1007.23.
232     (g)  Be prohibited from awarding graduate credit or
233graduate degrees.
234     (h)  Be prohibited from participating in intercollegiate
235athletics beyond the 2-year level.
236     (i)  Deliver the programs and services in providing
237associate and baccalaureate degrees in a cost-effective manner
238that demonstrates substantial savings to the student and to the
239state over the cost of providing the degree at a state
240university.
241     (4)(a)  The institutions participating in the pilot project
242shall collaborate with the Florida College System Task Force to
243make recommendations to the State Board of Education, the
244President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
245Representatives on specific issues that should be addressed in
246the transition of a community college to a state college. Any
247recommendations of the institutions participating in the pilot
248project require approval by two-thirds of the participating
249institutions. At a minimum, the following areas should be
250addressed during the course of the pilot project:
251     1.  The development of a program approval process to be
252followed by the State Board of Education when considering
253proposals for new baccalaureate degree programs that are
254designed to meet the employment needs of Florida. Proposals for
255new baccalaureate degree programs are not limited to proposals
256designed to meet regional workforce needs.
257     2.  The formulation of criteria for the transition of an
258institution from a community college to a state college.
259     3.  The development of a funding model for state colleges.
260     (b)  A final report, including a status report on the
261transition of the institutions participating in the pilot
262project and recommendations on the issues outlined in paragraph
263(a), shall be submitted to the State Board of Education, the
264President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
265Representatives, and the Florida College System Task Force by
266January 1, 2009.
267     Section 6.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2008.


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