HB 751

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to statewide articulation agreements;
3amending s. 1007.23, F.S.; requiring that a statewide
4articulation agreement govern the transfer of credit
5between public institutions and nonpublic institutions
6that are issued an annual license by the Commission for
7Independent Education; amending s. 1007.235, F.S.;
8authorizing school districts to enter into
9interinstitutional articulation agreements with
10independent postsecondary institutions; amending s.
111007.24, F.S.; requiring that at least one representative
12from school districts, public postsecondary institutions,
13and participating nonpublic postsecondary institutions
14participate on each discipline committee that is
15established to review courses; requiring that faculty
16committees identify 25 courses that are most commonly
17requested for a transfer of credit; requiring that the
18committees develop frameworks and establish outcomes for
19each identified course; guaranteeing the transfer of
20course credit among participating institutions if the
21course meets certain requirements; requiring that the
22State Board of Education adopt rules establishing
23penalties for noncompliance with the policies and
24procedures relating to the transfer of credit; requiring
25that the rules establish a mechanism for students and
26institutions to report suspected violations, establish a
27minimum fine to be paid by a noncompliant institution, and
28require that the funds generated by the fine be equally
29divided between the affected student's financial aid
30account and the Department of Education; providing an
31effective date.
32
33Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
34
35     Section 1.  Subsection (1) of section 1007.23, Florida
36Statutes, is amended to read:
37     1007.23  Statewide articulation agreement.--
38     (1)  The State Board of Education and the Board of
39Governors shall enter into a statewide articulation agreement,
40which the State Board of Education shall adopt by rule. The
41agreement must preserve Florida's "2+2" system of articulation,
42facilitate the seamless articulation of student credit across
43and among Florida's public and independent educational entities,
44and reinforce the provisions of this chapter by governing:
45     (a)  Articulation between secondary and postsecondary
46education;
47     (b)  Admission of associate in arts degree graduates from
48community colleges and state universities;
49     (c)  Admission of applied technology diploma program
50graduates from community colleges or career centers;
51     (d)  Admission of associate in science degree and associate
52in applied science degree graduates from community colleges;
53     (e)  Transfer of credit between public institutions and
54nonpublic institutions that are issued an annual license by the
55Commission for Independent Education;
56     (f)(e)  The use of acceleration mechanisms, including
57nationally standardized examinations through which students may
58earn credit;
59     (g)(f)  General education requirements and statewide course
60numbers as provided for in ss. 1007.24 and 1007.25; and
61     (h)(g)  Articulation among programs in nursing.
62     Section 2.  Subsection (8) is added to section 1007.235,
63Florida Statutes, to read:
64     1007.235  District interinstitutional articulation
65agreements.--
66     (8)  School districts may enter into interinstitutional
67articulation agreements with independent postsecondary
68institutions that are licensed by the Commission for Independent
69Education.
70     Section 3.  Subsections (2), (6), and (7) of section
711007.24, Florida Statutes, are amended, and subsection (9) is
72added to that section, to read:
73     1007.24  Statewide course numbering system.--
74     (2)  The Commissioner of Education, in conjunction with the
75Chancellor of the State University System, shall appoint faculty
76committees representing faculties of participating institutions
77to recommend a single level for each course, including
78postsecondary career education courses, included in the
79statewide course numbering system. At least one representative
80from school districts, public postsecondary institutions, and
81participating nonpublic postsecondary institutions shall
82participate on each discipline committee established to review
83courses.
84     (a)  Any course designated as an upper-division-level
85course must be characterized by a need for advanced academic
86preparation and skills that a student would be unlikely to
87achieve without significant prior coursework.
88     (b)  A course that is offered as part of an associate in
89science degree program and as an upper-division course for a
90baccalaureate degree shall be designated for both the lower and
91upper division.
92     (c)  A course designated as lower-division may be offered
93by any community college.
94     (d)  By July 1, 2010, faculty committees shall identify the
9525 courses that are most commonly requested for a transfer of
96credit. The committees shall develop frameworks and establish
97outcomes for each course. If a course is taught using the
98standardized frameworks and meets the established outcomes, the
99course shall be guaranteed a transfer of credit among
100participating institutions.
101     (6)  Nonpublic colleges and schools that are fully
102accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency
103recognized by the United States Department of Education and are
104either eligible to participate in the William L. Boyd, IV,
105Florida Resident Access Grant or have been licensed by the
106Commission for Independent Education issued a regular license
107pursuant to s. 1005.31, may participate in the statewide course
108numbering system pursuant to this section. Participating
109colleges and schools shall bear the costs associated with
110inclusion in the system and shall meet the terms and conditions
111for institutional participation in the system. The department
112shall adopt a fee schedule that includes the expenses incurred
113through data processing, faculty task force travel and per diem,
114and staff and clerical support time. The Such fee schedule may
115differentiate between the costs associated with initial course
116inclusion in the system and costs associated with subsequent
117course maintenance in the system. Decisions regarding initial
118course inclusion and subsequent course maintenance must be made
119within 360 days after the submission of the required materials
120and fees by the institution. The Department of Education may
121select a date by which colleges must submit requests for new
122courses to be included, and may delay review of courses
123submitted after that date until the next year's cycle. Any
124college that currently participates in the system, and that
125participated in the system before prior to July 1, 1986, is
126shall not be required to pay the costs associated with initial
127course inclusion in the system. Fees collected for participation
128in the statewide course numbering system pursuant to the
129provisions of this section shall be deposited in the
130Institutional Assessment Trust Fund. Any nonpublic, nonprofit
131college or university that is eligible to participate in the
132statewide course numbering system is shall not be required to
133pay the costs associated with participation in the system. A No
134college or school may not shall record student transcripts or
135document courses offered by the college or school in accordance
136with this subsection unless the college or school is actually
137participating in the system pursuant to the rules of the State
138Board of Education. Any college or school that violates deemed
139to be in violation of this section is shall be subject to the
140provisions in of s. 1005.38.
141     (7)  Any student who transfers among postsecondary
142institutions that are fully accredited by a regional or national
143accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of
144Education and that participate in the statewide course numbering
145system shall be awarded credit by the receiving institution for
146courses satisfactorily completed by the student at the previous
147institutions. Credit shall be awarded if the courses are judged
148by the appropriate statewide course numbering system faculty
149committees representing school districts, public postsecondary
150educational institutions, and participating nonpublic
151postsecondary educational institutions to be academically
152equivalent to courses offered at the receiving institution,
153including equivalency of faculty credentials, regardless of the
154accrediting body and public or nonpublic control of the previous
155institution. The Department of Education shall ensure that
156credits to be accepted by a receiving institution are generated
157in courses for which the faculty possess credentials that are
158comparable to those required by the accrediting association of
159the receiving institution. The award of credit may be limited to
160courses that are entered in the statewide course numbering
161system. Credits awarded under pursuant to this subsection shall
162satisfy institutional requirements on the same basis as credits
163awarded to native students.
164     (9)  The State Board of Education shall adopt rules that
165provide penalties for participating institutions that do not
166comply with the transfer of credit policies and procedures in
167this section. The rules must:
168     (a)  Establish a mechanism for students and institutions to
169report suspected violations;
170     (b)  Establish a minimum fine that a noncompliant
171institution must pay; and
172     (c)  Require that the funds generated by the fine be
173equally divided between the affected student's financial aid
174account and the department for the purpose of implementing the
175statewide course numbering system.
176     Section 4.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2009.


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