Florida Senate - 2009 SB 920
By Senator Baker
20-00628B-09 2009920__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to statewide articulation agreements;
3 amending s. 1007.23, F.S.; requiring that a statewide
4 articulation agreement govern the transfer of credit
5 between public institutions and nonpublic institutions
6 that are issued an annual license by the Commission
7 for Independent Education; amending s. 1007.235, F.S.;
8 authorizing school districts to enter into
9 interinstitutional articulation agreements with
10 independent postsecondary institutions; amending s.
11 1007.24, F.S.; requiring that at least one
12 representative from school districts, public
13 postsecondary institutions, and participating
14 nonpublic postsecondary institutions participate on
15 each discipline committee that is established to
16 review courses; requiring that faculty committees
17 identify 25 courses that are most commonly requested
18 for a transfer of credit; requiring that the
19 committees develop frameworks and establish outcomes
20 for each identified course; guaranteeing the transfer
21 of course credit among participating institutions if
22 the course meets certain requirements; requiring that
23 the State Board of Education adopt rules establishing
24 penalties for noncompliance with the policies and
25 procedures relating to the transfer of credit;
26 requiring that the rules establish a mechanism for
27 students and institutions to report suspected
28 violations, establish a minimum fine to be paid by a
29 noncompliant institution, and require that the funds
30 generated by the fine be equally divided between the
31 affected student's financial aid account and the
32 Department of Education; providing an effective date.
33
34 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
35
36 Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 1007.23, Florida
37 Statutes, is amended to read:
38 1007.23 Statewide articulation agreement.—
39 (1) The State Board of Education and the Board of Governors
40 shall enter into a statewide articulation agreement, which the
41 State Board of Education shall adopt by rule. The agreement must
42 preserve Florida's “2+2” system of articulation, facilitate the
43 seamless articulation of student credit across and among
44 Florida's public and independent educational entities, and
45 reinforce the provisions of this chapter by governing:
46 (a) Articulation between secondary and postsecondary
47 education;
48 (b) Admission of associate in arts degree graduates from
49 community colleges and state universities;
50 (c) Admission of applied technology diploma program
51 graduates from community colleges or career centers;
52 (d) Admission of associate in science degree and associate
53 in applied science degree graduates from community colleges;
54 (e) Transfer of credit between public institutions and
55 nonpublic institutions that are issued an annual license by the
56 Commission for Independent Education;
57 (f)(e) The use of acceleration mechanisms, including
58 nationally standardized examinations through which students may
59 earn credit;
60 (g)(f) General education requirements and statewide course
61 numbers as provided for in ss. 1007.24 and 1007.25; and
62 (h)(g) Articulation among programs in nursing.
63 Section 2. Subsection (8) is added to section 1007.235,
64 Florida Statutes, to read:
65 1007.235 District interinstitutional articulation
66 agreements.—
67 (8) School districts may enter into interinstitutional
68 articulation agreements with independent postsecondary
69 institutions that are licensed by the Commission for Independent
70 Education.
71 Section 3. Subsections (2), (6), and (7) of section
72 1007.24, Florida Statutes, are amended, and subsection (9) is
73 added to that section, to read:
74 1007.24 Statewide course numbering system.—
75 (2) The Commissioner of Education, in conjunction with the
76 Chancellor of the State University System, shall appoint faculty
77 committees representing faculties of participating institutions
78 to recommend a single level for each course, including
79 postsecondary career education courses, included in the
80 statewide course numbering system. At least one representative
81 from school districts, public postsecondary institutions, and
82 participating nonpublic postsecondary institutions shall
83 participate on each discipline committee established to review
84 courses.
85 (a) Any course designated as an upper-division-level course
86 must be characterized by a need for advanced academic
87 preparation and skills that a student would be unlikely to
88 achieve without significant prior coursework.
89 (b) A course that is offered as part of an associate in
90 science degree program and as an upper-division course for a
91 baccalaureate degree shall be designated for both the lower and
92 upper division.
93 (c) A course designated as lower-division may be offered by
94 any community college.
95 (d) By July 1, 2010, faculty committees shall identify the
96 25 courses that are most commonly requested for a transfer of
97 credit. The committees shall develop frameworks and establish
98 outcomes for each course. If a course is taught using the
99 standardized frameworks and meets the established outcomes, the
100 course shall be guaranteed a transfer of credit among
101 participating institutions.
102 (6) Nonpublic colleges and schools that are fully
103 accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency
104 recognized by the United States Department of Education and are
105 either eligible to participate in the William L. Boyd, IV,
106 Florida Resident Access Grant or have been licensed by the
107 Commission for Independent Education issued a regular license
108 pursuant to s. 1005.31, may participate in the statewide course
109 numbering system pursuant to this section. Participating
110 colleges and schools shall bear the costs associated with
111 inclusion in the system and shall meet the terms and conditions
112 for institutional participation in the system. The department
113 shall adopt a fee schedule that includes the expenses incurred
114 through data processing, faculty task force travel and per diem,
115 and staff and clerical support time. The Such fee schedule may
116 differentiate between the costs associated with initial course
117 inclusion in the system and costs associated with subsequent
118 course maintenance in the system. Decisions regarding initial
119 course inclusion and subsequent course maintenance must be made
120 within 360 days after the submission of the required materials
121 and fees by the institution. The Department of Education may
122 select a date by which colleges must submit requests for new
123 courses to be included, and may delay review of courses
124 submitted after that date until the next year's cycle. Any
125 college that currently participates in the system, and that
126 participated in the system before prior to July 1, 1986, is
127 shall not be required to pay the costs associated with initial
128 course inclusion in the system. Fees collected for participation
129 in the statewide course numbering system pursuant to the
130 provisions of this section shall be deposited in the
131 Institutional Assessment Trust Fund. Any nonpublic, nonprofit
132 college or university that is eligible to participate in the
133 statewide course numbering system is shall not be required to
134 pay the costs associated with participation in the system. A No
135 college or school may not shall record student transcripts or
136 document courses offered by the college or school in accordance
137 with this subsection unless the college or school is actually
138 participating in the system pursuant to the rules of the State
139 Board of Education. Any college or school that violates deemed
140 to be in violation of this section is shall be subject to the
141 provisions in of s. 1005.38.
142 (7) Any student who transfers among postsecondary
143 institutions that are fully accredited by a regional or national
144 accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of
145 Education and that participate in the statewide course numbering
146 system shall be awarded credit by the receiving institution for
147 courses satisfactorily completed by the student at the previous
148 institutions. Credit shall be awarded if the courses are judged
149 by the appropriate statewide course numbering system faculty
150 committees representing school districts, public postsecondary
151 educational institutions, and participating nonpublic
152 postsecondary educational institutions to be academically
153 equivalent to courses offered at the receiving institution,
154 including equivalency of faculty credentials, regardless of the
155 accrediting body and public or nonpublic control of the previous
156 institution. The Department of Education shall ensure that
157 credits to be accepted by a receiving institution are generated
158 in courses for which the faculty possess credentials that are
159 comparable to those required by the accrediting association of
160 the receiving institution. The award of credit may be limited to
161 courses that are entered in the statewide course numbering
162 system. Credits awarded under pursuant to this subsection shall
163 satisfy institutional requirements on the same basis as credits
164 awarded to native students.
165 (9) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules that
166 provide penalties for participating institutions that do not
167 comply with the transfer of credit policies and procedures in
168 this section. The rules must:
169 (a) Establish a mechanism for students and institutions to
170 report suspected violations;
171 (b) Establish a minimum fine that a noncompliant
172 institution must pay; and
173 (c) Require that the funds generated by the fine be equally
174 divided between the affected student’s financial aid account and
175 the department for the purpose of implementing the statewide
176 course numbering system.
177 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2009.