Florida Senate - 2011                                   SJR 1706
       
       
       
       By Senator Montford
       
       
       
       
       6-01342A-11                                           20111706__
    1                       Senate Joint Resolution                     
    2         A joint resolution proposing an amendment to Section 7
    3         of Article IX of the State Constitution to require the
    4         Governor to appoint a state university student body
    5         president to the Board of Governors of the State
    6         University System.
    7  
    8  Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
    9  
   10         That the following amendment to Section 7 of Article IX of
   11  the State Constitution is agreed to and shall be submitted to
   12  the electors of this state for approval or rejection at the next
   13  general election or at an earlier special election specifically
   14  authorized by law for that purpose:
   15                             ARTICLE IX                            
   16         SECTION 7. State University System.—
   17         (a) PURPOSES. In order to achieve excellence through
   18  teaching students, advancing research and providing public
   19  service for the benefit of Florida’s citizens, their communities
   20  and economies, the people hereby establish a system of
   21  governance for the state university system of Florida.
   22         (b) STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM. There shall be a single state
   23  university system comprised of all public universities. A board
   24  of trustees shall administer each public university and a board
   25  of governors shall govern the state university system.
   26         (c) LOCAL BOARDS OF TRUSTEES. Each local constituent
   27  university shall be administered by a board of trustees
   28  consisting of thirteen members dedicated to the purposes of the
   29  state university system. The board of governors shall establish
   30  the powers and duties of the boards of trustees. Each board of
   31  trustees shall consist of six citizen members appointed by the
   32  governor and five citizen members appointed by the board of
   33  governors. The appointed members shall be confirmed by the
   34  senate and serve staggered terms of five years as provided by
   35  law. The chair of the faculty senate, or the equivalent, and the
   36  president of the student body of the university shall also be
   37  members.
   38         (d) STATEWIDE BOARD OF GOVERNORS. The board of governors
   39  shall be a body corporate consisting of seventeen members. The
   40  board shall operate, regulate, control, and be fully responsible
   41  for the management of the whole university system. These
   42  responsibilities shall include, but not be limited to, defining
   43  the distinctive mission of each constituent university and its
   44  articulation with free public schools and community colleges,
   45  ensuring the well-planned coordination and operation of the
   46  system, and avoiding wasteful duplication of facilities or
   47  programs. The board’s management shall be subject to the powers
   48  of the legislature to appropriate for the expenditure of funds,
   49  and the board shall account for such expenditures as provided by
   50  law. The governor shall appoint to the board fourteen citizens,
   51  one of whom shall be a state university student body president,
   52  dedicated to the purposes of the state university system. The
   53  appointed members shall be confirmed by the senate and serve
   54  staggered terms of seven years as provided by law. The
   55  commissioner of education and, the chair of the advisory council
   56  of faculty senates, or the equivalent, and the president of the
   57  Florida student association, or the equivalent, shall also be
   58  members of the board.
   59         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be
   60  placed on the ballot:
   61                      CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT                     
   62                        ARTICLE IX, SECTION 7                      
   63         APPOINTMENT OF STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT TO BOARD OF GOVERNORS
   64  OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM.—Proposing an amendment to the
   65  State Constitution to require that the Governor appoint the
   66  student body president of a state university to the Board of
   67  Governors. Specifically, the amendment requires that one of the
   68  fourteen citizen members appointed by the Governor be a state
   69  university student body president who is subject to confirmation
   70  by the Senate.