Florida Senate - 2015 SB 1252
By Senator Stargel
15-00931A-15 20151252__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to higher education; amending s.
3 1001.03, F.S.; deleting a provision prohibiting the
4 State Board of Education from approving Florida
5 College System institution baccalaureate degree
6 program proposals during a certain timeframe; amending
7 s. 1004.015, F.S.; adding the Chancellor of Career and
8 Adult Education to the membership of the Higher
9 Education Coordinating Council; amending s. 1004.92,
10 F.S.; revising accountability measures for the
11 Department of Education regarding career education to
12 include program standards that reflect the quality
13 components of the career and technical education
14 programs; requiring the State Board of Education to
15 adopt rules; amending s. 1007.33, F.S.; deleting a
16 provision authorizing the Board of Trustees of St.
17 Petersburg College to establish additional
18 baccalaureate degree programs under certain
19 circumstances; providing an effective date.
20
21 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
22
23 Section 1. Subsection (15) of section 1001.03, Florida
24 Statutes, is amended to read:
25 1001.03 Specific powers of State Board of Education.—
26 (15) FLORIDA COLLEGE SYSTEM INSTITUTION BACCALAUREATE
27 DEGREE PROGRAMS.—The State Board of Education shall provide for
28 the review and approval of proposals by Florida College System
29 institutions to offer baccalaureate degree programs pursuant to
30 s. 1007.33. A Florida College System institution, as defined in
31 s. 1000.21, that is approved to offer baccalaureate degrees
32 pursuant to s. 1007.33 remains under the authority of the State
33 Board of Education and the Florida College System institution’s
34 board of trustees. The State Board of Education may not approve
35 Florida College System institution baccalaureate degree program
36 proposals from March 31, 2014, through May 31, 2015.
37 Section 2. Subsection (2) of section 1004.015, Florida
38 Statutes, is amended to read:
39 1004.015 Higher Education Coordinating Council.—
40 (2) Members of the council shall include:
41 (a) One member of the Board of Governors, appointed by the
42 chair of the Board of Governors.
43 (b) The Chancellor of the State University System.
44 (c) The Chancellor of the Florida College System.
45 (d) The Chancellor of Career and Adult Education.
46 (e)(d) One member of the State Board of Education,
47 appointed by the chair of the State Board of Education.
48 (f)(e) The Executive Director of the Florida Association of
49 Postsecondary Schools and Colleges.
50 (g)(f) The president of the Independent Colleges and
51 Universities of Florida.
52 (h)(g) The president of Workforce Florida, Inc., or his or
53 her designee.
54 (i)(h) The president of Enterprise Florida, Inc., or a
55 designated member of the Stakeholders Council appointed by the
56 president.
57 (j)(i) Three representatives of the business community, one
58 appointed by the President of the Senate, one appointed by the
59 Speaker of the House of Representatives, and one appointed by
60 the Governor, who are committed to developing and enhancing
61 world class workforce infrastructure necessary for Florida’s
62 citizens to compete and prosper in the ever-changing economy of
63 the 21st century.
64 Section 3. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section
65 1004.92, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
66 1004.92 Purpose and responsibilities for career education.—
67 (2)
68 (b) Department of Education accountability for career
69 education includes, but is not limited to:
70 1. The provision of timely, accurate technical assistance
71 to school districts and Florida College System institutions.
72 2. The provision of timely, accurate information to the
73 State Board of Education, the Legislature, and the public.
74 3. The development of policies, rules, and procedures that
75 facilitate institutional attainment of the accountability
76 standards and coordinate the efforts of all divisions within the
77 department.
78 4. The development of program standards and industry-driven
79 benchmarks for career, adult, and community education programs,
80 which must be updated every 3 years. The standards must include
81 career, academic, and workplace skills; viability of distance
82 learning for instruction; and work/learn cycles that are
83 responsive to business and industry; and provisions that reflect
84 the quality components of career and technical education
85 programs. The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to
86 administer this section.
87 5. Overseeing school district and Florida College System
88 institution compliance with the provisions of this chapter.
89 6. Ensuring that the educational outcomes for the technical
90 component of career programs are uniform and designed to provide
91 a graduate who is capable of entering the workforce on an
92 equally competitive basis regardless of the institution of
93 choice.
94 Section 4. Subsection (4) of section 1007.33, Florida
95 Statutes, is amended to read:
96 1007.33 Site-determined baccalaureate degree access.—
97 (4) A Florida College System institution may:
98 (a) Offer specified baccalaureate degree programs through
99 formal agreements between the Florida College System institution
100 and other regionally accredited postsecondary educational
101 institutions pursuant to s. 1007.22.
102 (b) Offer baccalaureate degree programs that were
103 authorized by law before prior to July 1, 2009.
104 (c) Beginning July 1, 2009, establish a first or subsequent
105 baccalaureate degree program for purposes of meeting district,
106 regional, or statewide workforce needs if approved by the State
107 Board of Education under this section.
108
109 Beginning July 1, 2009, the Board of Trustees of St. Petersburg
110 College is authorized to establish one or more bachelor of
111 applied science degree programs based on an analysis of
112 workforce needs in Pinellas, Pasco, and Hernando Counties and
113 other counties approved by the Department of Education. For each
114 program selected, St. Petersburg College must offer a related
115 associate in science or associate in applied science degree
116 program, and the baccalaureate degree level program must be
117 designed to articulate fully with at least one associate in
118 science degree program. The college is encouraged to develop
119 articulation agreements for enrollment of graduates of related
120 associate in applied science degree programs. The Board of
121 Trustees of St. Petersburg College is authorized to establish
122 additional baccalaureate degree programs if it determines a
123 program is warranted and feasible based on each of the factors
124 in paragraph (5)(d). However, the Board of Trustees of St.
125 Petersburg College may not establish any new baccalaureate
126 degree programs from March 31, 2014, through May 31, 2015. Prior
127 to developing or proposing a new baccalaureate degree program,
128 St. Petersburg College shall engage in need, demand, and impact
129 discussions with the state university in its service district
130 and other local and regional, accredited postsecondary providers
131 in its region. Documentation, data, and other information from
132 inter-institutional discussions regarding program need, demand,
133 and impact shall be provided to the college’s board of trustees
134 to inform the program approval process. Employment at St.
135 Petersburg College is governed by the same laws that govern
136 Florida College System institutions, except that upper-division
137 faculty are eligible for continuing contracts upon the
138 completion of the fifth year of teaching. Employee records for
139 all personnel shall be maintained as required by s. 1012.81.
140 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.