Florida Senate - 2023 SB 750
By Senator Calatayud
38-00918-23 2023750__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to articulation agreements; amending
3 s. 1007.23, F.S.; requiring the Articulation
4 Coordinating Committee to convene a workgroup by a
5 specified date to develop specified articulation
6 agreements; providing requirements for the workgroups;
7 requiring state universities and Florida College
8 System institutions to adopt specified articulation
9 agreements by a specified date; amending s. 1007.24,
10 F.S.; requiring Florida College System institutions to
11 award transfer credit for certain courses; prohibiting
12 Florida College System institutions from requiring a
13 student to repeat certain coursework; revising the
14 application of transfer course credit; amending s.
15 1007.25, F.S.; providing requirements for an associate
16 in arts specialized transfer degree; requiring the
17 State Board of Education to establish criteria for the
18 review and approval of new specialized transfer
19 degrees; requiring the Division of Florida Colleges to
20 review proposals and, in the event of deficiencies, to
21 provide certain written notice to the Florida College
22 System institution; providing requirements for the
23 approval process; providing that, upon approval of a
24 new associate in arts specialized transfer degree,
25 Florida College System institutions may offer the
26 degree and shall report certain data; requiring the
27 State Board of Education to adopt rules; conforming a
28 provision to changes made by the act; providing an
29 effective date.
30
31 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
32
33 Section 1. Present subsections (8) and (9) of section
34 1007.23, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (9)
35 and (10), a new subsection (8) is added to that section, and
36 subsection (6) of that section is amended, to read:
37 1007.23 Statewide articulation agreement.—
38 (6) The articulation agreement must guarantee the statewide
39 articulation of appropriate courses within associate in science
40 degree programs to baccalaureate degree programs. Courses within
41 an associate in applied science degree program may articulate
42 into a baccalaureate degree program on an individual or block
43 basis as authorized in local interinstitutional articulation
44 agreements.
45 (a) By September 1, 2023, the Articulation Coordinating
46 Committee shall convene a workgroup composed of State University
47 System, Florida College System institution, and district career
48 center faculty to facilitate the seamless transfer of the
49 associate in science degree and reduce time to credential
50 completion. The workgroup shall develop a minimum of eight
51 statewide “2+2” associate in science programs to baccalaureate
52 degree articulation agreements in high-demand fields that
53 articulate the associate in science degree into a related
54 baccalaureate degree. These agreements must be developed for
55 programs that are widely offered at Florida College System
56 institutions and state universities and must guarantee the
57 transfer, acceptance, and credit application of the full
58 associate in science degree toward the baccalaureate degree
59 program requirements. The workgroup shall provide its proposed
60 articulation agreements to the Articulation Coordinating
61 Committee by August 1, 2024.
62 (b) In addition to awarding credit in accordance with the
63 statewide “2+2” associate in science programs to baccalaureate
64 degree articulation agreements developed pursuant to paragraph
65 (a), each state university shall, by the start of the 2023-2024
66 academic year, adopt a minimum of one local “2+2” associate in
67 science programs to baccalaureate degree articulation agreement
68 with one or more Florida College System institutions. The
69 agreements must guarantee the transfer, acceptance, and credit
70 application of the full associate in science degree program of
71 study toward the baccalaureate degree program requirements. By
72 March 1, 2024, each state university must submit the local “2+2”
73 associate in science programs to baccalaureate degree
74 articulation agreement to the Department of Education.
75 (8) To strengthen educator preparation programs in this
76 state and provide seamless pathways to continued educational
77 opportunities, by September 1, 2023, the Articulation
78 Coordinating Committee shall convene a workgroup responsible for
79 developing recommendations for seamless student transfer from
80 one educational level to the next in teacher preparation
81 programs for education paraprofessionals and individuals who
82 have earned the child development associate credential. The
83 workgroup shall also develop recommendations for the seamless
84 transfer of teacher apprentices for the completion of their
85 baccalaureate degree.
86 (a) The workgroup must be composed of State University
87 System and Florida College System institution faculty and
88 faculty of career centers established under s. 1001.44.
89 (b) The workgroup shall review existing statewide,
90 regional, and intrainstitutional agreements to identify seamless
91 pathways and course sequences through the attainment of
92 baccalaureate degree and develop a statewide articulation
93 agreement that includes articulated postsecondary credit for the
94 child development associate credential as specified in paragraph
95 (7)(a) and college-level training, experience, and education
96 acquired while serving as an education paraprofessional as
97 defined in s. 1012.01(2)(e), and a teacher apprentice to include
98 the award of credit toward a baccalaureate degree for experience
99 acquired in the teacher apprenticeship program.
100 (c) The workgroup shall provide its recommendation and
101 proposed articulation agreement to the Articulation Coordinating
102 Committee by March 1, 2024. State universities and Florida
103 College System institutions must accept and apply articulated
104 credit as stipulated in the articulation agreement.
105 Section 2. Subsections (7) and (8) of section 1007.24,
106 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
107 1007.24 Statewide course numbering system.—
108 (7) Any student who transfers among postsecondary
109 institutions that are fully accredited by a regional or national
110 accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of
111 Education and that participate in the statewide course numbering
112 system shall be awarded credit by the receiving institution for
113 courses satisfactorily completed by the student at the previous
114 institutions. Credit shall be awarded if the courses are judged
115 by the appropriate statewide course numbering system faculty
116 committees representing school districts, public postsecondary
117 educational institutions, and participating nonpublic
118 postsecondary educational institutions to be academically
119 equivalent to courses offered at the receiving institution,
120 including equivalency of faculty credentials, regardless of the
121 public or nonpublic control of the previous institution. The
122 Department of Education shall ensure that credits to be accepted
123 by a receiving institution are generated in courses for which
124 the faculty possess credentials that are comparable to those
125 required by the accrediting association of the receiving
126 institution. The award of credit may be limited to courses that
127 are entered in the statewide course numbering system.
128 Institutions shall award transfer credit toward program
129 requirements for courses that contain similar learning outcomes
130 as identified in the statewide course numbering system. Credits
131 awarded pursuant to this subsection shall satisfy institutional
132 requirements on the same basis as credits awarded to native
133 students. Institutions may not require a student to repeat
134 equivalent coursework as described in this section if the
135 student earned credit for the coursework at a prior institution.
136 (8) Participating postsecondary institutions receiving
137 transfer course credit must accept and apply general education
138 courses and credit in accordance with this section, s. 1007.25,
139 and other provisions of law, including credit earned through
140 dual enrollment, course equivalencies, and other acceleration
141 mechanisms, as first satisfying general education core course
142 credit requirements and other general education subject area
143 course credit requirements, as appropriate before applying the
144 course credit as elective credit. Transfer course credit not
145 applied in satisfying general education requirements must be
146 applied as satisfying institutional and program-specified
147 requirements before it is applied as elective credit.
148 Section 3. Subsections (9) and (12) of section 1007.25,
149 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
150 1007.25 General education courses; common prerequisites;
151 other degree requirements.—
152 (9)(a) An associate in arts degree must shall require no
153 more than 60 semester hours of college credit and include 36
154 semester hours of general education coursework. Beginning with
155 students initially entering a Florida College System institution
156 or state university in the 2014-2015 academic year and
157 thereafter, coursework for an associate in arts degree must
158 shall include demonstration of competency in a foreign language
159 pursuant to s. 1007.262. Except for developmental education
160 required pursuant to s. 1008.30, all required coursework must
161 shall count toward the associate in arts degree or the
162 baccalaureate degree.
163 (b) An associate in arts specialized transfer degree must
164 include 36 semester hours of general education coursework and
165 require 60 semester hours or more of college credit. Specialized
166 transfer degrees are designed for Florida College System
167 institution students who need supplemental lower-level
168 coursework in preparation for transfer as provided under
169 paragraph (7). The State Board of Education shall establish
170 criteria for the review and approval of new specialized transfer
171 degrees. The approval process must require:
172 1. Each Florida College System institution to submit a
173 notice of its intent to propose a new associate in arts
174 specialized degree program to the Division of Florida Colleges.
175 The notice must include the recommended credit hours, rationale
176 for the specialization, the demand for students entering the
177 field, and the coursework being proposed to be included beyond
178 the 60 semester hours required or the general transfer degree,
179 if applicable. Notices of intent may be submitted by a Florida
180 College System institution at any time.
181 2. The Division of Florida Colleges to forward the notice
182 of intent within 10 business days after receipt to the
183 Chancellor of the State University System and all Florida
184 College System institutions. State universities and Florida
185 College System institutions have 60 days after receipt of the
186 notice to submit comments on the proposed associate in arts
187 specialized transfer degree.
188 3. After the submission of comments pursuant to
189 subparagraph 2., the requesting Florida College System
190 institution to submit a proposal that, at a minimum, includes:
191 a. Evidence that the coursework for the associate in arts
192 specialized transfer degree includes demonstration of competency
193 in foreign language as provided in s. 1007.262 and demonstration
194 of civic literacy competency as provided in subsection (5).
195 b. Demonstration that all required coursework will count
196 toward the associate in arts degree or the baccalaureate degree.
197 c. An analysis of demand and unmet need for students
198 entering the specialized field of study at the baccalaureate
199 level.
200 d. Justification for the program length if it exceeds 60
201 credit hours, including references to the common prerequisite
202 manual or other requirements for the baccalaureate degree. This
203 includes documentation of alignment between the exit
204 requirements of a Florida College System institution and the
205 admissions requirements of a baccalaureate degree program at a
206 state university to which students would typically transfer.
207 e. Articulation agreements for graduates of the associate
208 in arts specialized transfer degree.
209 f. Responses to comments received under subparagraph 2.
210 (c) The Division of Florida Colleges shall review the
211 proposal and, within 30 days after receipt, shall provide
212 written notification to the Florida College System institution
213 of any deficiencies and provide it with an opportunity to
214 correct the deficiencies. Within 45 days following receipt of a
215 completed proposal by the Division of Florida Colleges, the
216 Commissioner of Education shall recommend approval or
217 disapproval of the new specialized transfer degree to the State
218 Board of Education. The State Board of Education shall consider
219 the recommendation at its next meeting.
220 (d) Once the State Board of Education approves an associate
221 in arts specialized transfer degree, a Florida College System
222 institution may offer the degree and shall report data on
223 student and program performance in a manner prescribed by the
224 Department of Education.
225 (e) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules,
226 pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54, to prescribe format and
227 content requirements and submission procedures for notices of
228 intent, proposals, and compliance reviews under this subsection.
229 (12) A student who received an associate in arts degree for
230 successfully completing 60 semester credit hours may continue to
231 earn additional credits at a Florida College System institution.
232 The university must provide credit toward the student’s
233 baccalaureate degree for an additional Florida College System
234 institution course if, according to the statewide course
235 numbering, the Florida College System institution course is a
236 course listed in the university catalog as required for the
237 degree or as prerequisite to a course required for the degree.
238 Of the courses required for the degree, at least half of the
239 credit hours required for the degree must shall be achievable
240 through courses designated as lower division, except in degree
241 programs approved by the State Board of Education for programs
242 offered by Florida College System institutions and by the Board
243 of Governors for programs offered by state universities.
244 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023.