1001.60 Florida College System.

FLORIDA STATUTES AND CODES

1001.60 Florida College System.

(1) PURPOSES. In order to maximize open access for students, respond to community needs for postsecondary academic education and career degree education, and provide associate and baccalaureate degrees that will best meet the state’s employment needs, the Legislature establishes a system of governance for the Florida College System.

(2) FLORIDA COLLEGE SYSTEM. There shall be a single Florida College System comprised of the 1Florida colleges identified in s. 1000.21(3). A 1Florida college may not offer graduate degree programs.

(a) The programs and services offered by1 Florida colleges in providing associate and baccalaureate degrees shall be delivered in a cost-effective manner that demonstrates substantial savings to the student and to the state over the cost of providing the degree at a state university.

(b)1. With the approval of its district board of trustees, a 1Florida college may change the institution’s name set forth in s. 1000.21(3) and use the designation “college” or “state college” if it has been authorized to grant baccalaureate degrees pursuant to s. 1007.33 and has been accredited as a baccalaureate-degree-granting institution by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

2. With the approval of its district board of trustees, a 1Florida college that does not meet the criteria in subparagraph 1. may request approval from the State Board of Education to change the institution’s name set forth in s. 1000.21(3) and use the designation “college.” The State Board of Education may approve the request if the 1Florida college enters into an agreement with the State Board of Education to do the following:

a. Maintain as its primary mission responsibility for responding to community needs for postsecondary academic education and career degree education as prescribed in s. 1004.65(5).

b. Maintain an open-door admissions policy for associate-level degree programs and workforce education programs.

c. Continue to provide outreach to underserved populations.

d. Continue to provide remedial education.

e. Comply with all provisions of the statewide articulation agreement that relate to 2-year and 4-year public degree-granting institutions as adopted by the State Board of Education pursuant to s. 1007.23.

(c) A district board of trustees that approves a change to the name of an institution under paragraph (b) must seek statutory codification of such name change in s. 1000.21(3) during the next regular legislative session.

(d) A 1Florida college may not use the designation “university.”

(3) LOCAL BOARDS OF TRUSTEES. Each institution within the Florida College System shall be governed by a local board of trustees as provided in s. 1001.64. The membership of each local board of trustees shall be as provided in s. 1001.61.

History. s. 2, ch. 2008-52; s. 3, ch. 2009-228.

Note. Section 21, ch. 2010-70, directs the Division of Statutory Revision to prepare a reviser’s bill to substitute the term “Florida College System institution” for the terms “Florida college,” “community college,” and “junior college” where those terms appear in the Florida K-20 Education Code.