Bill Amendment: FL S0266 | 2023 | Regular Session
NOTE: For additional amemendments please see the Bill Drafting List
Bill Title: Higher Education
Status: 2023-05-16 - Chapter No. 2023-82, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/HB 1035 (Ch. 2023-38) [S0266 Detail]
Download: Florida-2023-S0266-Senate_Committee_Amendment_459430.html
Bill Title: Higher Education
Status: 2023-05-16 - Chapter No. 2023-82, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/HB 1035 (Ch. 2023-38) [S0266 Detail]
Download: Florida-2023-S0266-Senate_Committee_Amendment_459430.html
Florida Senate - 2023 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS for SB 266
Ì459430ÈÎ459430
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
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The Appropriations Committee on Education (Grall) recommended
the following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Delete everything after the enacting clause
4 and insert:
5 Section 1. Paragraphs (a) through (d) of subsection (5) and
6 paragraph (b) of subsection (6) of section 1001.706, Florida
7 Statutes, are amended to read:
8 1001.706 Powers and duties of the Board of Governors.—
9 (5) POWERS AND DUTIES RELATING TO ACCOUNTABILITY.—
10 (a) The Legislature intends that the Board of Governors
11 shall align the missions of each constituent university with the
12 academic success of its students; the existing and emerging
13 economic development needs of the state; the national reputation
14 of its faculty and its academic and research programs; the
15 quantity of externally generated research, patents, and
16 licenses; and the strategic and accountability plans required in
17 paragraphs (b) and (c). The Board of Governors shall
18 periodically review the mission of each constituent university
19 and make updates or revisions as needed. Upon completion of a
20 review of the mission, the board shall review existing academic
21 programs for alignment with the mission. The board shall include
22 in its review a direction to each constituent university to
23 examine its programs for any curriculum that violates s. 1000.05
24 or that is based on theories that systemic racism, sexism,
25 oppression, and privilege are inherent in the institutions of
26 the United States and were created to maintain social,
27 political, and economic inequities. The mission alignment and
28 strategic plan must shall consider peer institutions at the
29 constituent universities. The mission alignment and strategic
30 plan must shall acknowledge that universities that have a
31 national and international impact have the greatest capacity to
32 promote the state’s economic development through: new
33 discoveries, patents, licenses, and technologies that generate
34 state businesses of global importance; research achievements
35 through external grants and contracts that are comparable to
36 nationally recognized and ranked universities; the creation of a
37 resource rich academic environment that attracts high-technology
38 business and venture capital to the state; and this generation’s
39 finest minds focusing on solving the state’s economic, social,
40 environmental, and legal problems in the areas of life sciences,
41 water, sustainability, energy, and health care. A nationally
42 recognized and ranked university that has a global perspective
43 and impact must shall be afforded the opportunity to enable and
44 protect the university’s competitiveness on the global stage in
45 fair competition with other institutions of other states in the
46 highest Carnegie Classification.
47 (b) The Board of Governors shall develop a strategic plan
48 specifying goals and objectives for the State University System
49 and each constituent university, including each university’s
50 contribution to overall system goals and objectives. The
51 strategic plan must:
52 1. Include performance metrics and standards common for all
53 institutions and metrics and standards unique to institutions
54 depending on institutional core missions, including, but not
55 limited to, student admission requirements, retention,
56 graduation, percentage of graduates who have attained
57 employment, percentage of graduates enrolled in continued
58 education, licensure passage, nondegree credential attainment,
59 average wages of employed graduates, average cost per graduate,
60 excess hours, student loan burden and default rates, faculty
61 awards, total annual research expenditures, patents, licenses
62 and royalties, intellectual property, startup companies, annual
63 giving, endowments, and well-known, highly respected national
64 rankings for institutional and program achievements.
65 2. Consider reports and recommendations of the Florida
66 Talent Development Council under s. 1004.015 and the
67 Articulation Coordinating Committee under s. 1007.01.
68 3. Include student enrollment and performance data
69 delineated by method of instruction, including, but not limited
70 to, traditional, online, and distance learning instruction.
71 4. Include criteria for designating baccalaureate degree
72 and master’s degree programs at specified universities as high
73 demand programs of emphasis. The programs of emphasis list
74 adopted by the Board of Governors before July 1, 2021, shall be
75 used for the 2021-2022 academic year. Beginning in the 2022-2023
76 academic year, the Board of Governors shall adopt the criteria
77 to determine value for and prioritization of degree credentials
78 and degree programs established by the Credentials Review
79 Committee under s. 445.004 for designating high-demand programs
80 of emphasis. The Board of Governors must review designated
81 programs of emphasis, at a minimum, every 3 years to ensure
82 alignment with the prioritization of degree credentials and
83 degree programs identified by the Credentials Review Committee.
84 5. Include criteria for nondegree credentials.
85 (c) The Board of Governors shall develop an accountability
86 plan for the State University System and each constituent
87 university. The accountability plan must address institutional
88 and system achievement of goals and objectives specified in the
89 strategic plan adopted pursuant to paragraph (b) and must be
90 submitted as part of its legislative budget request. Each
91 university shall submit, as a component of the university’s
92 annual accountability plan:,
93 1. Information on the effectiveness of its plan for
94 improving 4-year graduation rates; and
95 2. The level of financial assistance provided to students
96 pursuant to paragraph (h).
97 (d) Beginning in the 2014-2015 academic year and annually
98 thereafter, The Board of Governors shall annually require a
99 state university prior to registration to provide each enrolled
100 student electronic access to the economic security report of
101 employment and earning outcomes prepared by the Department of
102 Economic Opportunity pursuant to s. 445.07. In addition, the
103 Board of Governors shall require a state university to provide
104 each student electronic access to the following information each
105 year prior to registration using the data described in s.
106 1008.39:
107 1. The top 25 percent of degrees reported by the university
108 in terms of highest full-time job placement and highest average
109 annualized earnings in the year after earning the degree.
110 2. The bottom 10 percent of degrees reported by the
111 university in terms of lowest full-time job placement and lowest
112 average annualized earnings in the year after earning the
113 degree.
114 (6) POWERS AND DUTIES RELATING TO PERSONNEL.—
115 (b) The Board of Governors shall may adopt a regulation
116 requiring each tenured state university faculty member to
117 undergo a comprehensive post-tenure review every 5 years. The
118 board may include other considerations in the regulation, but
119 the regulation must address:
120 1. Accomplishments and productivity;
121 2. Assigned duties in research, teaching, and service;
122 3. Performance metrics, evaluations, and ratings; and
123 4. Recognition and compensation considerations, as well as
124 improvement plans and consequences for underperformance.
125 Section 2. Paragraph (m) is added to subsection (2) of
126 section 1001.7065, Florida Statutes, to read:
127 1001.7065 Preeminent state research universities program.—
128 (2) ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH EXCELLENCE STANDARDS.—The
129 following academic and research excellence standards are
130 established for the preeminent state research universities
131 program and shall be reported annually in the Board of Governors
132 Accountability Plan:
133 (m) Total annual STEM-related research expenditures,
134 including federal research expenditures, of $50 million or more.
135 Section 3. Section 1001.741, Florida Statutes, is created
136 to read:
137 1001.741 State university personnel.—
138 (1) Except as delegated pursuant to paragraph (a), each
139 state university president has the final authority for hiring
140 the provost, the deans, and all full-time faculty for the
141 university, and has an ongoing duty to assess the performance,
142 productivity, and employment practices of the university’s
143 provost and deans. The president of the university is encouraged
144 to engage in faculty recruiting as appropriate, and shall
145 provide a regular report and recommendations on employment
146 practices to the board at least twice annually.
147 (a) The president may delegate hiring authority to
148 individuals on the university’s executive management team within
149 the president’s office, to the provost, or to individual deans;
150 however, the president or the person delegated such hiring
151 authority is not bound by the recommendations or opinions of
152 faculty or other individuals.
153 (b) A state university may not require any statement,
154 pledge, or oath other than to uphold general and federal law,
155 the United States Constitution, and the State Constitution as a
156 part of any admissions, hiring, employment, promotion, tenure,
157 disciplinary, or evaluation process.
158 (2) Notwithstanding s. 447.401 or any other law, personnel
159 actions or decisions regarding faculty, including in the areas
160 of evaluations, promotions, tenure, discipline, or termination,
161 may not be appealed beyond the level of a university president
162 or designee. Such actions or decisions must have as their
163 terminal step a final agency disposition, which must be issued
164 in writing to the faculty member, and are not subject to
165 arbitration. The filing of a grievance does not toll the action
166 or decision of the university, including the termination of pay
167 and benefits of a suspended or terminated faculty member.
168 (3) Each state university board of trustees must have
169 procedures for the review of the president’s selection and
170 reappointment of each member of the university’s executive
171 management team, and his or her respective contract and annual
172 salary, before such contracts and salaries become effective, in
173 accordance with the personnel program established by the Board
174 of Governors.
175 (4) Each state university president shall annually present
176 to the state university board of trustees the results of
177 performance evaluations and associated annual salaries for all
178 evaluated academic and administrative personnel earning an
179 annual salary of $200,000 or more, regardless of the funding
180 source for such salaries. The results may be presented in a
181 summary or written format.
182 Section 4. Section 1004.06, Florida Statutes, is amended to
183 read:
184 1004.06 Prohibited expenditures.—
185 (1) A No Florida College System institution, state
186 university, Florida College System institution direct-support
187 organization, or state university direct-support organization
188 may not shall expend any funds, regardless of source, to
189 purchase membership in, or goods and services from, any
190 organization that discriminates on the basis of race, color,
191 national origin, sex, disability gender, or religion.
192 (2) A Florida College System institution, state university,
193 Florida College System institution direct-support organization,
194 or state university direct-support organization may not expend
195 any funds, regardless of source, to promote, support, or
196 maintain any programs or campus activities that:
197 (a) Violate s. 1000.05; or
198 (b) Are based on theories that systemic racism, sexism,
199 oppression, and privilege are inherent in the institutions of
200 the United States and were created to maintain social,
201 political, and economic inequities.
202 (3) Subsection (2) does not prohibit programs or campus
203 activities and functions required for compliance with federal
204 laws or regulations; for obtaining or retaining institutional or
205 discipline-specific accreditation; for securing or retaining
206 research contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements; or for
207 access programs for military veterans, Pell Grant recipients,
208 first generation college students, nontraditional students,
209 “2+2” transfer students from the Florida College System,
210 students from low-income families, or students with unique
211 abilities.
212 (4) The State Board of Education and the Board of Governors
213 shall adopt rules and regulations, respectively, to implement
214 this section.
215 Section 5. Section 1004.3841, Florida Statutes, is created
216 to read:
217 1004.3841 The Institute for Risk Management and Insurance
218 Education.—The Institute for Risk Management and Insurance
219 Education is established within the College of Business at the
220 University of Central Florida. Since insurance and risk
221 management is a major industry in the state, with a
222 concentration of such industry in Volusia County, the institute
223 shall be located in Volusia County. Like many other industries
224 in the state, the insurance and risk management industry is
225 being revolutionized by, among other things, the integration of
226 technology, predictive analytics, and data science, and is
227 becoming more complex, given its exposure to transformative
228 trends in the economy and environment. The purpose of the
229 institute is to respond to the ever-evolving insurance and risk
230 management industry and the present and emerging needs of this
231 state and its residents. The goals of the institute are to:
232 (1) Pursue technological innovations that advance risk
233 valuation models and operational efficiencies in the insurance
234 industry.
235 (2) Drive the development of workforce competencies in data
236 analytics, system-level thinking, technology integration,
237 entrepreneurship, and actuarial science.
238 (3) Leverage the University of Central Florida’s world
239 class assets in data science, artificial intelligence, computer
240 science, engineering, finance, economics, and sales.
241 (4) Take advantage of the University of Central Florida’s
242 robust portfolio of academic program offerings and draw on
243 faculty and industry experts in diverse fields, including
244 actuarial science, computer science, economics, engineering,
245 environmental science, finance, forensics, law, management,
246 marketing, and psychology.
247 (5) Develop and offer risk management and insurance
248 education, including education that recognizes risks in areas
249 such as the environment, pandemic disease, and digital security.
250 (6) Offer programs, workshops, case studies, and applied
251 research studies that integrate technology and artificial
252 intelligence with soft skills while preparing students and
253 professionals for the technology-enabled insurance industry of
254 the future.
255 Section 6. Section 1004.6496, Florida Statutes, is amended
256 to read:
257 1004.6496 Hamilton Center for Classical and Civic
258 Education.—
259 (1) By July 1, 2024, the Board of Trustees of the
260 University of Florida may use funds as provided in the General
261 Appropriations Act and charitable donations to establish and
262 fund the Hamilton Center for Classical and Civic Education as an
263 academic unit within the University of Florida. The purpose of
264 the center is to support teaching and research concerning the
265 ideas, traditions, and texts that form the foundations of
266 Western and American civilization.
267 (2) The goals of the center are to:
268 (a) Educate university students in core texts and great
269 debates of Western civilization and the Great Books.
270 (b) Educate university students in the principles, ideals,
271 and institutions of the American political order.
272 (c) Educate university students in the foundations of
273 responsible leadership and informed citizenship.
274 (d) Provide programming and training related to civic
275 education and the values of open inquiry and civil discourse to
276 support the K-20 system.
277 (e) Coordinate with the Florida Institute for Governance
278 and Civics of Politics created pursuant to s. 1004.6499 and the
279 Adam Smith Center for the Study of Economic Freedom created
280 pursuant to s. 1004.64991 and assist in the curation and
281 implementation of Portraits in Patriotism created pursuant to s.
282 1003.44.
283 (3) In order to carry out the purposes set forth in
284 subsection (2), the center is authorized to:
285 (a) Hire necessary faculty and staff pursuant to s.
286 1001.741;
287 (b) Enroll students;
288 (c) Develop curriculum and offer new courses, including
289 honors courses, certificates, and major and minor programs;
290 (d) Hold events, including fundraisers;
291 (e) Fulfill other actions approved by the president of the
292 university; and
293 (f) Generate resources based on student credit hour
294 enrollment, in the same manner as any other center within the
295 institution.
296 (4) The president of the university may hire a director for
297 the center.
298 (a) The president of the university may remove the director
299 in accordance with the policies and procedures established at
300 the university.
301 (b) The director of the center must report directly to the
302 president or provost of the university.
303 (5) Faculty of the center may be awarded tenure, subject to
304 the tenure regulations adopted by the university board of
305 trustees.
306 (6) Funds appropriated specifically to the center may not
307 be used for any other purpose at the university; however, the
308 university can provide additional funding as available to the
309 center.
310 Section 7. Section 1004.6499, Florida Statutes, is amended
311 to read:
312 1004.6499 Florida Institute for Governance and Civics of
313 Politics.—
314 (1) The Florida Institute for Governance and Civics of
315 Politics is established at the Florida State University within
316 the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy. The purpose of
317 the institute is to provide the southeastern region of the
318 United States with a world class, bipartisan, nationally
319 renowned institute of politics.
320 (2) The goals of the institute are to:
321 (a) Provide students with access to an interdisciplinary
322 hub that will develop academically rigorous scholarship and
323 coursework on the origins of the American system of government,
324 its foundational documents, its subsequent political traditions
325 and evolutions, and its impact on comparative political systems
326 Motivate students throughout the Florida State University to
327 become aware of the significance of government and civic
328 engagement at all levels and politics in general.
329 (b) Encourage civic literacy in this state through the
330 development of educational tools and resources for K-12 and
331 postsecondary students which foster an understanding of how
332 individual rights, constitutionalism, separation of powers, and
333 federalism function within the American system Provide students
334 with an opportunity to be politically active and civically
335 engaged.
336 (c) Model civic discourse that recognizes the importance of
337 viewpoint diversity, intellectual rigor, and an evidence-based
338 approach to history Nurture a greater awareness of and passion
339 for public service and politics.
340 (d) Plan and host forums to allow students and guests to
341 hear from exceptional individuals who have excelled in a wide
342 range of sectors of American life, to highlight the
343 possibilities created by individual achievement and
344 entrepreneurial vision and interact with experts from
345 government, politics, policy, and journalism on a frequent
346 basis.
347 (e) Become a national and state resource on using polling
348 instruments and other assessments to measure civic literacy and
349 make recommendations for improving civic education information
350 and survey methodology.
351 (f) Provide fellowships and internship opportunities to
352 students in government, nonprofit organizations, and community
353 organizations.
354 (g) Create through scholarship, original research,
355 publications, symposia, testimonials, and other means a body of
356 resources that can be accessed by students, scholars, and
357 government officials to understand the innovations in public
358 policy in this state over a rolling 30-year time period Provide
359 training sessions for newly elected state and local public
360 officials.
361 (h) Organize and sponsor conferences, symposia, and
362 workshops throughout this state to educate and inform citizens,
363 elected officials, and appointed policymakers regarding
364 effective policymaking techniques and processes.
365 (i) Create and promote research and awareness regarding
366 politics, citizen involvement, and public service.
367 (j) Collaborate with related policy institutes and research
368 activities at the Florida State University and other
369 institutions of higher education to motivate, increase, and
370 sustain citizen involvement in public affairs.
371 Section 8. Subsection (3) is added to section 1004.64991,
372 Florida Statutes, to read:
373 1004.64991 The Adam Smith Center for the Study of Economic
374 Freedom.—
375 (3) In order to carry out the purpose set forth in this
376 section, the institute is authorized to:
377 (a) Hire necessary faculty and staff pursuant to s.
378 1001.741;
379 (b) Enroll students;
380 (c) Develop curriculum and offer new courses, including
381 honors courses, certificates, and major and minor programs;
382 (d) Hold events, including fundraisers;
383 (e) Fulfill other actions approved by the president of the
384 university; and
385 (f) Generate resources based on student credit hour
386 enrollment, in the same manner as any college within the
387 institution.
388 Section 9. Subsection (3) of section 1007.25, Florida
389 Statutes, is amended to read:
390 1007.25 General education courses; common prerequisites;
391 other degree requirements.—
392 (3) The chair of the State Board of Education and the chair
393 of the Board of Governors, or their designees, shall jointly
394 appoint faculty committees to review and recommend to the
395 Articulation Coordinating Committee for approval by the State
396 Board of Education and the Board of Governors identify statewide
397 general education core course options for inclusion in the
398 statewide course numbering system established under s. 1007.24.
399 Faculty committees shall, by July 1, 2024, and by July 1 every 4
400 years thereafter, review and submit recommendations to the
401 Articulation Coordinating Committee and the commissioner for the
402 removal, alignment, realignment, or addition of general
403 education core courses that satisfy the requirements of this
404 subsection.
405 (a) General education core course options shall consist of
406 a maximum of five courses within each of the subject areas of
407 communication, mathematics, social sciences, humanities, and
408 natural sciences. The core courses may be revised, or the five
409 course maximum within each subject area may be exceeded, if
410 approved by the State Board of Education and the Board of
411 Governors, as recommended by the subject area faculty committee
412 and approved by the Articulation Coordinating Committee as
413 necessary for a subject area.
414 (b) Each general education core course option must contain
415 high-level academic and critical thinking skills and common
416 competencies that students must demonstrate to successfully
417 complete the course.
418 (c) General education core courses may not distort
419 significant historical events or include a curriculum that
420 teaches identity politics, violates s. 1000.05, or is based on
421 theories that systemic racism, sexism, oppression, and privilege
422 are inherent in the institutions of the United States and were
423 created to maintain social, political, and economic inequities.
424 (d) General education core courses must meet the following
425 standards:
426 1. Communication courses must afford students the ability
427 to communicate effectively, including the ability to write
428 clearly and engage in public speaking.
429 2. Humanities courses must afford students the ability to
430 think critically through the mastering of subjects concerned
431 with human culture, especially literature, history, art, music,
432 and philosophy, and must include selections from the Western
433 canon.
434 3. Social science courses must afford students an
435 understanding of the basic social and behavioral science
436 concepts and principles used in the analysis of behavior and
437 past and present social, political, and economic issues.
438 4. Natural science courses must afford students the ability
439 to critically examine and evaluate the principles of the
440 scientific method, model construction, and use the scientific
441 method to explain natural experiences and phenomena.
442 5. Mathematics courses must afford students a mastery of
443 foundational mathematical and computation models and methods by
444 applying such models and methods in problem solving.
445 (e) Beginning with students initially entering a Florida
446 College System institution or state university in 2015-2016 and
447 thereafter, each student must complete at least one identified
448 core course in each subject area as part of the general
449 education course requirements. Beginning in the 2022-2023
450 academic year and thereafter, students entering a technical
451 degree education program as defined in s. 1004.02(13) must
452 complete at least one identified core course in each subject
453 area as part of the general education course requirements before
454 a degree is awarded.
455 (f) All public postsecondary educational institutions shall
456 offer at least one general education core course in each of the
457 identified subject areas and accept these courses as meeting
458 general education core course requirements upon transfer,
459 regardless of whether the receiving institution offers the
460 identical general education core courses. The remaining general
461 education course requirements shall be identified by each
462 institution as approved in accordance with this section and
463 listed in the statewide course numbering system and reported to
464 the department by their statewide course number.
465 (g) A public postsecondary educational institution may not
466 require a student to complete an additional course to meet a
467 subject area distribution requirement that was completed by the
468 student with a course that has since been removed as a general
469 education core course.
470 (h) The general education core course options shall be
471 adopted in rule by the State Board of Education and in
472 regulation by the Board of Governors.
473 Section 10. Section 1007.55, Florida Statutes, is created
474 to read:
475 1007.55 General education course principles, standards, and
476 content.—
477 (1) The Legislature finds it necessary to ensure that every
478 undergraduate student of a Florida public postsecondary
479 educational institution graduates as an informed citizen through
480 participation in rigorous general education courses that promote
481 and preserve the constitutional republic through traditional,
482 historically accurate, and high-quality coursework. General
483 education courses should provide broad foundational knowledge to
484 help students develop intellectual skills and habits that enable
485 them to become more effective and lifelong learners. Courses
486 with a curriculum based on unproven, speculative, or exploratory
487 content are best suited as elective or specific program
488 prerequisite credit, not general education credit. General
489 education courses must:
490 (a) Meet the course standards as provided in s. 1007.25;
491 and
492 (b) Whenever applicable, provide instruction on the
493 historical background and philosophical foundation of Western
494 civilization and this nation’s historical documents, such as the
495 Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, the
496 Bill of Rights and subsequent amendments, and the Federalist
497 Papers.
498 (2) Public postsecondary educational institution boards of
499 trustees and presidents are responsible for annually reviewing
500 and approving, at a public meeting, general education course
501 requirements, as authorized and approved in accordance with ss.
502 1007.24 and 1007.25 and this section, at their respective
503 institutions. The following must be included for each listed
504 general education course:
505 (a) The general education distribution area;
506 (b) The number of state universities that offer the course
507 and the number of Florida College System institutions that offer
508 the course; and
509 (c) The course level.
510 (3) Each public postsecondary educational institution must
511 annually submit to the Board of Governors or the State Board of
512 Education, as applicable, the institution’s listing of approved
513 general education courses, which must include the information in
514 paragraphs (2)(a), (b), and (c). The applicable board must
515 approve the institution general education course lists.
516 (4) Public postsecondary educational institutions must
517 report courses meeting institutional general education subject
518 requirements to the department by their statewide course number.
519 (5) Public postsecondary educational institutions that fail
520 to comply with the requirements of this section are not eligible
521 to receive performance-based funding pursuant to ss. 1001.66 or
522 1001.92.
523 (6) A public postsecondary educational institution may not
524 require a student to take an additional course to meet a subject
525 area distribution requirement that was completed by the student
526 with a course that has since been removed as a general education
527 course.
528 (7) The State Board of Education and the Board of Governors
529 shall adopt rules and regulations, respectively, to implement
530 this section.
531 Section 11. Present subsections (3) and (4) of section
532 1008.47, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (4)
533 and (5), respectively, a new subsection (3) is added to that
534 section, and subsection (2) and present subsection (3) of that
535 section are amended, to read:
536 1008.47 Postsecondary education institution accreditation.—
537 (2) ACCREDITATION.—
538 (a) By September 1, 2022, the Board of Governors or the
539 State Board of Education, as applicable, shall identify and
540 determine the accrediting agencies or associations best suited
541 to serve as an accreditor for public postsecondary institutions.
542 Such accrediting agencies or associations must be recognized by
543 the database created and maintained by the United States
544 Department of Education. A public postsecondary institution may
545 not be accredited by the same accrediting agency or association
546 for consecutive accreditation cycles. In the year following
547 reaffirmation or fifth-year review by its accrediting agencies
548 or associations, each public postsecondary institution must seek
549 and obtain accreditation from an accrediting agency or
550 association identified by the Board of Governors or State Board
551 of Education, respectively, before its next reaffirmation or
552 fifth-year review date. The requirements in this section are
553 limited to a one-time change in accreditation. The requirements
554 of this subsection are not applicable to those professional,
555 graduate, departmental, or certificate programs at public
556 postsecondary institutions that have specific accreditation
557 requirements or best practices, including, but not limited to,
558 law, pharmacy, engineering, or other similarly situated
559 educational programs.
560 (b) Once a public postsecondary institution is required to
561 seek and obtain accreditation from an agency or association
562 identified pursuant to paragraph (a), the institution shall seek
563 accreditation from a regional accrediting agency or association
564 and provide quarterly reports of its progress to the Board of
565 Governors or State Board of Education, as applicable. If each
566 regional accreditation agency or association identified pursuant
567 to paragraph (a) has refused to grant candidacy status to an
568 institution, the institution must shall seek and obtain
569 accreditation from any accrediting agency or association that is
570 different from its current accrediting agency or association and
571 is recognized by the database created and maintained by the
572 United States Department of Education. If a public postsecondary
573 institution is not granted candidacy status before its next
574 reaffirmation or fifth-year review date, the institution may
575 remain with its current accrediting agency or association.
576 (c) This subsection expires December 31, 2032.
577 (3) PROHIBITION.—An accrediting agency or association may
578 not compel any public postsecondary institution to violate state
579 law, and any adverse action upon the institution based upon the
580 institution’s compliance with state law constitutes a violation
581 of this section that may be enforced through subsection (4),
582 except to the extent that state law is preempted by a federal
583 law that recognizes the necessity of the accreditation standard
584 or requirement.
585 (4)(3) CAUSE OF ACTION.—A postsecondary education
586 institution negatively impacted by retaliatory or adverse action
587 taken against the postsecondary education institution by an
588 accrediting agency or association may bring an action against
589 the accrediting agency or association in a court of competent
590 jurisdiction and may obtain liquidated damages in up to the
591 amount of federal financial aid received by the postsecondary
592 education institution, court costs, and reasonable attorney
593 fees.
594 Section 12. Paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of subsection (18)
595 of section 1009.26, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
596 1009.26 Fee Waivers.—
597 (18)(a) For every course in a Program of Strategic
598 Emphasis, as identified in subparagraph 3., or a state-approved
599 teacher preparation program, in which a student is enrolled, a
600 state university shall waive 100 percent of the tuition and fees
601 for an equivalent course in such program for a student who:
602 1. Is a resident for tuition purposes under s. 1009.21.
603 2. Has earned at least 60 semester credit hours towards a
604 baccalaureate degree within 2 academic years after initial
605 enrollment at a Florida public postsecondary institution.
606 3. Enrolls in one of 10 Programs of Strategic Emphasis as
607 adopted by the Board of Governors, or a state-approved teacher
608 preparation program. The Board of Governors shall adopt eight
609 Programs of Strategic Emphasis in science, technology,
610 engineering, or math and, beginning with the 2022-2023 academic
611 year, two Programs of Strategic Emphasis in the critical
612 workforce gap analysis category for which a student may be
613 eligible to receive the tuition and fee waiver authorized by
614 this subsection. The programs identified by the board must
615 reflect the priorities of the state and be offered at a majority
616 of state universities at the time the Board of Governors
617 approves the list.
618 (b) A waiver granted under this subsection is applicable
619 only for upper-level courses and up to 110 percent of the number
620 of required credit hours of the baccalaureate degree program for
621 which the student is enrolled. A student granted a waiver under
622 this subsection shall continue receiving the waiver until the
623 student graduates, exceeds the number of allowable credit hours,
624 or withdraws from an eligible program, regardless of whether the
625 program is removed from the approved list of eligible programs
626 subsequent to the student’s enrollment.
627 (c) Upon enrollment in a Program of Strategic Emphasis or a
628 state-approved teacher preparation program, the tuition and fees
629 waived under this subsection must be reported for state funding
630 purposes under ss. 1009.534 and 1009.535 and must be disbursed
631 to the student. The amount disbursed to the student must shall
632 be equal to the award amount the student has received under s.
633 1009.534(2) or s. 1009.535(2).
634 Section 13. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023.
635
636 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
637 And the title is amended as follows:
638 Delete everything before the enacting clause
639 and insert:
640 A bill to be entitled
641 An act relating to higher education; amending s.
642 1001.706, F.S.; revising the duties of the Board of
643 Governors relating to the mission of each state
644 university; revising requirements for the Board of
645 Governors’ strategic plan relating to the goals and
646 objectives of the State University System; requiring
647 the Board of Governors to annually require each state
648 university to include certain information in its
649 economic security report; requiring, rather than
650 authorizing, a Board of Governors regulation to
651 include a post-tenure review of state university
652 faculty on a specified basis; amending s. 1001.7065,
653 F.S.; requiring the Board of Governors Accountability
654 Plan to annually report certain research expenditures
655 of a specified amount; creating s. 1001.741, F.S.;
656 providing that each state university president is
657 responsible for hiring the provost, the deans, and
658 full-time faculty; proving that the president has a
659 duty to assess the performance of the provost and
660 deans; authorizing the president to delegate hiring
661 authority to specified individuals and entities;
662 prohibiting a university from using specified methods
663 in its admissions or personnel processes; providing
664 that certain actions regarding personnel may not be
665 appealed beyond the university president; requiring
666 each state university board of trustees to have review
667 procedures for the president’s selection and
668 reappointment of certain faculty; requiring each state
669 university president to annually present specified
670 performance evaluations and salaries to the board of
671 trustees; amending s. 1004.06, F.S.; prohibiting
672 specified educational institutions from expending
673 funds to promote specified concepts; providing
674 exceptions; requiring the State Board of Education and
675 the Board of Governors to adopt rules and regulations,
676 respectively; creating s. 1004.3841, F.S.; creating
677 the Institute for Risk Management and Insurance
678 Education within the College of Business at the
679 University of Central Florida; requiring that the
680 institute be located in a specified county; providing
681 the purpose and goals of the institute; amending s.
682 1004.6496, F.S.; authorizing the Board of Trustees of
683 the University of Florida to use charitable donations
684 in addition to appropriated funds to fund the Hamilton
685 Center for Classical and Civic Education; revising the
686 goals of the center; providing powers of the center;
687 amending s. 1004.6499, F.S.; renaming the Florida
688 Institute of Politics at the Florida State University
689 as the Florida Institute for Governance and Civics;
690 providing the goals of the institute; amending s.
691 1004.64991, F.S.; authorizing the Adam Smith Center
692 for the Study of Economic Freedom to perform certain
693 tasks in order to carry out its established purpose;
694 amending s. 1007.25, F.S.; revising how general
695 education core courses are established; requiring the
696 State Board of Education and the Board of Governors to
697 consider approval of certain courses; requiring
698 faculty committees to review and submit
699 recommendations to the Articulation Coordinating
700 Committee and the commissioner relating to certain
701 courses by a specified date and periodically
702 thereafter; prohibiting general education core courses
703 from teaching certain topics or presenting information
704 in specified ways; providing requirements for general
705 education core courses; requiring specified
706 educational institutions to offer certain courses;
707 prohibiting public postsecondary educational
708 institutions from requiring students to take certain
709 additional general education core courses; creating s.
710 1007.55, F.S.; providing legislative findings;
711 providing requirements for general education courses;
712 requiring public postsecondary educational institution
713 boards of trustees and presidents to annually review
714 and approve general education requirements; requiring
715 public postsecondary educational institutions to
716 report certain courses to the department; providing a
717 penalty for failing to meet such review and approval
718 requirements; prohibiting public postsecondary
719 educational institutions from requiring students to
720 take certain additional general education courses;
721 requiring the State Board of Education and the Board
722 of Governors to adopt rules and regulations,
723 respectively; amending s. 1008.47, F.S.; specifying a
724 one-time limit on the requirement to change
725 accrediting agencies; providing for expiration;
726 prohibiting an accrediting entity from requiring a
727 public postsecondary institution to violate state law;
728 amending s. 1009.26, F.S.; providing that certain
729 provisions apply to a state-approved teacher
730 preparation program; providing that certain
731 postsecondary fee waivers continue until specified
732 criteria are met; providing an effective date.
