Bill Text: FL S0266 | 2023 | Regular Session | Comm Sub
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Higher Education
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (? 3-1)
Status: (Passed) 2023-05-16 - Chapter No. 2023-82, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/HB 1035 (Ch. 2023-38) [S0266 Detail]
Download: Florida-2023-S0266-Comm_Sub.html
Bill Title: Higher Education
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (? 3-1)
Status: (Passed) 2023-05-16 - Chapter No. 2023-82, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/HB 1035 (Ch. 2023-38) [S0266 Detail]
Download: Florida-2023-S0266-Comm_Sub.html
Florida Senate - 2023 CS for CS for SB 266
By the Appropriations Committee on Education; the Committee on
Education Postsecondary; and Senator Grall
602-03778-23 2023266c2
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to higher education; amending s.
3 1001.706, F.S.; revising the duties of the Board of
4 Governors relating to the mission of each state
5 university; revising requirements for the Board of
6 Governors’ strategic plan relating to the goals and
7 objectives of the State University System; requiring
8 the Board of Governors to annually require each state
9 university to include certain information in its
10 economic security report; requiring, rather than
11 authorizing, a Board of Governors regulation to
12 include a post-tenure review of state university
13 faculty on a specified basis; amending s. 1001.7065,
14 F.S.; requiring the Board of Governors Accountability
15 Plan to annually report certain research expenditures
16 of a specified amount; revising the number of
17 standards an institution must meet to receive a
18 specified designation; creating s. 1001.741, F.S.;
19 providing that each state university president is
20 responsible for hiring the provost, the deans, and
21 full-time faculty; providing that the president has a
22 duty to assess the performance of the provost and
23 deans; authorizing the president to delegate hiring
24 authority to specified individuals and entities;
25 prohibiting a university from using specified methods
26 in its admissions or personnel processes; providing
27 that certain actions regarding personnel may not be
28 appealed beyond the university president; requiring
29 each state university board of trustees to have review
30 procedures for the president’s selection and
31 reappointment of certain faculty; requiring each state
32 university president to annually present specified
33 performance evaluations and salaries to the board of
34 trustees; amending s. 1004.06, F.S.; prohibiting
35 specified educational institutions from expending
36 funds to promote specified concepts; providing
37 exceptions; requiring the State Board of Education and
38 the Board of Governors to adopt rules and regulations,
39 respectively; creating s. 1004.3841, F.S.; creating
40 the Institute for Risk Management and Insurance
41 Education within the College of Business at the
42 University of Central Florida; requiring that the
43 institute be located in a specified county; providing
44 the purpose and goals of the institute; amending s.
45 1004.6496, F.S.; authorizing the Board of Trustees of
46 the University of Florida to use charitable donations
47 in addition to appropriated funds to fund the Hamilton
48 Center for Classical and Civic Education; revising the
49 goals of the center; providing powers of the center;
50 amending s. 1004.6499, F.S.; renaming the Florida
51 Institute of Politics at the Florida State University
52 as the Florida Institute for Governance and Civics;
53 providing the goals of the institute; amending s.
54 1004.64991, F.S.; authorizing the Adam Smith Center
55 for the Study of Economic Freedom to perform certain
56 tasks in order to carry out its established purpose;
57 amending s. 1007.25, F.S.; revising how general
58 education core courses are established; requiring the
59 State Board of Education and the Board of Governors to
60 consider approval of certain courses; requiring
61 faculty committees to review and submit
62 recommendations to the Articulation Coordinating
63 Committee and the commissioner relating to certain
64 courses by a specified date and periodically
65 thereafter; prohibiting general education core courses
66 from teaching certain topics or presenting information
67 in specified ways; providing requirements for general
68 education core courses; requiring specified
69 educational institutions to offer certain courses;
70 prohibiting public postsecondary educational
71 institutions from requiring students to take certain
72 additional general education core courses; creating s.
73 1007.55, F.S.; providing legislative findings;
74 providing requirements for general education courses;
75 requiring public postsecondary educational institution
76 boards of trustees and presidents to annually review
77 and approve general education requirements; requiring
78 public postsecondary educational institutions to
79 report certain courses to the department; providing a
80 penalty for failing to meet such review and approval
81 requirements; prohibiting public postsecondary
82 educational institutions from requiring students to
83 take certain additional general education courses;
84 requiring the State Board of Education and the Board
85 of Governors to adopt rules and regulations,
86 respectively; amending s. 1008.47, F.S.; specifying a
87 one-time limit on the requirement to change
88 accrediting agencies; providing for expiration;
89 prohibiting an accrediting entity from requiring a
90 public postsecondary institution to violate state law;
91 amending s. 1009.26, F.S.; requiring the Board of
92 Governors to identify state-approved teacher
93 preparation programs eligible for a tuition waiver;
94 providing that certain postsecondary fee waivers
95 continue until specified criteria are met; providing
96 an effective date.
97
98 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
99
100 Section 1. Paragraphs (a) through (d) of subsection (5) and
101 paragraph (b) of subsection (6) of section 1001.706, Florida
102 Statutes, are amended to read:
103 1001.706 Powers and duties of the Board of Governors.—
104 (5) POWERS AND DUTIES RELATING TO ACCOUNTABILITY.—
105 (a) The Legislature intends that the Board of Governors
106 shall align the missions of each constituent university with the
107 academic success of its students; the existing and emerging
108 economic development needs of the state; the national reputation
109 of its faculty and its academic and research programs; the
110 quantity of externally generated research, patents, and
111 licenses; and the strategic and accountability plans required in
112 paragraphs (b) and (c). The Board of Governors shall
113 periodically review the mission of each constituent university
114 and make updates or revisions as needed. Upon completion of a
115 review of the mission, the board shall review existing academic
116 programs for alignment with the mission. The board shall include
117 in its review a directive to each constituent university to
118 examine its programs for any curriculum that violates s. 1000.05
119 or that is based on theories that systemic racism, sexism,
120 oppression, and privilege are inherent in the institutions of
121 the United States and were created to maintain social,
122 political, and economic inequities. The mission alignment and
123 strategic plan must shall consider peer institutions at the
124 constituent universities. The mission alignment and strategic
125 plan must shall acknowledge that universities that have a
126 national and international impact have the greatest capacity to
127 promote the state’s economic development through: new
128 discoveries, patents, licenses, and technologies that generate
129 state businesses of global importance; research achievements
130 through external grants and contracts that are comparable to
131 nationally recognized and ranked universities; the creation of a
132 resource rich academic environment that attracts high-technology
133 business and venture capital to the state; and this generation’s
134 finest minds focusing on solving the state’s economic, social,
135 environmental, and legal problems in the areas of life sciences,
136 water, sustainability, energy, and health care. A nationally
137 recognized and ranked university that has a global perspective
138 and impact must shall be afforded the opportunity to enable and
139 protect the university’s competitiveness on the global stage in
140 fair competition with other institutions of other states in the
141 highest Carnegie Classification.
142 (b) The Board of Governors shall develop a strategic plan
143 specifying goals and objectives for the State University System
144 and each constituent university, including each university’s
145 contribution to overall system goals and objectives. The
146 strategic plan must:
147 1. Include performance metrics and standards common for all
148 institutions and metrics and standards unique to institutions
149 depending on institutional core missions, including, but not
150 limited to, student admission requirements, retention,
151 graduation, percentage of graduates who have attained
152 employment, percentage of graduates enrolled in continued
153 education, licensure passage, nondegree credential attainment,
154 average wages of employed graduates, average cost per graduate,
155 excess hours, student loan burden and default rates, faculty
156 awards, total annual research expenditures, patents, licenses
157 and royalties, intellectual property, startup companies, annual
158 giving, endowments, and well-known, highly respected national
159 rankings for institutional and program achievements.
160 2. Consider reports and recommendations of the Florida
161 Talent Development Council under s. 1004.015 and the
162 Articulation Coordinating Committee under s. 1007.01.
163 3. Include student enrollment and performance data
164 delineated by method of instruction, including, but not limited
165 to, traditional, online, and distance learning instruction.
166 4. Include criteria for designating baccalaureate degree
167 and master’s degree programs at specified universities as high
168 demand programs of emphasis. The programs of emphasis list
169 adopted by the Board of Governors before July 1, 2021, shall be
170 used for the 2021-2022 academic year. Beginning in the 2022-2023
171 academic year, the Board of Governors shall adopt the criteria
172 to determine value for and prioritization of degree credentials
173 and degree programs established by the Credentials Review
174 Committee under s. 445.004 for designating high-demand programs
175 of emphasis. The Board of Governors must review designated
176 programs of emphasis, at a minimum, every 3 years to ensure
177 alignment with the prioritization of degree credentials and
178 degree programs identified by the Credentials Review Committee.
179 5. Include criteria for nondegree credentials.
180 (c) The Board of Governors shall develop an accountability
181 plan for the State University System and each constituent
182 university. The accountability plan must address institutional
183 and system achievement of goals and objectives specified in the
184 strategic plan adopted pursuant to paragraph (b) and must be
185 submitted as part of its legislative budget request. Each
186 university shall submit, as a component of the university’s
187 annual accountability plan:,
188 1. Information on the effectiveness of its plan for
189 improving 4-year graduation rates; and
190 2. The level of financial assistance provided to students
191 pursuant to paragraph (h).
192 (d) Beginning in the 2014-2015 academic year and annually
193 thereafter, The Board of Governors shall annually require a
194 state university prior to registration to provide each enrolled
195 student electronic access to the economic security report of
196 employment and earning outcomes prepared by the Department of
197 Economic Opportunity pursuant to s. 445.07. In addition, the
198 Board of Governors shall require a state university to provide
199 each student electronic access to the following information each
200 year prior to registration using the data described in s.
201 1008.39:
202 1. The top 25 percent of degrees reported by the university
203 in terms of highest full-time job placement and highest average
204 annualized earnings in the year after earning the degree.
205 2. The bottom 10 percent of degrees reported by the
206 university in terms of lowest full-time job placement and lowest
207 average annualized earnings in the year after earning the
208 degree.
209 (6) POWERS AND DUTIES RELATING TO PERSONNEL.—
210 (b) The Board of Governors shall may adopt a regulation
211 requiring each tenured state university faculty member to
212 undergo a comprehensive post-tenure review every 5 years. The
213 board may include other considerations in the regulation, but
214 the regulation must address:
215 1. Accomplishments and productivity;
216 2. Assigned duties in research, teaching, and service;
217 3. Performance metrics, evaluations, and ratings; and
218 4. Recognition and compensation considerations, as well as
219 improvement plans and consequences for underperformance.
220 Section 2. Paragraph (m) is added to subsection (2) of
221 section 1001.7065, Florida Statutes, and subsection (3) of that
222 section is amended, to read:
223 1001.7065 Preeminent state research universities program.—
224 (2) ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH EXCELLENCE STANDARDS.—The
225 following academic and research excellence standards are
226 established for the preeminent state research universities
227 program and shall be reported annually in the Board of Governors
228 Accountability Plan:
229 (m) Total annual STEM-related research expenditures,
230 including federal research expenditures, of $50 million or more.
231 (3) PREEMINENT STATE RESEARCH UNIVERSITY DESIGNATION.—
232 (a) The Board of Governors shall designate each state
233 university that annually meets at least 12 11 of the 13 12
234 academic and research excellence standards identified in
235 subsection (2) as a “preeminent state research university.”
236 (b) The Board of Governors shall designate each state
237 university that annually meets at least 7 6 of the 13 12
238 academic and research excellence standards identified in
239 subsection (2) as an “emerging preeminent state research
240 university.”
241 Section 3. Section 1001.741, Florida Statutes, is created
242 to read:
243 1001.741 State university personnel.—
244 (1) Except as delegated pursuant to paragraph (a), each
245 state university president has the final authority for hiring
246 the provost, the deans, and all full-time faculty for the
247 university, and has an ongoing duty to assess the performance,
248 productivity, and employment practices of the university’s
249 provost and deans. The president of the university is encouraged
250 to engage in faculty recruiting as appropriate, and shall
251 provide a regular report and recommendations on employment
252 practices to the board at least twice annually.
253 (a) The president may delegate hiring authority to
254 individuals on the university’s executive management team within
255 the president’s office, to the provost, or to individual deans;
256 however, the president or the person delegated such hiring
257 authority is not bound by the recommendations or opinions of
258 faculty or other individuals.
259 (b) A state university may not require any statement,
260 pledge, or oath other than to uphold general and federal law,
261 the United States Constitution, and the State Constitution as a
262 part of any admissions, hiring, employment, promotion, tenure,
263 disciplinary, or evaluation process.
264 (2) Notwithstanding s. 447.401 or any other law, personnel
265 actions or decisions regarding faculty, including in the areas
266 of evaluations, promotions, tenure, discipline, or termination,
267 may not be appealed beyond the level of a university president
268 or designee. Such actions or decisions must have as their
269 terminal step a final agency disposition, which must be issued
270 in writing to the faculty member, and are not subject to
271 arbitration. The filing of a grievance does not toll the action
272 or decision of the university, including the termination of pay
273 and benefits of a suspended or terminated faculty member.
274 (3) Each state university board of trustees must have
275 procedures for the review of the president’s selection and
276 reappointment of each member of the university’s executive
277 management team, and his or her respective contract and annual
278 salary, before such contracts and salaries become effective, in
279 accordance with the personnel program established by the Board
280 of Governors.
281 (4) Each state university president shall annually present
282 to the state university board of trustees the results of
283 performance evaluations and associated annual salaries for all
284 evaluated academic and administrative personnel earning an
285 annual salary of $200,000 or more, regardless of the funding
286 source for such salaries. The results may be presented in a
287 summary or written format.
288 Section 4. Section 1004.06, Florida Statutes, is amended to
289 read:
290 1004.06 Prohibited expenditures.—
291 (1) A No Florida College System institution, state
292 university, Florida College System institution direct-support
293 organization, or state university direct-support organization
294 may not shall expend any funds, regardless of source, to
295 purchase membership in, or goods and services from, any
296 organization that discriminates on the basis of race, color,
297 national origin, sex, disability gender, or religion.
298 (2) A Florida College System institution, state university,
299 Florida College System institution direct-support organization,
300 or state university direct-support organization may not expend
301 any funds, regardless of source, to promote, support, or
302 maintain any programs or campus activities that:
303 (a) Violate s. 1000.05; or
304 (b) Are based on theories that systemic racism, sexism,
305 oppression, and privilege are inherent in the institutions of
306 the United States and were created to maintain social,
307 political, and economic inequities.
308 (3) Subsection (2) does not prohibit programs or campus
309 activities and functions required for compliance with federal
310 laws or regulations; for obtaining or retaining institutional or
311 discipline-specific accreditation; for securing or retaining
312 research contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements; or for
313 access programs for military veterans, Pell Grant recipients,
314 first generation college students, nontraditional students,
315 “2+2” transfer students from the Florida College System,
316 students from low-income families, or students with unique
317 abilities.
318 (4) The State Board of Education and the Board of Governors
319 shall adopt rules and regulations, respectively, to implement
320 this section.
321 Section 5. Section 1004.3841, Florida Statutes, is created
322 to read:
323 1004.3841 The Institute for Risk Management and Insurance
324 Education.—The Institute for Risk Management and Insurance
325 Education is established within the College of Business at the
326 University of Central Florida. Since insurance and risk
327 management is a major industry in the state, with a
328 concentration of such industry in Volusia County, the institute
329 shall be located in Volusia County. Like many other industries
330 in the state, the insurance and risk management industry is
331 being revolutionized by, among other things, the integration of
332 technology, predictive analytics, and data science, and is
333 becoming more complex, given its exposure to transformative
334 trends in the economy and environment. The purpose of the
335 institute is to respond to the ever-evolving insurance and risk
336 management industry and the present and emerging needs of this
337 state and its residents. The goals of the institute are to:
338 (1) Pursue technological innovations that advance risk
339 valuation models and operational efficiencies in the insurance
340 industry.
341 (2) Drive the development of workforce competencies in data
342 analytics, system-level thinking, technology integration,
343 entrepreneurship, and actuarial science.
344 (3) Leverage the University of Central Florida’s world
345 class assets in data science, artificial intelligence, computer
346 science, engineering, finance, economics, and sales.
347 (4) Take advantage of the University of Central Florida’s
348 robust portfolio of academic program offerings and draw on
349 faculty and industry experts in diverse fields, including
350 actuarial science, computer science, economics, engineering,
351 environmental science, finance, forensics, law, management,
352 marketing, and psychology.
353 (5) Develop and offer risk management and insurance
354 education, including education that recognizes risks in areas
355 such as the environment, pandemic disease, and digital security.
356 (6) Offer programs, workshops, case studies, and applied
357 research studies that integrate technology and artificial
358 intelligence with soft skills while preparing students and
359 professionals for the technology-enabled insurance industry of
360 the future.
361 Section 6. Section 1004.6496, Florida Statutes, is amended
362 to read:
363 1004.6496 Hamilton Center for Classical and Civic
364 Education.—
365 (1) By July 1, 2024, the Board of Trustees of the
366 University of Florida may use funds as provided in the General
367 Appropriations Act and charitable donations to establish and
368 fund the Hamilton Center for Classical and Civic Education as an
369 academic unit within the University of Florida. The purpose of
370 the center is to support teaching and research concerning the
371 ideas, traditions, and texts that form the foundations of
372 Western and American civilization.
373 (2) The goals of the center are to:
374 (a) Educate university students in core texts and great
375 debates of Western civilization and the Great Books.
376 (b) Educate university students in the principles, ideals,
377 and institutions of the American political order.
378 (c) Educate university students in the foundations of
379 responsible leadership and informed citizenship.
380 (d) Provide programming and training related to civic
381 education and the values of open inquiry and civil discourse to
382 support the K-20 system.
383 (e) Coordinate with the Florida Institute for Governance
384 and Civics of Politics created pursuant to s. 1004.6499 and the
385 Adam Smith Center for the Study of Economic Freedom created
386 pursuant to s. 1004.64991 and assist in the curation and
387 implementation of Portraits in Patriotism created pursuant to s.
388 1003.44.
389 (3) In order to carry out the purposes set forth in
390 subsection (2), the center is authorized to:
391 (a) Hire necessary faculty and staff pursuant to s.
392 1001.741;
393 (b) Enroll students;
394 (c) Develop curriculum and offer new courses, including
395 honors courses, certificates, and major and minor programs;
396 (d) Hold events, including fundraisers;
397 (e) Fulfill other actions approved by the president of the
398 university; and
399 (f) Generate resources based on student credit hour
400 enrollment, in the same manner as any other center within the
401 institution.
402 (4) The president of the university may hire a director for
403 the center.
404 (a) The president of the university may remove the director
405 in accordance with the policies and procedures established at
406 the university.
407 (b) The director of the center must report directly to the
408 president or provost of the university.
409 (5) Faculty of the center may be awarded tenure, subject to
410 the tenure regulations adopted by the university board of
411 trustees.
412 (6) Funds appropriated specifically to the center may not
413 be used for any other purpose at the university; however, the
414 university can provide additional funding as available to the
415 center.
416 Section 7. Section 1004.6499, Florida Statutes, is amended
417 to read:
418 1004.6499 Florida Institute for Governance and Civics of
419 Politics.—
420 (1) The Florida Institute for Governance and Civics of
421 Politics is established at the Florida State University within
422 the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy. The purpose of
423 the institute is to provide the southeastern region of the
424 United States with a world class, bipartisan, nationally
425 renowned institute of politics.
426 (2) The goals of the institute are to:
427 (a) Provide students with access to an interdisciplinary
428 hub that will develop academically rigorous scholarship and
429 coursework on the origins of the American system of government,
430 its foundational documents, its subsequent political traditions
431 and evolutions, and its impact on comparative political systems
432 Motivate students throughout the Florida State University to
433 become aware of the significance of government and civic
434 engagement at all levels and politics in general.
435 (b) Encourage civic literacy in this state through the
436 development of educational tools and resources for K-12 and
437 postsecondary students which foster an understanding of how
438 individual rights, constitutionalism, separation of powers, and
439 federalism function within the American system Provide students
440 with an opportunity to be politically active and civically
441 engaged.
442 (c) Model civic discourse that recognizes the importance of
443 viewpoint diversity, intellectual rigor, and an evidence-based
444 approach to history Nurture a greater awareness of and passion
445 for public service and politics.
446 (d) Plan and host forums to allow students and guests to
447 hear from exceptional individuals who have excelled in a wide
448 range of sectors of American life, to highlight the
449 possibilities created by individual achievement and
450 entrepreneurial vision and interact with experts from
451 government, politics, policy, and journalism on a frequent
452 basis.
453 (e) Become a national and state resource on using polling
454 instruments and other assessments to measure civic literacy and
455 make recommendations for improving civic education information
456 and survey methodology.
457 (f) Provide fellowships and internship opportunities to
458 students in government, nonprofit organizations, and community
459 organizations.
460 (g) Create through scholarship, original research,
461 publications, symposia, testimonials, and other means a body of
462 resources that can be accessed by students, scholars, and
463 government officials to understand the innovations in public
464 policy in this state over a rolling 30-year time period Provide
465 training sessions for newly elected state and local public
466 officials.
467 (h) Organize and sponsor conferences, symposia, and
468 workshops throughout this state to educate and inform citizens,
469 elected officials, and appointed policymakers regarding
470 effective policymaking techniques and processes.
471 (i) Create and promote research and awareness regarding
472 politics, citizen involvement, and public service.
473 (j) Collaborate with related policy institutes and research
474 activities at the Florida State University and other
475 institutions of higher education to motivate, increase, and
476 sustain citizen involvement in public affairs.
477 Section 8. Subsection (3) is added to section 1004.64991,
478 Florida Statutes, to read:
479 1004.64991 The Adam Smith Center for the Study of Economic
480 Freedom.—
481 (3) In order to carry out the purpose set forth in this
482 section, the institute is authorized to:
483 (a) Hire necessary faculty and staff pursuant to s.
484 1001.741;
485 (b) Enroll students;
486 (c) Develop curriculum and offer new courses, including
487 honors courses, certificates, and major and minor programs;
488 (d) Hold events, including fundraisers;
489 (e) Fulfill other actions approved by the president of the
490 university; and
491 (f) Generate resources based on student credit hour
492 enrollment, in the same manner as any college within the
493 institution.
494 Section 9. Subsection (3) of section 1007.25, Florida
495 Statutes, is amended to read:
496 1007.25 General education courses; common prerequisites;
497 other degree requirements.—
498 (3) The chair of the State Board of Education and the chair
499 of the Board of Governors, or their designees, shall jointly
500 appoint faculty committees to review and recommend to the
501 Articulation Coordinating Committee for approval by the State
502 Board of Education and the Board of Governors identify statewide
503 general education core course options for inclusion in the
504 statewide course numbering system established under s. 1007.24.
505 Faculty committees shall, by July 1, 2024, and by July 1 every 4
506 years thereafter, review and submit recommendations to the
507 Articulation Coordinating Committee and the commissioner for the
508 removal, alignment, realignment, or addition of general
509 education core courses that satisfy the requirements of this
510 subsection.
511 (a) General education core course options shall consist of
512 a maximum of five courses within each of the subject areas of
513 communication, mathematics, social sciences, humanities, and
514 natural sciences. The core courses may be revised, or the five
515 course maximum within each subject area may be exceeded, if
516 approved by the State Board of Education and the Board of
517 Governors, as recommended by the subject area faculty committee
518 and approved by the Articulation Coordinating Committee as
519 necessary for a subject area.
520 (b) Each general education core course option must contain
521 high-level academic and critical thinking skills and common
522 competencies that students must demonstrate to successfully
523 complete the course.
524 (c) General education core courses may not distort
525 significant historical events or include a curriculum that
526 teaches identity politics, violates s. 1000.05, or is based on
527 theories that systemic racism, sexism, oppression, and privilege
528 are inherent in the institutions of the United States and were
529 created to maintain social, political, and economic inequities.
530 (d) General education core courses must meet the following
531 standards:
532 1. Communication courses must afford students the ability
533 to communicate effectively, including the ability to write
534 clearly and engage in public speaking.
535 2. Humanities courses must afford students the ability to
536 think critically through the mastering of subjects concerned
537 with human culture, especially literature, history, art, music,
538 and philosophy, and must include selections from the Western
539 canon.
540 3. Social science courses must afford students an
541 understanding of the basic social and behavioral science
542 concepts and principles used in the analysis of behavior and
543 past and present social, political, and economic issues.
544 4. Natural science courses must afford students the ability
545 to critically examine and evaluate the principles of the
546 scientific method, model construction, and use the scientific
547 method to explain natural experiences and phenomena.
548 5. Mathematics courses must afford students a mastery of
549 foundational mathematical and computation models and methods by
550 applying such models and methods in problem solving.
551 (e) Beginning with students initially entering a Florida
552 College System institution or state university in 2015-2016 and
553 thereafter, each student must complete at least one identified
554 core course in each subject area as part of the general
555 education course requirements. Beginning in the 2022-2023
556 academic year and thereafter, students entering a technical
557 degree education program as defined in s. 1004.02(13) must
558 complete at least one identified core course in each subject
559 area as part of the general education course requirements before
560 a degree is awarded.
561 (f) All public postsecondary educational institutions shall
562 offer at least one general education core course in each of the
563 identified subject areas and accept these courses as meeting
564 general education core course requirements upon transfer,
565 regardless of whether the receiving institution offers the
566 identical general education core courses. The remaining general
567 education course requirements shall be identified by each
568 institution as approved in accordance with this section and
569 listed in the statewide course numbering system and reported to
570 the department by their statewide course number.
571 (g) A public postsecondary educational institution may not
572 require a student to complete an additional course to meet a
573 subject area distribution requirement that was completed by the
574 student with a course that has since been removed as a general
575 education core course.
576 (h) The general education core course options shall be
577 adopted in rule by the State Board of Education and in
578 regulation by the Board of Governors.
579 Section 10. Section 1007.55, Florida Statutes, is created
580 to read:
581 1007.55 General education course principles, standards, and
582 content.—
583 (1) The Legislature finds it necessary to ensure that every
584 undergraduate student of a Florida public postsecondary
585 educational institution graduates as an informed citizen through
586 participation in rigorous general education courses that promote
587 and preserve the constitutional republic through traditional,
588 historically accurate, and high-quality coursework. General
589 education courses should provide broad foundational knowledge to
590 help students develop intellectual skills and habits that enable
591 them to become more effective and lifelong learners. Courses
592 with a curriculum based on unproven, speculative, or exploratory
593 content are best suited as elective or specific program
594 prerequisite credit, not general education credit. General
595 education courses must:
596 (a) Meet the course standards as provided in s. 1007.25;
597 and
598 (b) Whenever applicable, provide instruction on the
599 historical background and philosophical foundation of Western
600 civilization and this nation’s historical documents, such as the
601 Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, the
602 Bill of Rights and subsequent amendments, and the Federalist
603 Papers.
604 (2) Public postsecondary educational institution boards of
605 trustees and presidents are responsible for annually reviewing
606 and approving, at a public meeting, general education course
607 requirements, as authorized and approved in accordance with ss.
608 1007.24 and 1007.25 and this section, at their respective
609 institutions. The following must be included for each listed
610 general education course:
611 (a) The general education distribution area;
612 (b) The number of state universities that offer the course
613 and the number of Florida College System institutions that offer
614 the course; and
615 (c) The course level.
616 (3) Each public postsecondary educational institution must
617 annually submit to the Board of Governors or the State Board of
618 Education, as applicable, the institution’s listing of approved
619 general education courses, which must include the information in
620 paragraphs (2)(a), (b), and (c). The applicable board must
621 approve the institution general education course lists.
622 (4) Public postsecondary educational institutions must
623 report courses meeting institutional general education subject
624 requirements to the department by their statewide course number.
625 (5) Public postsecondary educational institutions that fail
626 to comply with the requirements of this section are not eligible
627 to receive performance-based funding pursuant to ss. 1001.66 or
628 1001.92.
629 (6) A public postsecondary educational institution may not
630 require a student to take an additional course to meet a subject
631 area distribution requirement that was completed by the student
632 with a course that has since been removed as a general education
633 course.
634 (7) The State Board of Education and the Board of Governors
635 shall adopt rules and regulations, respectively, to implement
636 this section.
637 Section 11. Present subsections (3) and (4) of section
638 1008.47, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (4)
639 and (5), respectively, a new subsection (3) is added to that
640 section, and subsection (2) and present subsection (3) of that
641 section are amended, to read:
642 1008.47 Postsecondary education institution accreditation.—
643 (2) ACCREDITATION.—
644 (a) By September 1, 2022, the Board of Governors or the
645 State Board of Education, as applicable, shall identify and
646 determine the accrediting agencies or associations best suited
647 to serve as an accreditor for public postsecondary institutions.
648 Such accrediting agencies or associations must be recognized by
649 the database created and maintained by the United States
650 Department of Education. A public postsecondary institution may
651 not be accredited by the same accrediting agency or association
652 for consecutive accreditation cycles. In the year following
653 reaffirmation or fifth-year review by its accrediting agencies
654 or associations, each public postsecondary institution must seek
655 and obtain accreditation from an accrediting agency or
656 association identified by the Board of Governors or State Board
657 of Education, respectively, before its next reaffirmation or
658 fifth-year review date. The requirements in this section are
659 limited to a one-time change in accreditation. The requirements
660 of this subsection are not applicable to those professional,
661 graduate, departmental, or certificate programs at public
662 postsecondary institutions that have specific accreditation
663 requirements or best practices, including, but not limited to,
664 law, pharmacy, engineering, or other similarly situated
665 educational programs.
666 (b) Once a public postsecondary institution is required to
667 seek and obtain accreditation from an agency or association
668 identified pursuant to paragraph (a), the institution shall seek
669 accreditation from a regional accrediting agency or association
670 and provide quarterly reports of its progress to the Board of
671 Governors or State Board of Education, as applicable. If each
672 regional accreditation agency or association identified pursuant
673 to paragraph (a) has refused to grant candidacy status to an
674 institution, the institution must shall seek and obtain
675 accreditation from any accrediting agency or association that is
676 different from its current accrediting agency or association and
677 is recognized by the database created and maintained by the
678 United States Department of Education. If a public postsecondary
679 institution is not granted candidacy status before its next
680 reaffirmation or fifth-year review date, the institution may
681 remain with its current accrediting agency or association.
682 (c) This subsection expires December 31, 2032.
683 (3) PROHIBITION.—An accrediting agency or association may
684 not compel any public postsecondary institution to violate state
685 law, and any adverse action upon the institution based upon the
686 institution’s compliance with state law constitutes a violation
687 of this section that may be enforced through subsection (4),
688 except to the extent that state law is preempted by a federal
689 law that recognizes the necessity of the accreditation standard
690 or requirement.
691 (4)(3) CAUSE OF ACTION.—A postsecondary education
692 institution negatively impacted by retaliatory or adverse action
693 taken against the postsecondary education institution by an
694 accrediting agency or association may bring an action against
695 the accrediting agency or association in a court of competent
696 jurisdiction and may obtain liquidated damages in up to the
697 amount of federal financial aid received by the postsecondary
698 education institution, court costs, and reasonable attorney
699 fees.
700 Section 12. Paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of subsection (18)
701 of section 1009.26, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
702 1009.26 Fee Waivers.—
703 (18)(a) For every course in a Program of Strategic
704 Emphasis, or in a state-approved teacher preparation program
705 identified by the Board of Governors, as identified in
706 subparagraph 3., in which a student is enrolled, a state
707 university shall waive 100 percent of the tuition and fees for
708 an equivalent course in such program for a student who:
709 1. Is a resident for tuition purposes under s. 1009.21.
710 2. Has earned at least 60 semester credit hours towards a
711 baccalaureate degree within 2 academic years after initial
712 enrollment at a Florida public postsecondary institution.
713 3. Enrolls in one of 10 Programs of Strategic Emphasis as
714 adopted by the Board of Governors or in one of two state
715 approved teacher preparation programs identified by the Board of
716 Governors. The Board of Governors shall adopt eight Programs of
717 Strategic Emphasis in science, technology, engineering, or math;
718 and, beginning with the 2022-2023 academic year, two Programs of
719 Strategic Emphasis in the critical workforce gap analysis
720 category; and beginning with the 2023-2024 academic year, two
721 state-approved teacher preparation programs for which a student
722 may be eligible to receive the tuition and fee waiver authorized
723 by this subsection. The programs identified by the board must
724 reflect the priorities of the state and be offered at a majority
725 of state universities at the time the Board of Governors
726 approves the list.
727 (b) A waiver granted under this subsection is applicable
728 only for upper-level courses and up to 110 percent of the number
729 of required credit hours of the baccalaureate degree program for
730 which the student is enrolled. A student granted a waiver under
731 this subsection shall continue receiving the waiver until the
732 student graduates, exceeds the number of allowable credit hours,
733 or withdraws from an eligible program, regardless of whether the
734 program is removed from the approved list of eligible programs
735 subsequent to the student’s enrollment.
736 (c) Upon enrollment in a Program of Strategic Emphasis or
737 in one of two teacher preparation programs identified by the
738 Board of Governors, the tuition and fees waived under this
739 subsection must be reported for state funding purposes under ss.
740 1009.534 and 1009.535 and must be disbursed to the student. The
741 amount disbursed to the student must shall be equal to the award
742 amount the student has received under s. 1009.534(2) or s.
743 1009.535(2).
744 Section 13. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023.
