Bill Text: FL S1706 | 2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Board of Governors/Student Body President
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-05-07 - Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration [S1706 Detail]
Download: Florida-2011-S1706-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2011 SJR 1706 By Senator Montford 6-01342A-11 20111706__ 1 Senate Joint Resolution 2 A joint resolution proposing an amendment to Section 7 3 of Article IX of the State Constitution to require the 4 Governor to appoint a state university student body 5 president to the Board of Governors of the State 6 University System. 7 8 Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 9 10 That the following amendment to Section 7 of Article IX of 11 the State Constitution is agreed to and shall be submitted to 12 the electors of this state for approval or rejection at the next 13 general election or at an earlier special election specifically 14 authorized by law for that purpose: 15 ARTICLE IX 16 SECTION 7. State University System.— 17 (a) PURPOSES. In order to achieve excellence through 18 teaching students, advancing research and providing public 19 service for the benefit of Florida’s citizens, their communities 20 and economies, the people hereby establish a system of 21 governance for the state university system of Florida. 22 (b) STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM. There shall be a single state 23 university system comprised of all public universities. A board 24 of trustees shall administer each public university and a board 25 of governors shall govern the state university system. 26 (c) LOCAL BOARDS OF TRUSTEES. Each local constituent 27 university shall be administered by a board of trustees 28 consisting of thirteen members dedicated to the purposes of the 29 state university system. The board of governors shall establish 30 the powers and duties of the boards of trustees. Each board of 31 trustees shall consist of six citizen members appointed by the 32 governor and five citizen members appointed by the board of 33 governors. The appointed members shall be confirmed by the 34 senate and serve staggered terms of five years as provided by 35 law. The chair of the faculty senate, or the equivalent, and the 36 president of the student body of the university shall also be 37 members. 38 (d) STATEWIDE BOARD OF GOVERNORS. The board of governors 39 shall be a body corporate consisting of seventeen members. The 40 board shall operate, regulate, control, and be fully responsible 41 for the management of the whole university system. These 42 responsibilities shall include, but not be limited to, defining 43 the distinctive mission of each constituent university and its 44 articulation with free public schools and community colleges, 45 ensuring the well-planned coordination and operation of the 46 system, and avoiding wasteful duplication of facilities or 47 programs. The board’s management shall be subject to the powers 48 of the legislature to appropriate for the expenditure of funds, 49 and the board shall account for such expenditures as provided by 50 law. The governor shall appoint to the board fourteen citizens, 51 one of whom shall be a state university student body president, 52 dedicated to the purposes of the state university system. The 53 appointed members shall be confirmed by the senate and serve 54 staggered terms of seven years as provided by law. The 55 commissioner of education and,the chair of the advisory council 56 of faculty senates, or the equivalent,and the president of the57Florida student association, or the equivalent,shall also be 58 members of the board. 59 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be 60 placed on the ballot: 61 CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT 62 ARTICLE IX, SECTION 7 63 APPOINTMENT OF STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT TO BOARD OF GOVERNORS 64 OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM.—Proposing an amendment to the 65 State Constitution to require that the Governor appoint the 66 student body president of a state university to the Board of 67 Governors. Specifically, the amendment requires that one of the 68 fourteen citizen members appointed by the Governor be a state 69 university student body president who is subject to confirmation 70 by the Senate.