Legislation would roll back Florida’s advancing higher ed system
Florida is fortunate to have state leaders who are eager to build upon the successes of our high-performing college system. Systemwide enhancements that impact all 28 Florida colleges must be a collaboration between our legislators and the higher education professionals to assure that good intentions such as those proposed in Senate Bill 540 do not result in unintended consequences. One change SB 540 proposes is to revert the system name back to the Florida Community College System. This appears to be a rather innocuous concern. However, it does not reflect the evolution of the system we have become today. Negating this advancement could change the perception of our college system as a national leader and as an open access system leading toward baccalaureate degree attainment. We cannot afford to take such a step backward.
The legislation also changes performance funding measures and ties some college funding to the graduation rate of full-time baccalaureate degree students at other institutions who come from a Florida College System institution. The FCS’s focus on on-time completion is unparalleled, but institutions cannot have their funding tied to what their students may or may not achieve after they complete their studies elsewhere. It is simply inappropriate to link funds to the number of enrolled full-time students. A student who is full time one semester may need to shift to part time another semester due to any one of many reasons. It is predicted that very few colleges would be able to successfully meet this measure.
SB 540 also places restrictions on colleges paying Direct Service Organization professional staff from state appropriated funds. College foundations bring donations into the colleges of which 70 percent to 85 percent support primarily student scholarships. It should be our goal to find ways to continue helping students achieve their education goals. These additional restrictions are not the solution.
SB 540 also proposes enrollment caps of 20 percent for baccalaureate programs offered at a Florida college. The rationale being to ensure our colleges stay focused on our primary mission as AA degree granting institutions. However, only 5 percent of our enrollment is in four-year programs which is a clear indication that our primary mission is firmly in place. Moreover, our baccalaureate programs are workforce targeted and exist to meet the demands of the local labor market and the needs of students within a community who want to obtain a degree closer to home.
Just as each college’s student body is different, the needs and workforce requirements of the community a college serves are unique to that area. SB 540 seeks to change Florida College System governance from individual local boards to include a statewide board as well. By removing the ability for a college to directly listen to the needs of its community, the success of the system and ability to remain relevant are threatened. Nationally, our strong, local control model is the envy of other states.
Legislation that limits our ability to address student needs and workforce demand is not a step forward. The $286 million budget request by the Council of Presidents, supported by the Association of Florida Colleges, is what will truly help the FCS meet the current and future needs related to degree attainment and local workforce development. These funds are targeted for reducing the adviser/student ratio, recruiting the best instructors, and expanding targeted articulated pathways and workforce programs.
Throughout the 2018 Florida Legislative Session, our 28 colleges, their leaders and students, and the Association of Florida Colleges will remain committed to working with legislators to develop policies that give all colleges the opportunity to continue meeting the needs of the diverse students and communities they serve.