Community college oversight bill advances

TALLAHASSEE — A bill that would create a new governance board for the state college system and impose a limit on the number of fouryear degrees awarded by the colleges advanced in the Senate on Wednesday.

In a 6-1 vote, the Senate Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee approved the bill (SB 540), sponsored by Senate Education Chairwoman Dorothy Hukill, R-Port Orange.

The bill, in part, would create a 13-member State Board of Community Colleges to oversee the 28 schools in the state college system. The colleges are now under the State Board of Education, which also oversees the kindergarten-through-high-school system.

Hukill said creating a separate board for the colleges would heighten the profile of the system, which was previously under its own statewide board until it was moved to the State Board of Education in 2003.

“Basically, we see it as a way of dedicating this board to the advocacy and advancement of the unique goals of the community colleges,” Hukill said.

The legislation would also cap the number of baccalaureate degrees awarded by the colleges. Each school would limit its enrollment of four-year degree students to no more than 20 percent of the school’s entire enrollment, while the statewide system would have a 10 percent enrollment cap.

Hukill said only three schools now have a baccalaureate enrollment of more than 10 percent, while the system’s overall four-year enrollment is around 5 percent.

“There is a tremendous amount of room for growth,” she said.

The bill would also revise performance standards for the colleges, including requiring full-time, associate degree students to graduate within two years.

College advocates raised concerns about the bill.

“We serve a unique population of students who otherwise would not step foot in a college classroom were it not for the Florida college system,” said Lenore Rodicio, a provost at Miami Dade College.

Michael Brawer, representing the Association of Florida Colleges, said the schools are still adjusting to current performance standards and that another change would be “tantamount to moving the finish line as the race is going on.”