Bill > H0839

This bill makes several revisions to provisions relating to the Florida College System, the State University System, and higher education in Florida. Key provisions include: - Expanding the transparency website maintained by the Department of Management Services to include employees of Florida College System institutions. - Requiring Florida College System institutions and state universities to annually assess intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity on their campuses. - Modifying the metrics used in the State University System Performance-Based Incentive, including adding 2-year graduation rates for 2+2 transfer students and the difference in 6-year graduation rates between Pell-eligible and non-Pell-eligible students. - Requiring universities to conduct annual audits to verify their performance data submissions and prohibiting the Board of Governors from adjusting metrics after universities have submitted their data. - Defining "anti-Semitism" and requiring public postsecondary institutions to treat discrimination motivated by anti-Semitic intent the same as discrimination motivated by race. - Authorizing Florida College System institutions and state universities to use innovative pricing techniques and payment options for textbooks and instructional materials. - Restricting the transfer of state appropriations by university boards of trustees to direct-support organizations and their affiliates. - Requiring the University of South Florida to consolidate its separate accreditations for the St. Petersburg and Sarasota/Manatee campuses by June 30, 2020, while maintaining their status as branch campuses. - Establishing a "2+2" targeted pathway program to improve articulation between Florida College System institutions and state universities. - Expanding the information the Board of Governors must include in its legislative budget request, including 5-year trend data on faculty and administrator numbers. - Requiring the Commissioner of Education to provide recommendations on a performance-based, continuous improvement model for the Florida College System.

Budget and Finance, Education

Education Committee (H), Higher Education and Career Readiness Subcommittee (H), Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee (H)

https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2019/839