Port Orange Senator's 'College Competitiveness' Bill Clears Committee

Posted

Florida - A plan to create a statewide board to oversee Florida's state and community colleges has cleared a Senate committee, but college presidents are objecting to a proposed cap on four-year degrees and a stricter performance measure for graduation that are part of the legislation.

SB 540, sponsored by state Sen. Dorothy Hukill (R-Port Orange), cleared the Senate Education Committee on Monday in an 8-2 vote.

According to data cited by Hukill, only 17.7% of students who enrolled in two-year associate degree programs in the college system in 2009 ended up with baccalaureate degrees within six years. About 26% of the students were still enrolled in the associate degree programs, and 13% had left with either an associate degree or certificate... but 43% left the system without any degree or certificate.

The new bill would establish a 13-member State Board of Community Colleges to manage the state college system, which has about 800,000 students and a budget of around $2.24 billion. Right now, the system falls under the state Board of Education, which also oversees FL's pre-kindergartedn through 12th-grade system.

More on this story at the USA Herald.

Photo courtesy KMH Photovideo and Shutterstock.com.