CRC - 2017                                                  P 44
       
       
        
       By Commissioner Washington
       
       washingtn-00049C-17                                     201744__
    1                         A proposal to amend                       
    2         Section 7 of Article IX of the State Constitution to
    3         establish the minimum vote threshold required to be
    4         met by the board of trustees of a state university and
    5         the Board of Governors of the State University System
    6         in order to implement any tuition or fee increase.
    7          
    8  Be It Proposed by the Constitution Revision Commission of
    9  Florida:
   10  
   11         Section 7 of Article IX of the State Constitution is
   12  amended to read:
   13                             ARTICLE IX                            
   14                              EDUCATION                            
   15         SECTION 7. State University System.—
   16         (a) PURPOSES. In order to achieve excellence through
   17  teaching students, advancing research and providing public
   18  service for the benefit of Florida’s citizens, their communities
   19  and economies, the people hereby establish a system of
   20  governance for the state university system of Florida.
   21         (b) STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM. There shall be a single state
   22  university system comprised of all public universities. A board
   23  of trustees shall administer each public university and a board
   24  of governors shall govern the state university system.
   25         (c) LOCAL BOARDS OF TRUSTEES. Each local constituent
   26  university shall be administered by a board of trustees
   27  consisting of thirteen members dedicated to the purposes of the
   28  state university system. The board of governors shall establish
   29  the powers and duties of the boards of trustees. Each board of
   30  trustees shall consist of six citizen members appointed by the
   31  governor and five citizen members appointed by the board of
   32  governors. The appointed members shall be confirmed by the
   33  senate and serve staggered terms of five years as provided by
   34  law. The chair of the faculty senate, or the equivalent, and the
   35  president of the student body of the university shall also be
   36  members.
   37         (d) STATEWIDE BOARD OF GOVERNORS. The board of governors
   38  shall be a body corporate consisting of seventeen members. The
   39  board shall operate, regulate, control, and be fully responsible
   40  for the management of the whole university system. These
   41  responsibilities shall include, but not be limited to, defining
   42  the distinctive mission of each constituent university and its
   43  articulation with free public schools and community colleges,
   44  ensuring the well-planned coordination and operation of the
   45  system, and avoiding wasteful duplication of facilities or
   46  programs. The board’s management shall be subject to the powers
   47  of the legislature to appropriate for the expenditure of funds,
   48  and the board shall account for such expenditures as provided by
   49  law. The governor shall appoint to the board fourteen citizens
   50  dedicated to the purposes of the state university system. The
   51  appointed members shall be confirmed by the senate and serve
   52  staggered terms of seven years as provided by law. The
   53  commissioner of education, the chair of the advisory council of
   54  faculty senates, or the equivalent, and the president of the
   55  Florida student association, or the equivalent, shall also be
   56  members of the board.
   57         (e) TUITION OR FEE INCREASES. Any proposal or action that
   58  increases tuition or fees of a constituent university must be
   59  approved by at least nine affirmative votes of the members of
   60  the board of trustees of the constituent university and at least
   61  twelve affirmative votes of the members of the board of
   62  governors in order to take effect.