CRC - 2017                                                  P 83
       
       
        
       By Commissioner Washington
       
       washingtn-00094-17                                      201783__
    1                        A proposal to create                       
    2         Section 8 of Article IX of the State Constitution to
    3         specify the purposes of the State College System and
    4         to provide for the governance structure of the system.
    5          
    6  Be It Proposed by the Constitution Revision Commission of
    7  Florida:
    8  
    9         Section 8 of Article IX of the State Constitution is
   10  created to read:
   11                             ARTICLE IX                            
   12                              EDUCATION                            
   13         SECTION 8. State College System.—
   14         (a) PURPOSES. Increasingly, education and training beyond
   15  high school is necessary for individuals to meet Florida’s
   16  workforce demands. In order to provide an affordable, primary
   17  access point to undergraduate education to Floridians, and to
   18  respond quickly and efficiently to meet the demand of employers
   19  by aligning certificate and degree programs with regional
   20  workforce needs, the people hereby establish the Florida College
   21  System. The mission of the college system is to provide open
   22  access to postsecondary education that will prepare students
   23  either to transfer into the university system or the workforce
   24  by obtaining a workforce-aligned credential.
   25         (b) STATE COLLEGE SYSTEM. There shall be a single college
   26  system comprised of all public community and state colleges. A
   27  board of trustees shall administer each individually governed
   28  public college and the state board of education shall oversee,
   29  coordinate, and provide statewide leadership for the state
   30  college system.
   31         (c) LOCAL BOARDS OF TRUSTEES. Each local constituent
   32  college shall be administered by a local board of trustees, as
   33  prescribed by law, dedicated to the purposes of the state
   34  college system. A member of a board of trustees must be a
   35  resident of the service delivery area of the college. The powers
   36  and duties of the boards of trustees shall be prescribed by
   37  general law. Each citizen member shall be appointed by the
   38  governor and confirmed by the senate.
   39         (d) ROLE OF THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION. The board shall
   40  operate, regulate, control, and be fully responsible for the
   41  management of the whole college system. These responsibilities
   42  include, but are not limited to, affirming the distinctive
   43  mission of each constituent college, ensuring the well-planned
   44  coordination and operation of the system, reinforcing
   45  articulation and pathways with public schools and the state
   46  university system, and ensuring that academic programs align to
   47  community workforce needs. The board’s management of the college
   48  system shall be subject to the powers of the legislature to
   49  appropriate for the expenditure of funds, and the board shall
   50  account for such expenditures as provided by law.