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Kelly Layman
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Kelly.Layman@flbog.edu
News
01/19/2012
ACTIONS TAKEN: Meeting of the Florida Board of Governors, Jan. 19
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—Jan. 19, 2012
Media contact: Kelly Layman, Florida Board of Governors, kelly.layman@flbog.edu
“ACTIONS TAKEN”: MEETING OF THE FLORIDA BOARD OF GOVERNORS, JAN. 19
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—In regular business, the Florida Board of Governors today took the following actions. This list represents highlights and is not the complete list of business.Please consult the web site www.flbog.edu for all agenda items and back-up materials.
Unless otherwise indicated, votes below were taken by the full Board based on earlier work and discussion within standing committees; the committees forward their respective business items to the full Board of Governors agenda for final action and any further discussion necessary. The full Board meeting is the concluding meeting of the two days of proceedings.
New Chair of the Board of Governors opens with ‘State of the System’ remarks
Chair Dean Colson began his 2012-13 leadership term with remarks focused on quality and competitiveness in the State University System, student financial aid, and governance issues. Please see his remarks and presentation posted at www.flbog.edu/pressroom.
From the Facilities Committee (Chair Dick Beard)
PECO: Heard a presentation on the very fluid status of Public Education Capital Outlay (PECO) funding, as the Legislature continues to develop its budget in Session. Last week, the PECO revenue estimating conference put forth an option that would not provide any PECO-funded deferred maintenance or new construction projects for the next two years (FY's 2012-13 and 2013-14). The day before, the Governor asked all entities that are appropriated PECO (K-12/DOE, charter schools, the Florida College System, the State University System, the School for the Deaf and Blind, vocational rehab, etc.) to evaluate projects happening this year and find projects in order to return “up to $250 million of the unexpended balance of appropriations from any previously appropriated PECO projects.” DOE administers the PECO allocations.
The PECO REC’s estimates released last week below are for all of K-20 (all the PECO recipient areas listed above):
For FY 12-13, the estimate dropped from $113 million to zero.
For FY 13-14, the estimate dropped from $434 million to zero.
For FY 14-15, the estimate remained relatively constant, at roughly $700 million for all those who utilize PECO funds.
The Fixed Capital Outlay reversion review process is statutorily required on an annual basis for all state entities and agencies that rely on construction and maintenance toward the buildings and property for which they are responsible. During last year's reversion cycle (February 2011), the State University System had zero reversions for any PECO funds. University projects were permitted and on schedule, and spending was active at various stages. The System met all the required criteria in order to continue forward with various construction and maintenance projects, and thus there were no reversions.
The Facilities Committee may hold a separate meeting in February regarding PECO, in order to have the latest developments during Session. It will be noticed on the home page of the web site if scheduled.
SYSTEM-WIDE ENERGY USAGE: Received a report posted on-line reporting to the Legislature on energy consumption and costs. Staff indicated that a more detailed spreadsheet would be posted to the web site after the meeting.
PECO PROJECTS FINISHED: Heard a routine annual presentation on construction projects finished System-wide during the past year.
From the Academic and Student Affairs Committee (Chair Ann Duncan)
REGULATIONS: Took final action, following the Board’s own required public comment period, to amend Board of Governors Regulation 6.018: Substitution or Modification of Requirements for Program Admission, Undergraduate Transfer, and for Graduation by Students with Disabilities. This will align existing Board regulation language with changes made by the Legislature in its 2011 Session (F.S. 1007.264 and 1007.265).
Also took final action, following the Board’s own required public comment period, to amend Board Regulation 8.016, Academic Learning Compacts. These amendments simply clarify the process related to student learning outcomes assessment. A detailed historical presentation about the success of this initiative – considered a national model – was made in November, as indicated, and is posted under the committee meeting materials. Several years ago, more than 800 compacts System-wide for baccalaureate degrees were put in place, to assure student learning and critical thinking skills, among other commitments in curricula. Each Academic Learning Compact in place at a university is posted on its web site for access by the students and the public.
BUSINESS PLAN FOR MERGER OF LIBRARY SERVICES & FINAL REPORT FOR ONLINE STUDENT SUPPORT WEB SERVICES: Heard two major presentations regarding the creation of a single organization to provide library services to both the SUS and the Florida College System, and an expansive effort to provide more efficient and effective support services to universities and the 28 state and community colleges in the Florida College System, governed by the State Board of Education. (The two reports are posted in agenda meeting materials under Wednesday’s committee meeting.) Staff indicated that the two reports represent far more than a way to achieve greater efficiencies – the reports reflect a new way of thinking and conducting business across education sectors. Florida has long been a leader in statewide policies that provide seamless movement from the state and community colleges into universities, with the 2+2 program, for instance. We also have the statewide articulation agreement; common prerequisites for our respective degree programs; and a process for electronically exchanging student records and transcripts. Part of this larger vision captures the legislative requirement from the 2011 Session that there be a single organization to provide joint library services to the State University System and the Florida College System – these today are separate organizations, although they have a history of close consultation and services-sharing. We also have the Florida Distance Learning Consortium and FACTS.org, our on-line student advising system. What we are pursuing is an achievable vision for a one-stop access point to programs, resources, and services. The goal will be to transform our current distance learning and student advising web sites into one site – a primary online web clearinghouse of information on the offerings of public postsecondary institutions in Florida, while not duplicating services best provided by the institutions themselves.
Heard an update regarding the Committee’s “Adult Learner Completers Outreach Project,” which is to develop a System-wide assistance mechanism that targets adult learner completers, a phrase utilized to describe those who have completed about 60-90 college credit hours, or more, but did not finish their four-year degrees, which typically require 120 credit hours. The reasons are many, including but not limited to financial, work-related, or health-related challenges, or other family obligations. USF and UWF presented additional information culled from universities. Board staff have reported that initial research indicates there are about 1.9 million Floridians today who began but did not finish a four-year degree. At least and possibly more than 14,000 Floridians – since just 2004 – secured about 60-90 college credits at a public institution toward a four-year degree; to date, that is the sub-group category that the committee has been interested to target for outreach, according to Chair Duncan. Another 9,000 are in the same boat but have since moved outside of Florida. Chair Duncan has previously stated that this segment of Florida’s workforce “has to be fully recognized if the State University System is to achieve its future goals for baccalaureate degree production and is to move aggressively toward a knowledge-based economy.” Board staff were directed to work on a business plan with the Council of Academic Vice Presidents (university provosts).
From the Strategic Planning Committee (Chair Frank Martin)
Voted to approve the 2010-11 Annual Accountability Report, posted at the home page – www.flbog.edu. Chair Martin thanked the Board for its contributions and for the past two years of hard work to build a framework of accountability. He noted the major differences in formatting for this year’s report, and that it is now about 25 pages with many new features. This continues the aggressive push toward building a holistic framework of accountability that has been clearly demonstrated the past two years:
• The Board of Governors established a performance-based “dashboard” with key metrics, added to the annual report;
• The Board of Governors had the universities produce annual "university work plans," with detailed forward-looking information for the Board of Governors to better understand both their unique challenges and visions;
• The Board of Governors took up the universities’ Legislative Budget Requests earlier in its deliberations last year (summer), so that that info arrives at the Board the same time as the work plans -- this is both for improved efficiency and to increase the members’ meaningful review time long before the Board submits its LBR for the State University System (in the fall);
• The Board of Governors in November just finalized its brand-new Strategic Plan (2012-2025) featuring 28 separate metrics focused on productivity and excellence, which other states are even now inquiring about. These 28 metrics will be part of the next iteration of the dashboard, expanding next year’s report; and
• The Board of Governors this year – at this meeting – is presenting a very different looking Annual Accountability Report that takes what was previously two major volumes of information (including 11 sections that required cross-referencing in the past) into a streamlined 26-page document providing the key metrics and standing across the System. This means we have an unprecedented and never-before assembled format of seeing data, for an individual metric, for all 11 universities at once. However, we also caution that universities should be consulted for any variance or performance in the data so that they can provide the appropriate context and reasoning.
Note: Next year, the Annual Accountability Report will include the additional 28 metrics from the 2012-2025 Strategic Plan, which was finalized and approved by the Board of Governors at its November meeting.
From the Trustee Nominating Committee (Chair Mori Hosseini)
Appointed Pam Dana of Destin to the Board of Trustees for the University of West Florida.
Higher Education Coordinating Council
Received the final report and an in-depth presentation from Marshall M. Criser, III, co-chair of the Council, which convened in fall 2010 and submitted its final report with 36 separate recommendations in December 2011 for issues and opportunities that affect both public and private postsecondary education in Florida. All five chief executive officers from the public and private entities were members of the Council. For more information about the Council and to see the report: www.floridahighereducation.org.
From the Select Committee on USF Polytechnic (Chair Mori Hosseini)
Received a report on the select committee’s meeting in Orlando last week. See “Actions Taken” for the Jan. 12 meeting: www.flbog.edu/pressroom.
From the Budget & Finance Committee (Chair Tico Perez)
Any university’s proposal for new fees or increases to fees must be first heard and approved at the university Board of Trustees level, then submitted to the Board of Governors. The Budget & Finance Committee will have its annual review of proposals on Feb. 21 at 10 a.m. at UCF, for a separate hearing and discussion with the universities again this year. Any new or increased fees would not be implemented until Fall 2012 term. The Budget & Finance Committee in the past has rejected some proposals and sent them to the full Board with a recommendation against approving. Also, for facts about base tuition and differential tuition, including information about fees, please see the fact sheet posted under “Current Info Briefs” at www.flbog.edu/pressroom.
Previous editions of “Actions Taken” are all posted on the web site under Press Room, along with fact sheets and other resources, at www.flbog.edu/pressroom for your reference at any time.
About the State University System of Florida
The State University System of Florida is governed by a 17-member Board of Governors, a constitutional body and led by appointed public servants. The System is comprised of 11 institutions with a total enrollment of more than 320,000 students, making it the fourth-largest public university system in the nation in terms of enrollment (some states have more than one university system). The Florida Constitution (Article IX, Section 7) was amended by the state's voters in 2002 to establish a statewide system of governance for all Florida public universities. As a result, the Florida Board of Governors was created in 2003 to oversee the State University System of Florida. Responsibilities include defining the distinctive mission of each institution and ensuring the well-planned coordination and operation of the System. The Board’s 17 members include 14 appointed by the Governor, with three serving by virtue of their designations (a faculty member, a Florida Student Association student representative, and the Florida Commissioner of Education). The Board of Governors appoints a Chancellor who serves as the chief executive and administrative officer of the State University System. For more, including the Board’s Annual Report that reflects accountability measurements and benchmarks occurring at each institution, see www.flbog.edu.
