Florida College System

Trustee Manual
2nd Edition, September 2013
Table of Contents
Introduction.............................................................................................................................................. 3

1 The Florida College System................................................................................................................. 5

1.1. History of the System............................................................................................................ 6
1.2. Facts at a Glance..................................................................................................................... 8
1.3. Colleges and Presidents...................................................................................................... 10
1.4. Key Contacts- Division of Florida Colleges.................................................................... 14

2 Florida College System Governance................................................................................................ 15

2.1. Florida College System Governance................................................................................. 16
2.2. Graphic Representation of Florida Higher Education Governance............................ 17
2.3. Current Florida Statutes Regarding the FCS................................................................... 18
2.4 Selected Statutory Provisions Related to Finance and Finance Related Charts......... 25
2.5. Florida State Board of Education...................................................................................... 28

3 College Trustees in the Florida College System............................................................................. 29

3.1. Statement on Trustee Roles and Responsibilities........................................................... 30
3.2. Statement on Guide to Ethical Governance.................................................................... 33
3.3. Statement on Self-Assessment........................................................................................... 34
3.4. The Florida “Sunshine” Law .............................................................................................. 37
3.5 Preparing to Select a President.......................................................................................... 39

4 Trustee Commission Professional Development.......................................................................... 41

4.1. The Association of Florida Colleges Trustee Commission .......................................... 42
4.2. Association of Community College Trustees.................................................................. 43
4.3. Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges................................... 44

5 Appendices.......................................................................................................................................... 45
5.1. A Succinct History of the Florida College System.......................................................... 46
5.2. Florida’s Black Junior Colleges: Building Blocks of the “Great 28”.............................. 57
5.3. AFC Trustee Commission By-Laws.................................................................................. 63
5.4 Association of Florida Colleges Staff................................................................................ 66
5.5 Guidelines Regarding Replacement of President in Event of Death or Disability........ 68
INTRODUCTION

T
rustees play a unique and vital role in college governance, and the Florida Col-
lege System (FCS) has been built on a strong system of local control vested in the
District Board of Trustees for each college. It is the trustees, collectively, who carry
the fiduciary and policy responsibility for their respective colleges. Trustees literally “hold in
trust” their institutions on behalf of the citizens of Florida and their local regions.

While each college provides an orientation and on-going educational program, trustees also
need to be knowledgeable of the mission and organizational structure of the Florida College
System as a whole and as it fits into Florida’s higher education system.

Within the system, there is a long tradition of collaboration and cooperation between the
28 colleges, the Division of Florida Colleges, and the Association of Florida Colleges for the
common good of the FCS.

This manual is intended to provide an overview of the Florida College System, a description
of how the FCS operates within the higher education structure of Florida, and statements of
“good practices” for FCS college trustees.

The Association of Florida Colleges Trustees Commission

The Florida College System, Division of Florida Colleges
The Florida College System Council of Presidents

2013 Trustee Manual |3

THE FLORIDA COLLEGE SYSTEM

T
his section contains a timeline history of the

Florida College System, information that

describes the current system, a list of Florida

College System institutions, presidents and their board chair,

and a list of staff at the Division of Colleges. Additionally,

Appendix 5.1 contains a brief history of the Florida

Community College system and Appendix 5.2 contains a

brief history of the 12 historically black junior colleges in

Florida.

2013 Trustee Manual |5

1.1 HISTORY OF THE FLORIDA COLLEGE SYSTEM

1927 St. Petersburg Junior College founded as private, two-year college

1933 Palm Beach Junior College founded as first public college.

1939 Legislature passes law allowing counties to petition for the establishment of
public colleges.
1947 Drs. Morphet and Johns include section on “junior colleges” in report to
legislature.

1947-1948 St. Petersburg Junior College becomes part of Florida’s public system
Legislature approves creation of three new colleges:
Palm Beach Junior College
Chipola Junior College
Pensacola Junior College

1948 Creation of Florida Association of Public Junior Colleges (forerunner to FACC)

1955 Legislature created Community College Council to formulate long-range plans

1957-1958 Community College Council issues report to legislature which recommended

state plan for 28 community/junior colleges
Legislature approves creation of six new colleges
Gulf Coast Community College
Central Florida Community College
Daytona Beach Community College
Manatee Junior College
North Florida Junior College
St. Johns River Community College

1957-1958 Legislature approves statutory revisions permitting junior colleges to separate

from K-12
Legislature establishes the Division of Community Colleges

1960 Legislature approves creation of four new colleges

Brevard Community College
Broward Community College
Miami Dade Community College
Indian River Community College

1962 Legislature approves creation of three new colleges

Edison Community College
Lake City Community College
Lake-Sumter Junior College

1963 Legislature approves creation of Polk Community College

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 1.1 HISTORY OF THE FLORIDA COLLEGE SYSTEM

1964 Legislature approves creation of Okaloosa-Walton Community College

1966 Legislature approves creation of five new colleges

Florida Keys Community College
Florida Community College at Jacksonville
Santa Fe Community College
Seminole Community College
South Florida Community College

1967 Legislature approves creation of two new colleges

Valencia Community College
Tallahassee Community College

1968 Legislature approves creation of Hillsborough Community College

Legislature approves measure allowing community colleges to be governed under
local boards

1972 Legislature approves creation of Pasco-Hernando Community College

1979 Legislature creates Community College Coordinating Board

1983 Legislature replaces Community College Coordinating Board with State Board of
Community Colleges

1990s Legislature adds economic development as primary mission of the colleges

1996 Colleges become first state agency in Florida to embrace performance based
budgeting

1998 Commissioner of Education eliminated from cabinet position

2000 Florida higher Education Reorganization Act restructures higher education systems
Division of Community Colleges merged with Division of Workforce Development

2001 SB 1162 eliminates State Board of Community Colleges, creates State Board of
Education, and creates local boards of trustees
St. Petersburg, Edison, Miami Dade, and Chipola approved to offer baccalureate
degrees
2002 New statutes give more control to local boards

2003 Okaloosa-Walton approved to offer baccalaureate degrees

2004 Legislation outlines process for community colleges to create baccalaureate degrees
Community colleges allowed to change names to reflect expanding mission

2009 The Florida Community College System is renamed The Florida College System

2013 Trustee Manual |7

 Florida College System 
1.2 FLORIDA COLLEGE SYSTEM FACTS AT A GLANCE
Facts At a Glance 
 

 How many public colleges are in Florida, 2012‐13? 

Colleges  28
Campuses  68
Sites  178
College‐Owned Buildings  2,139
Acres of Land  13,212
Capital Assets  $7.3 billion

 How many people work in the Florida College System (as of October 2012)? 

Employees  47,486
Faculty Members Total:  24,941
Full‐time  5,939
Part‐time  19,002

 What was the amount of funding for the Florida College System, 2012‐13? 

General Revenue  $870 million
Student Fees  $872 million
Lottery Funding  $181 million

 What do students in the Florida College System look like? 

Total Annual Student Headcount (2012‐13)  843,733 
843,733 students
  students 
Student Profile (Fall 2012 College Credit Students): 
Full‐time students  37%
Part‐time students  63%
Average student age  26 years
Gender  59% female
Minority  55%
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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 1.2 fLORIDA COLLEGE SYSTEM FACTS AT A GLANCE

Florida College System 
Facts At a Glance 
 
Enrollment by Program (During the year, students may enroll in more than 
one program) 
 

Bachelors Degree Program  25,389
Associate in Arts Degree  355,393
Associate in Science Degree  115,244
College & Vocational Preparatory  171,873
College Credit Certificates  21,631
Vocational Certificates  27,548
Life Long Learning  2,186
 
(Additional college students are enrolled:  in apprenticeship courses, in 
courses related to employment, as general freshmen or for other personal 
objectives.) 

 How well do students in the Florida College System perform? 

Total Degrees/Certificates Annually Awarded, 2012‐13:  105,886 

Bachelors Degree Program  5,009 
AA Degrees  57,690 
AS Degrees (majority enter the workplace)  15,464 
Vocational & College Credit Certificates  26,772 
Educator Preparation Institutes (EPIs)  907 
 

 What is the annual student headcount in Florida College System institutions? 

Annual Student 
Academic Year 
Headcount
2005‐06  870,352
2006‐07  871,897
2007‐08  907,907
2008‐09  939,307
2009‐10  972,091
2010‐11  961,607
2011‐12  944,505
2012‐13  843,733
 

Source: http://www.fldoehub.org/CCTCMIS/c/Documents/Fact%20Books/fb2013.pdf  

2013 Trustee Manual |9

1.3 FLORIDA COLLEGE SYSTEM PRESIDENTS

BROWARD College
Fax: (954) 201-7357
Mr. J. David Armstrong, Jr. Senior Executive Assistant to
111 Las Olas Blvd President: Avis McCoy
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301 Email: [email protected]
E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.broward.edu
Phone: (954) 201-7401 Board Chair: Sean Guerin (5)

CHIPOLA College
Dr. Gene Prough Fax: (850) 718-2388
3094 Indian Circle Secretary: Joyce Traynom
Marianna, FL 32446-2053 Email: [email protected]
E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.chipola.edu
Phone: (850) 718-2288 Board Chair: Gary Clark (9)

college of central florida

Dr. James D. Henningsen Fax: (352) 873-5847
3001 SW College Rd. Executive Assistant: Cherie Ross
Ocala, FL 34474 E-Mail: [email protected]
E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.cf.edu
Phone: (352) 873-5835 Board Chair: Sandra Balfour (7)

daytona state college

Dr. Carol Eaton Fax: (386) 506-4440
PO Box 2811 Executive Secretary: Lynn Mercer
Daytona Beach, FL 32120-2811 Email: [email protected]
E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.daytonastate.edu
Phone: (386) 506-4408 Board Chair : Mary Ann Hass (9)

EASTERN FLORIDA STATE College

Dr. James Richey Fax: (321) 433-7005
1519 Clearlake Road Executive Asst to President: Gina Cline
Cocoa, FL 32922 Email: [email protected]
E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.easternflorida.edu
Phone: (321) 433-7000 Board Chair: Alan H. Landman (5)

edison state college

Dr. Jeffrey Allbritten Fax: (239) 489-9341
8099 College Parkway Project Coordinator: Danessa Stevens
Ft. Myers, FL 33919 Email: [email protected]
E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.edison.edu
Phone: (239) 489-9211 Board Chair: Sankey “Eddie” Webb (8)

Florida Gateway College

Dr. Charles W. Hall Fax: (386) 754-4593
149 SE College Place Executive Assistant: Karyn Congressi
Lake City, FL 32025-2007 E-Mail: [email protected]
E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.fgc.edu
Phone: (386)754-4200 Board Chair: Thomas Riherd, II (9)

( ) denotes number of Board Members

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 1.3 florida college system PRESIDENTS

Florida Keys Community College

Dr. Jonathan Gueverra Fax: (305) 292-5155
5901 College Road Secretary: Debbie Leonard
Key West, FL 33040-4397 Email: [email protected]
E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.fkcc.edu
Phone: (305) 809-3204 Board Chair: Antoinette Martin (8)

Florida State College at

Phone: (904) 632-3224
Jacksonville
Fax: (904) 632-3393
Dr. Will Holcombe (Interim) Executive Secretary: Jeffie Woodham
501 W State Street Email: [email protected]
Jacksonville, FL 32202 Website: www.fscj.edu
E-Mail: [email protected] Board Chair: Jimmy L. “Jim” Mayo (9)

Gulf Coast State College

Dr. James Kerley Fax: (850) 767-8001
5230 W Highway 98 Secretary: Eileen Wilkes
Panama City, FL 32401-1044 Email: [email protected]
E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.gulfcoast.edu
Phone: (850) 872-3800 Board Chair: Ralph Roberson (9)

Hillsborough Community College

Dr. Ken Atwater Fax: (813) 253-7183
PO Box 31127 Executive Assistant: Christina Heskett
Tampa, FL 33631-3127 Email: [email protected]
E-Mail : [email protected] Website: www.hccfl.edu
Phone: (813) 253-7050 Board Chair: Andrew V. Pittman (5)
Indian River State College
Administrative Assistant: Suzanne Parsons
Dr. Edwin Massey Email: [email protected]
3209 Virginia Avenue Director of Legislative and Executive Com-
Fort Pierce, FL 34981 munications: Andrew Treadwell
Email : [email protected] Email: [email protected]
Phone : (772) 462-4701 Website: www.irsc.edu
Fax : (772) 462-4724 Board Chair: Werner Bols (9)
Lake-Sumter STATE College Fax: (352) 365-3548
Dr. Charles Mojock Executive Assistant: Linda Holiman
9501 U.S. Highway 441 Email: [email protected]
Leesburg, FL 34788-8751 Special Assistant: Joan Knost
E-Mail: [email protected] Email: [email protected]
Phone: (352) 365-3523 Website: www.lssc.edu
Board Chair: Tim Morris (9)
Miami Dade College
Dr. Eduardo J. Padron Fax: (305) 237-3109
300 NE 2nd Avenue Chief of Staff: George Andrews
Miami, FL 33132-2297 Email: [email protected]
E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.mdc.edu
Phone: (305) 237-3404 Board Chair: Helen Aguirre Ferre (7)

( ) denotes number of Board Members

2013 Trustee Manual | 11

1.3 florida college system PRESIDENTS

North Florida Community College

Mr. John Grosskopf Fax: (850) 973-1602
325 NW Turner Davis Drive Executive Assistant: Cindy Gaylard
Madison, FL 32340 Email: [email protected]
E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.nfcc.edu
Phone: (850) 973-1601 Board Chair: Michael R. Williams (9)

Northwest Florida State College

Dr. Ty Handy Fax: (850) 729-5208
100 College Blvd. Executive Assistant: Carolyne Laux
Niceville, FL 32578 Email: [email protected]
E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.nwfsc.edu
Phone: (850) 729-5360 Board Chair: Brian S. Pennington (8)

PALM BEACH STATE COLLEGE

Dr. Dennis P. Gallon Fax: (561) 868-3504
4200 Congress Avenue Secretary: Sherri Dean
Lake Worth, FL 33461-4796 Email: [email protected]
E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.palmbeachstate.edu
Phone: (561) 868-3501 Board Chair: Carolyn Williams (6)

Pasco-Hernando Community College

Dr. Katherine Johnson Phone: (727) 816-3400
District Office – West Campus Executive Assistant: Rhonda Dodge
10230 Ridge Road Email: [email protected]
New Port Richey, FL 34654-5199 Website: www.phcc.edu
E-Mail: [email protected] Board Chair: John DiRienzo, Jr. (9)

Pensacola State College

Dr. Ed Meadows Fax: (850) 484-1840
1000 College Blvd. Staff Assistant: Patricia Crews
Pensacola, FL 32504-8998 Email: pcrews@ pensacolastate.edu
E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.pensacolastate.edu
Phone: (850) 484-1700 Board Chair: Herb Woll (9)

polk state College

Dr. Eileen Holden (Al) Fax: (863) 297-1053
999 Avenue H, NE Secretary: Brenda Edwards
Winter Haven, FL 33881-4299 Email: [email protected]
E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.polk.edu
Phone: (863) 297-1098 Board Chair: Linda Pilkington (7)

Santa Fe College
Dr. Jackson N. Sasser Secretary: Tina Crosby
3000 NW 83rd St Email: [email protected]
Gainesville, FL 32606-6200 Website: www.sfcollege.edu
E-Mail: [email protected] Board Chair: Col. Arley McRae (8)
Phone: (352) 395-5164
Fax: (352) 395-5895
( ) denotes number of Board Members

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 1.3 florida college system PRESIDENTS

Seminole State College of Florida

Dr. E. Ann McGee Fax: (407) 708-2011
100 Weldon Blvd. Executive Assistant: Cheryl Daley
Sanford, FL 32773-6199 Email: [email protected]
E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.seminolestate.edu
Phone: (407) 708-2010 Board Chair: Scott D. Howat (5)

State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota

Dr. Carol Probstfeld Fax: (941) 758-6830
PO Box 1849 Executive Assistant: Christal Riblet
Bradenton, FL 34206-1849 Email: [email protected]
E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.scf.edu
Phone:(941)752-5201 Board Chair: Carlos Beruff (9)

St. Johns River State College

Fax: (386) 312-4229
Mr. Joe Pickens, J.D. Secretary: Toni Mast and Susan Sutliff
5001 St. Johns Avenue E-Mail: [email protected] and
Palatka, FL 32177-3897 [email protected]
E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.sjrstate.edu
Phone: (386) 312-4113 Board Chair: John Nelson, Jr. (7)

St. Petersburg College

Dr. Bill Law Fax: (727) 444-6142
PO Box 13489 Secretary: Debra Boyle
St. Petersburg, FL 33733-3489 Email: [email protected]
E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.spcollege.edu
Phone: (727) 341-3241 Board Chair: Deveron Gibbons (4)

South Florida STATE College

Dr. Thomas Leitzel Fax: (863) 453-0165
600 W College Drive Secretary: Tammy Bush
Avon Park, FL 33825-9356 Email: [email protected]
E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.southflorida.edu
Phone: (863) 784-7110 Board Chair: Joe Wright (8)

Tallahassee Community College

Dr. Jim Murdaugh Fax: (850) 201-8612
444 Appleyard Drive Executive Assistant: Lenda Kling
Tallahassee, FL 32304-2895 Email: [email protected]
E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.tcc.fl.edu
Phone: (850) 201-8660 Board Chair: Eugene Lamb, Jr. (7)

VALENCIA College
Dr. Sanford Shugart Fax: (407) 582-3424
PO Box 3028 Administrative Assistant: Barbara Halstead
Orlando, FL 32802-3028 Email: [email protected]
E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.valenciacollege.edu
Phone: (407) 582-3250 Board Chair: Maria Gurlich (9)

( ) denotes number of Board Members

2013 Trustee Manual | 13

1.4 KEY CONTACTS: DIVISION OF FLORIDA COLLEGES

Chancellor’s Office Public Affairs & Research & analytics

Randall W. Hanna Administration Scott Parke
Chancellor Kasongo Butler Vice Chancellor for Research
Division of Florida Colleges Assistant Chancellor (850) 245-9482
(850) 245-9449 (850) 245-9455 [email protected]
[email protected] [email protected]
Kathyrine Scheuch
Yvette Hargreaves Linda Lewis Research Analyst
Executive Assistant to the Chancellor Assistant to the Assistant Chancellor (850) 245-9456
(850) 245-9449 (850) 245-9452 [email protected]
[email protected] [email protected]
ACADEMIC & STUDENT AFFAIRS
Judy Green Jennifer Harris Julie Alexander
President, The Florida College Policy Analyst Vice Chancellor of Academic and
System Foundation (850) 245-9472 Student Affairs
(850) 245-9494 [email protected] (850) 245-9523
[email protected] [email protected]
Office of Financial Policy
Carrie Henderson John Holdnak Carla Campbell
Director of Communications & Vice Chancellor for Financial Policy Administrative Assistant
Public Affairs (850) 245-9764 (850) 245-9471
(850) 245-9903 [email protected] [email protected]
[email protected]
Scott Kittel Cassandra Brown
Victoria Shelton Deputy Executive Director for Coordinator of Postsecondary
Communications Assistant Financial Policy Readiness
(850) 245-9011 (850) 245-9467 (850) 245-7823
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Lynda Earls Facilities Planning & Patricia Frohe

Director of Equity & Civil Rights Budgeting Director of General Education and
Compliance Lisa Cook Curriculum Services
(850) 245-9468 Director, Facilities Planning & (850) 245-9481
[email protected] Budgeting [email protected]
(850) 245-9487
Wanda Young [email protected] Abbey Ivey
Coordinator of Access and Civil Director of Academic Affairs
Rights Kenny Bell (850) 245-9492
(850) 245-9488 Deputy Director, Facilities Planning [email protected]
[email protected] & Budgeting
(850) 245-9490 Narcissus Willis
Pam Posey [email protected] Coordinator of Student Affairs
Budget Manager (850) 245-9464
(850) 245-9014 [email protected]
[email protected]

14 | 2013 Trustee Manual

Florida College System
Governance

T
his section contains statutes and information

related to the governance of the Florida College

System. A brief overview of public higher

education is provided along with a listing of current State

statutes related to FCS governance and an overview of the

statutory provisions related to the FCS. Additionally, two

charts are provided which show how the various parts of

the public higher education system in Florida relate to one

another. A list of current members of the State Board of

Education is also contained in this section.

2013 Trustee Manual | 15

2.1 FLORIDA COLLEGE SYSTEM GOVERNANCE

The Florida College System is comprised of 28 institutions, including colleges, state colleges, and
community colleges. Governed by local boards of trustees, the colleges fall under the jurisdiction
of the State Board of Education for legislatively specified activities such as state budget requests and
baccalaureate degree approval, The purpose of this document is to give a brief overview of Florida higher
education governance as it relates to The Florida College System (FCS).
The Florida Legislature, composed of the Senate and House of Representatives, is responsible for
Florida Statutes related to public higher education in the state. The K-20 Education Code, specifically
chapters 1000-1013, lays out relevant statute. Furthermore, the Legislature annually allocates funding for
the FCS under the General Appropriations Act.
The roles and responsibilities of the State Board of Education (SBOE) are outlined in section (s.)
1001.01, Florida Statute (F.S.). The SBOE is the chief implementing and coordinating body of public
education in Florida (excluding the State University System) with a focus on high-level policy decisions,
strategic planning, and budget recommendations, among other responsibilities. Per s. 1001.70, F.S.,
the Board of Governors is the SBOE’s counterpart for the 11 public universities in the State University
System.
The Commissioner of Education is the chief educational officer in the state of Florida. The
Commisoner’s responsibilities include functions necessary to support the SBOE. Per s. 1001.10, F.S.,
these responsibilities include, but are not limited to, strategic planning and budget development, general
administration, assessment, and accountability.
Along with the Chancellor of the State University System, the Commissioner of Education has the
responsibility of appointing members of the Articulation Coordinating Committee (ACC). The ACC
makes recommendations related to statewide articulation policies to the Higher Education Coordinating
Council, the State Board of Education, and the Board of Governors (per s. 1007.01, F.S.). The Chancellor
of the State University System, the Commissioner of Education, and the Chancellor of The Florida
College System – along with other higher education stakeholders – also serve on the Higher Education
Coordinating Council (HECC). The purpose of HECC, per s. 1004.015, F.S., is to identify unmet needs
and facilitate solutions to disputes regarding the creation of new degree programs and the establishment
of new institutes, campuses, or centers and making recommendations to the legislature.
The Chancellor of The Florida College System is housed in the Florida Department of Education’s
Division of Florida Colleges and acts as an advocate for the system. The Division of Florida Colleges
provides leadership and advocacy to promote education innovation and continuous improvement within
the FCS.
Each FCS institution is governed by a local board of trustees, per s.1001.61, F.S. The powers of the
boards of trustees are outlined in s. 1001.64, F.S. Boards of trustees work closely with college presidents
who, per s. 1001.65, F.S., are chief executive officers of their respective FCS institutions. College
presidents also constitute the Council of Presidents, an organization designed to promote and represent
the interests of the Florida College System. Below is a graphic display of Florida’s higher education
governance system structure.

16 | 2013 Trustee Manual

2.2 graphic representation of florida higher education
governance

LEGEND
t

Makes
recommendations
t

Reports to
t

Advocates For
t

Serve as member

* Appointed by the
Governor of Florida

public non public

higher
education
state board of independent
coordinating
board of governors colleges and
council
education universities of
florida

florida state articulation commission for

college university coordinating independent
system system committee education

2013 Trustee Manual | 17

2.3 CURRENT FLORIDA STATUTES REGARDING THE FCS

1001.60  Florida College System.—

(1)  PURPOSES.—In order to maximize open access for students, respond to community needs for
postsecondary academic education and career degree education, and provide associate and baccalaureate
degrees that will best meet the state’s employment needs, the Legislature establishes a system of governance for
the Florida College System.
(2)  FLORIDA COLLEGE SYSTEM.—There shall be a single Florida College System comprised of the Florida
College System institutions identified in s. 1000.21(3). A Florida College System institution may not offer
graduate degree programs.
(a)  The programs and services offered by Florida College System institutions in providing associate and
baccalaureate degrees shall be delivered in a cost-effective manner that demonstrates substantial savings to the
student and to the state over the cost of providing the degree at a state university.
(b)1.  With the approval of its district board of trustees, a Florida College System institution may change the
institution’s name set forth in s. 1000.21(3) and use the designation “college” or “state college” if it has been
authorized to grant baccalaureate degrees pursuant to s. 1007.33 and has been accredited as a baccalaureate-
degree-granting institution by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and
Schools.
2.  With the approval of its district board of trustees, a Florida College System institution that does not
meet the criteria in subparagraph 1. may request approval from the State Board of Education to change the
institution’s name set forth in s. 1000.21(3) and use the designation “college.” The State Board of Education may
approve the request if the Florida College System institution enters into an agreement with the State Board of
Education to do the following:
a.  Maintain as its primary mission responsibility for responding to community needs for postsecondary
academic education and career degree education as prescribed in s. 1004.65(5).
b.  Maintain an open-door admissions policy for associate-level degree programs and workforce education
programs.
c.  Continue to provide outreach to underserved populations.
d.  Continue to provide remedial education.
e.  Comply with all provisions of the statewide articulation agreement that relate to 2-year and 4-year public
degree-granting institutions as adopted by the State Board of Education pursuant to s. 1007.23.
(c)  A district board of trustees that approves a change to the name of an institution under paragraph (b) must
seek statutory codification of such name change in s. 1000.21(3) during the next regular legislative session.
(d)  A Florida College System institution may not use the designation “university.”
(3)  LOCAL BOARDS OF TRUSTEES.—Each institution within the Florida College System shall be governed
by a local board of trustees as provided in s. 1001.64. The membership of each local board of trustees shall be as
provided in s. 1001.61.

1001.61  Florida College System institution boards of trustees; membership.—

(1)  Florida College System institution boards of trustees shall be comprised of five members when a Florida
College System institution district is confined to one school board district; seven members when a Florida
College System institution district is confined to one school board district and the board of trustees so elects;
and not more than nine members when the district contains two or more school board districts, as provided
by rules of the State Board of Education. However, Florida State College at Jacksonville shall have an odd
number of trustees.
(2)  Trustees shall be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate in regular session.

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 2.3 CURRENT FLORIDA STATUTES REGARDING THE FCS

(3)  Members of the board of trustees shall receive no compensation but may receive reimbursement for expenses as
provided in s. 112.061.
(4)  At its first regular meeting after July 1 of each year, each Florida College System institution board of trustees
shall organize by electing a chair, whose duty as such is to preside at all meetings of the board, to call special meetings
thereof, and to attest to actions of the board, and a vice chair, whose duty as such is to act as chair during the absence
or disability of the elected chair. It is the further duty of the chair of each board of trustees to notify the Governor, in
writing, whenever a board member fails to attend three consecutive regular board meetings in any one fiscal year,
which absences may be grounds for removal.
(5)  A Florida College System institution president shall serve as the executive officer and corporate secretary of the
board of trustees and shall be responsible to the board of trustees for setting the agenda for meetings of the board

1001.62  Transfer of benefits arising under local or special acts.—

All local or special acts in force on July 1, 1968, that provide benefits for a Florida College System institution through
a district school board shall continue in full force and effect, and such benefits shall be transmitted to the Florida
College System institution board of trustees.
History.—s. 78, ch. 2002-387; s. 19, ch. 2011-5.

1001.63  Florida College System institution board of trustees; board of trustees to constitute a corporation.—
Each Florida College System institution board of trustees is constituted a body corporate by the name of “The District
Board of Trustees of (name of Florida College System institution) , Florida” with all the powers and duties of a body
corporate, including the power to adopt a corporate seal, to contract and be contracted with, to sue or be sued, to
plead and be impleaded in all courts of law or equity, and to give and receive donations. In all suits against a board
of trustees, service of process shall be made on the chair of the board of trustees or, in the absence of the chair, the
corporate secretary or designee of the chair.
History.—s. 79, ch. 2002-387; s. 20, ch. 2011-5.

1001.64  Florida College System institution boards of trustees; powers and duties.—
(1)  The boards of trustees shall be responsible for cost-effective policy decisions appropriate to the Florida College
System institution’s mission, the implementation and maintenance of high-quality education programs within law
and rules of the State Board of Education, the measurement of performance, the reporting of information, and the
provision of input regarding state policy, budgeting, and education standards.
(2)  Each board of trustees is vested with the responsibility to govern its respective Florida College System institution
and with such necessary authority as is needed for the proper operation and improvement thereof in accordance with
rules of the State Board of Education.
(3)  A board of trustees shall have the power to take action without a recommendation from the president and shall
have the power to require the president to deliver to the board of trustees all data and information required by the
board of trustees in the performance of its duties. A board of trustees shall ask the Commissioner of Education to
authorize an investigation of the president’s actions by the department’s inspector general if the board considers such
investigation necessary. The inspector general shall provide a report detailing each issue under investigation and shall
recommend corrective action. If the inspector general identifies potential legal violations, he or she shall refer the
potential legal violations to the Commission on Ethics, the Department of Law Enforcement, the Attorney General, or
another appropriate authority.
(4)(a)  The board of trustees, after considering recommendations submitted by the Florida College System
institution president, may adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement the provisions of law
conferring duties upon it. These rules may supplement those prescribed by the State Board of Education if they will

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2.3 CURRENT FLORIDA STATUTES REGARDING THE FCS

contribute to the more orderly and efficient operation of Florida College System institutions.
(b)  Each board of trustees is specifically authorized to adopt rules, procedures, and policies, consistent with law
and rules of the State Board of Education, related to its mission and responsibilities as set forth in s. 1004.65, its
governance, personnel, budget and finance, administration, programs, curriculum and instruction, buildings and
grounds, travel and purchasing, technology, students, contracts and grants, or college property.
(5)  Each board of trustees shall have responsibility for the use, maintenance, protection, and control of Florida
College System institution owned or Florida College System institution controlled buildings and grounds, property
and equipment, name, trademarks and other proprietary marks, and the financial and other resources of the Florida
College System institution. Such authority may include placing restrictions on activities and on access to facilities,
firearms, food, tobacco, alcoholic beverages, distribution of printed materials, commercial solicitation, animals, and
sound.
(6)  Each board of trustees has responsibility for the establishment and discontinuance of program and course
offerings in accordance with law and rule; provision for instructional and noninstructional community services,
location of classes, and services provided; and dissemination of information concerning such programs and services.
New programs must be approved pursuant to s. 1004.03.
(7)  Each board of trustees has responsibility for: ensuring that students have access to general education courses as
identified in rule; requiring no more than 60 semester hours of degree program coursework, including 36 semester
hours of general education coursework, for an associate in arts degree; notifying students that earned hours in excess
of 60 semester hours may not be accepted by state universities; notifying students of unique program prerequisites;
and ensuring that degree program coursework beyond general education coursework is consistent with degree
program prerequisite requirements adopted pursuant to s. 1007.25(5).
(8)  Each board of trustees has authority for policies related to students, enrollment of students, student records,
student activities, financial assistance, and other student services.
(a)  Each board of trustees shall govern admission of students pursuant to s. 1007.263 and rules of the State Board
of Education. A board of trustees may establish additional admissions criteria, which shall be included in the
district interinstitutional articulation agreement developed according to s. 1007.235, to ensure student readiness for
postsecondary instruction. Each board of trustees may consider the past actions of any person applying for admission
or enrollment and may deny admission or enrollment to an applicant because of misconduct if determined to be in
the best interest of the Florida College System institution.
(b)  Each board of trustees shall adopt rules establishing student performance standards for the award of degrees and
certificates pursuant to s. 1004.68.
(c)  Boards of trustees are authorized to establish intrainstitutional and interinstitutional programs to maximize
articulation pursuant to s. 1007.22.
(d)  Boards of trustees shall identify their core curricula, which shall include courses required by the State Board of
Education, pursuant to the provisions of s. 1007.25(6).
(e)  Each board of trustees must adopt a written antihazing policy, provide a program for the enforcement of such
rules, and adopt appropriate penalties for violations of such rules pursuant to the provisions of s. 1006.63.
(f)  Each board of trustees may establish a uniform code of conduct and appropriate penalties for violation of its
rules by students and student organizations, including rules governing student academic honesty. Such penalties,
unless otherwise provided by law, may include fines, the withholding of diplomas or transcripts pending compliance
with rules or payment of fines, and the imposition of probation, suspension, or dismissal.
(g)  Each board of trustees pursuant to s. 1006.53 shall adopt a policy in accordance with rules of the State Board
of Education that reasonably accommodates the religious observance, practice, and belief of individual students in
regard to admissions, class attendance, and the scheduling of examinations and work assignments.
(9)  A board of trustees may contract with the board of trustees of a state university for the Florida College System
institution to provide college-preparatory instruction on the state university campus.
(10)  Each board of trustees shall establish fees pursuant to ss. 1009.22, 1009.23, 1009.25, 1009.26, and 1009.27.
(11)  Each board of trustees shall submit an institutional budget request, including a request for fixed capital outlay,
and an operating budget to the State Board of Education for review in accordance with guidelines established by the
State Board of Education.

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 2.3 CURRENT FLORIDA STATUTES REGARDING THE FCS

(12)  Each board of trustees shall account for expenditures of all state, local, federal and other funds in the manner
described by the Department of Education.
(13)  Each board of trustees is responsible for the uses for the proceeds of academic improvement trust funds
pursuant to s. 1011.85.
(14)  Each board of trustees shall develop a strategic plan specifying institutional goals and objectives for the Florida
College System institution for recommendation to the State Board of Education.
(15)  Each board of trustees shall develop an accountability plan pursuant to s. 1008.45.
(16)  Each board of trustees must expend performance funds provided for workforce education pursuant to the
provisions of s. 1011.80.
(17)  Each board of trustees is accountable for performance in certificate career education and diploma programs
pursuant to s. 1008.43.
(18)  Each board of trustees shall establish the personnel program for all employees of the Florida College System
institution, including the president, pursuant to the provisions of chapter 1012 and rules and guidelines of the State
Board of Education, including: compensation and other conditions of employment; recruitment and selection;
nonreappointment; standards for performance and conduct; evaluation; benefits and hours of work; leave policies;
recognition; inventions and work products; travel; learning opportunities; exchange programs; academic freedom
and responsibility; promotion; assignment; demotion; transfer; ethical obligations and conflict of interest; restrictive
covenants; disciplinary actions; complaints; appeals and grievance procedures; and separation and termination from
employment.
(19)  Each board of trustees shall appoint, suspend, or remove the president of the Florida College System
institution. The board of trustees may appoint a search committee. The board of trustees shall conduct annual
evaluations of the president in accordance with rules of the State Board of Education and submit such evaluations
to the State Board of Education for review. The evaluation must address the achievement of the performance goals
established by the accountability process implemented pursuant to s. 1008.45 and the performance of the president
in achieving the annual and long-term goals and objectives established in the Florida College System institution’s
employment accountability program implemented pursuant to s. 1012.86.
(20)  Each board of trustees is authorized to enter into contracts to provide a State Community College System
Optional Retirement Program pursuant to s. 1012.875 and to enter into consortia with other boards of trustees for
this purpose.
(21)  Each board of trustees is authorized to purchase annuities for its Florida College System institution personnel
who have 25 or more years of creditable service and who have reached age 55 and have applied for retirement under
the Florida Retirement System pursuant to the provisions of s. 1012.87.
(22)  A board of trustees may defray all costs of defending civil actions against officers, employees, or agents of the
board of trustees pursuant to s. 1012.85.
(23)  Each board of trustees has authority for risk management, safety, security, and law enforcement operations.
Each board of trustees is authorized to employ personnel, including police officers pursuant to s. 1012.88, to carry out
the duties imposed by this subsection.
(24)  Each board of trustees shall provide rules governing parking and the direction and flow of traffic within
campus boundaries. Except for sworn law enforcement personnel, persons employed to enforce campus parking rules
have no authority to arrest or issue citations for moving traffic violations. The board of trustees may adopt a uniform
code of appropriate penalties for violations. Such penalties, unless otherwise provided by law, may include the levying
of fines, the withholding of diplomas or transcripts pending compliance with rules or payment of fines, and the
imposition of probation, suspension, or dismissal. Moneys collected from parking rule infractions shall be deposited
in appropriate funds at each Florida College System institution for student financial aid purposes.
(25)  Each board of trustees constitutes the contracting agent of the Florida College System institution. It may
when acting as a body make contracts, sue, and be sued in the name of the board of trustees. In any suit, a change in
personnel of the board of trustees shall not abate the suit, which shall proceed as if such change had not taken place.
(26)  Each board of trustees is authorized to contract for the purchase, sale, lease, license, or acquisition in any
manner, including purchase by installment or lease-purchase contract which may provide for the payment of interest
on the unpaid portion of the purchase price and for the granting of a security interest in the items purchased, subject

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2.3 CURRENT FLORIDA STATUTES REGARDING THE FCS

to the provisions of subsection (38) and ss. 1009.22 and 1009.23, of goods, materials, equipment, and services
required by the Florida College System institution. The board of trustees may choose to consolidate equipment
contracts under master equipment financing agreements made pursuant to s. 287.064.
(27)  Each board of trustees shall be responsible for managing and protecting real and personal property acquired
or held in trust for use by and for the benefit of such Florida College System institution. To that end, any board
of trustees is authorized to be self-insured, to enter into risk management programs, or to purchase insurance
for whatever coverage it may choose, or to have any combination thereof, in anticipation of any loss, damage, or
destruction. A board of trustees may contract for self-insurance services pursuant to s. 1004.725.
(28)  Each board of trustees is authorized to enter into agreements for, and accept, credit card, charge card, and
debit card payments as compensation for goods, services, tuition, and fees. Each Florida College System institution
is further authorized to establish accounts in credit card, charge card, and debit card banks for the deposit of sales
invoices.
(29)  Each board of trustees may provide incubator facilities to eligible small business concerns pursuant to s.
1004.79.
(30)  Each board of trustees may establish a technology transfer center for the purpose of providing institutional
support to local business and industry and governmental agencies in the application of new research in technology
pursuant to the provisions of s. 1004.78.
(31)  Each board of trustees may establish economic development centers for the purpose of serving as liaisons
between Florida College System institutions and the business sector pursuant to the provisions of s. 1004.80.
(32)  Each board of trustees may establish a child development training center pursuant to s. 1004.81.
(33)  Each board of trustees is authorized to develop and produce work products relating to educational endeavors
that are subject to trademark, copyright, or patent statutes pursuant to chapter 1004.
(34)  Each board of trustees shall administer the facilities program pursuant to chapter 1013, including but not
limited to: the construction of public educational and ancillary plants; the acquisition and disposal of property;
compliance with building and life safety codes; submission of data and information relating to facilities and
construction; use of buildings and grounds; establishment of safety and sanitation programs for the protection of
building occupants; and site planning and selection.
(35)  Each board of trustees may exercise the right of eminent domain pursuant to the provisions of chapter 1013.
(36)  Each board of trustees may enter into lease-purchase arrangements with private individuals or corporations
for necessary grounds and buildings for Florida College System institution purposes, other than dormitories, or for
buildings other than dormitories to be erected for Florida College System institution purposes. Such arrangements
shall be paid from capital outlay and debt service funds as provided by s. 1011.84(2), with terms not to exceed 30
years at a stipulated rate. The provisions of such contracts, including building plans, are subject to approval by the
Department of Education, and no such contract may be entered into without such approval.
(37)  Each board of trustees may purchase, acquire, receive, hold, own, manage, lease, sell, dispose of, and convey
title to real property, in the best interests of the Florida College System institution.
(38)  Each board of trustees is authorized to enter into short-term loans and installment, lease-purchase, and other
financing contracts for a term of not more than 5 years, including renewals, extensions, and refundings. Payments
on short-term loans and installment, lease-purchase, and other financing contracts pursuant to this subsection shall
be subject to annual appropriation by the board of trustees. Each board of trustees is authorized to borrow funds
and incur long-term debt, including promissory notes, installment sales agreements, lease-purchase agreements,
certificates of participation, and other similar long-term financing arrangements, only as specifically provided in
ss. 1009.22(6) and (9) and 1009.23(11) and (12). At the option of the board of trustees, bonds issued pursuant to ss.
1009.22(6) and (9) and 1009.23(11) and (12) may be secured by a combination of revenues authorized to be pledged
to bonds pursuant to such subsections. Revenue bonds may not be secured by or paid from, directly or indirectly,
tuition, financial aid fees, the Florida College System Program Fund, or any other operating revenues of a Florida
College System institution. Lease-purchase agreements may be secured by a combination of revenues as specifically
authorized pursuant to ss. 1009.22(7) and 1009.23(10).
(39)  Each board of trustees shall prescribe conditions for direct-support organizations to be certified and to use
Florida College System institution property and services. Conditions relating to certification must provide for audit

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 2.3 CURRENT FLORIDA STATUTES REGARDING THE FCS

review and oversight by the board of trustees.

(40)  Each board of trustees may adopt policies pursuant to s. 1010.02 that provide procedures for transferring to
the direct-support organization of that Florida College System institution for administration by such organization
contributions made to the Florida College System institution.
(41)  The board of trustees shall exert every effort to collect all delinquent accounts pursuant to s. 1010.03.
(42)  Each board of trustees shall implement a plan, in accordance with guidelines of the State Board of Education,
for working on a regular basis with the other Florida College System institution boards of trustees, representatives of
the university boards of trustees, and representatives of the district school boards to achieve the goals of the seamless
education system.
(43)  Each board of trustees has responsibility for compliance with state and federal laws, rules, regulations, and
requirements.
(44)  Each board of trustees may adopt rules, procedures, and policies related to institutional governance,
administration, and management in order to promote orderly and efficient operation, including, but not limited to,
financial management, budget management, physical plant management, and property management.
(45)  Each board of trustees may adopt rules and procedures related to data or technology, including, but not limited
to, information systems, communications systems, computer hardware and software, and networks.
(46)  Each board of trustees may consider the past actions of any person applying for employment and may deny
employment to a person because of misconduct if determined to be in the best interest of the Florida College System
institution.
(47)  A board of trustees may not enter into an employment contract that requires the Florida College System
institution to pay a Florida College System institution president an amount from state funds in excess of 1 year of the
president’s annual salary for termination, buyout, or any other type of contract settlement. This subsection does not
prohibit the payment of leave and benefits accrued by the president in accordance with the Florida College System
institution’s leave and benefits policies before the contract terminates.
History.—s. 80, ch. 2002-387; s. 75, ch. 2004-357; s. 4, ch. 2005-146; s. 74, ch. 2007-217; s. 1, ch. 2008-163; s. 2, ch.
2009-60; s. 21, ch. 2011-5; ss. 4, 12, ch. 2011-177.

1001.65  Florida College System institution presidents; powers and duties.—

The president is the chief executive officer of the Florida College System institution, shall be corporate secretary of the
Florida College System institution board of trustees, and is responsible for the operation and administration of the
Florida College System institution. Each Florida College System institution president shall:
(1)  Recommend the adoption of rules, as appropriate, to the Florida College System institution board of trustees to
implement provisions of law governing the operation and administration of the Florida College System institution,
which shall include the specific powers and duties enumerated in this section. Such rules shall be consistent with law,
the mission of the Florida College System institution, and the rules and policies of the State Board of Education.
(2)  Prepare a budget request and an operating budget pursuant to s. 1011.30 for approval by the Florida College
System institution board of trustees at such time and in such format as the State Board of Education may prescribe.
(3)  Establish and implement policies and procedures to recruit, appoint, transfer, promote, compensate, evaluate,
reward, demote, discipline, and remove personnel, within law and rules of the State Board of Education and in
accordance with rules or policies approved by the Florida College System institution board of trustees.
(4)  Govern admissions, subject to law and rules or policies of the Florida College System institution board of
trustees and the State Board of Education.
(5)  Approve, execute, and administer contracts for and on behalf of the Florida College System institution board
of trustees for licenses; the acquisition or provision of commodities, goods, equipment, and services; leases of real
and personal property; and planning and construction to be rendered to or by the Florida College System institution,
provided such contracts are within law and guidelines of the State Board of Education and in conformance with
policies of the Florida College System institution board of trustees, and are for the implementation of approved
programs of the Florida College System institution.
(6)  Act for the Florida College System institution board of trustees as custodian of all Florida College System

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 2.3 CURRENT FLORIDA STATUTES REGARDING THE FCS

institution property and financial resources. The authority vested in the Florida College System institution president
under this subsection includes the authority to prioritize the use of Florida College System institution space, property,
equipment, and resources and the authority to impose charges for the use of those items.
(7)  Establish the internal academic calendar of the Florida College System institution within general guidelines of
the State Board of Education.
(8)  Administer the Florida College System institution’s program of intercollegiate athletics.
(9)  Recommend to the board of trustees the establishment and termination of programs within the approved role
and scope of the Florida College System institution.
(10)  Award degrees.
(11)  Recommend to the board of trustees a schedule of tuition and fees to be charged by the Florida College System
institution, within law and rules of the State Board of Education.
(12)  Organize the Florida College System institution to efficiently and effectively achieve the goals of the Florida
College System institution.
(13)  Review periodically the operations of the Florida College System institution in order to determine how
effectively and efficiently the Florida College System institution is being administered and whether it is meeting the
goals of its strategic plan adopted by the State Board of Education.
(14)  Enter into agreements for student exchange programs that involve students at the Florida College System
institution and students in other institutions of higher learning.
(15)  Approve the internal procedures of student government organizations and provide purchasing, contracting,
and budgetary review processes for these organizations.
(16)  Ensure compliance with federal and state laws, rules, regulations, and other requirements that are applicable to
the Florida College System institution.
(17)  Maintain all data and information pertaining to the operation of the Florida College System institution,
and report on the attainment by the Florida College System institution of institutional and statewide performance
accountability goals.
(18)  Certify to the department a project’s compliance with the requirements for expenditure of PECO funds prior to
release of funds pursuant to the provisions of chapter 1013.
(19)  Provide to the law enforcement agency and fire department that has jurisdiction over the Florida College
System institution a copy of the floor plans and other relevant documents for each educational facility as defined in s.
1013.01(6). After the initial submission of the floor plans and other relevant documents, the Florida College System
institution president shall submit, by October 1 of each year, revised floor plans and other relevant documents for
each educational facility that was modified during the preceding year.
(20)  Establish a committee to consider requests for waivers from the provisions of 1s. 1008.29 and approve or
disapprove the committee’s recommendations.
(21)  Develop and implement jointly with school superintendents a comprehensive articulated acceleration program,
including a comprehensive interinstitutional articulation agreement, for the students enrolled in their respective
school districts and service areas pursuant to the provisions of s. 1007.235.
(22)  Have authority, after notice to the student of the charges and after a hearing thereon, to expel, suspend, or
otherwise discipline any student who is found to have violated any law, ordinance, or rule or regulation of the State
Board of Education or of the board of trustees of the Florida College System institution pursuant to the provisions of
s. 1006.62.
(23)  Submit an annual employment accountability plan to the Department of Education pursuant to the provisions
of s. 1012.86.
(24)  Annually evaluate, or have a designee annually evaluate, each department chairperson, dean, provost, and
vice president in achieving the annual and long-term goals and objectives of the Florida College System institution’s
employment accountability plan.
(25)  Have vested with the president or the president’s designee the authority that is vested with the Florida College
System institution.
History.—s. 81, ch. 2002-387; s. 22, ch. 2011-5.
1Note.—Repealed by s. 21, ch. 2009-59.

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2.4 selected statutory provisions related to finance

The Florida College System

Selected Statutory Provisions Related to Finance

• The Florida College System institution boards of trustees are responsible for cost-
effective policy decisions appropriate to the college. Section 1001.64, F.S.
• Each board of trustees is responsible for the institution’s financial and other resources
and is authorized to adopt rules, procedures, and policies, consistent with law and rules
of the State Board of Education, relating to budget and finance. Section 1001.64, F.S.
• Florida Colleges must prepare and maintain financial records and accounts as
prescribed by law and rules of the State Board of Education. Section 1010.01, F.S.
• All funds accruing to a Florida College must be received, accounted for, and expended
in accordance with law and rules of the State Board of Education. Section 1010.02, F.S.
• Purchases and leases by Florida Colleges must comply with law and rules of the State
Board of Education. Each board of trustees must adopt rules for purchasing. Section
1010.04, F.S.
• Each Florida College must provide an annual report on the cost of operations. Sections
1010.23 and 1011.84, F.S.
• The Florida College System Program Fund (formerly Community College Program Fund
– CCPF) comprises all appropriations made by the Legislature for the support of the
current operating program. Section 1011.81, F.S.
• The apportionment to each college is determined annually in the General Appropriations
Act. Section 1011.84, F.S.
• Statute provides a list of components that may be considered in determining each
college’s apportionment. Section 1011.84(3), F.S.
• Any funds allocated to the college through the Program Fund must be expended only for
the purpose of supporting that college. Section 1011.84(4), F.S.
• A college must provide written notification to the State Board of Education if the
unencumbered balance in the college’s general fund goes below 5 percent. Section
1011.84(3)(e), F.S.

Resource Allocation Funding Model

• The Florida College System developed a Resource Allocation Funding Model (Model) in
1999, which includes the components outlined in section 1011.84, Florida Statutes.
• The Model is based on enrollment and cost data, as well as applicable state and national
standards.
• The Model is reviewed regularly by a Funding Committee comprised of college
personnel. Changes to the model are approved by the Council of Presidents.
• Each year, the Council of Presidents makes recommendations to the Legislature on
funding allocations to the colleges, including whether to use the Model to allocate any of
the appropriated state funds.

2013 Trustee Manual | 25

2.4 selected statutory provisions related to finance

26 | 2013 Trustee Manual

 Florida College System - Annual Legislative Budget Request Cycle
(During Non-reapportionment Years)

June July August September October November December January February March April May

Enrollment Activity Enrollment Projections for Final Enrollment Report for Corrections Made to Prior First Enrollment Estimate Second Enrollment
the Next Fiscal Year the Just Completed Fiscal Year Estimates - Creating for the Current Year (FTE- Estimate for the Current
Developed Year (FTE-3 Report) Prior Year Actual 1A Report) Completed Year (FTE-2A Report)
Completed Enrollment Reports Based on Prior Year and Completed Based on Full
Early Fall Registration - Fall and Early Spring
Enrollment Estimating Registration - Enrollment
Conference Held Estimating Conference Held

Enrollment Projections are

Adjusted and Become
Enrollment Estimates for
the Year
2.4

Legislative Budget Preliminary LBR Production - Division of Florida Colleges FCS LBR Rolled Up into the SBOE Approval of the DOE Fall Legislative Committee Fall Legislative Committee Fall Legislative Legislative Committee and Legislative Committee and Legislative Session Begins Legislative Session Calendar and Guidelines for
Request (LBR) Activity Prepared Relative to the (DFC) Staff Complete Final DOE LBR LBR and Legislator Briefings on and Legislator Briefings on Organizational Session and Legislator Briefings on the Legislator Briefings on the Continues - Through the the Next Fiscal Year LBR
State Board of Education (FCS) Input into the SBOE the LBR (in non-election the LBR Continue (in non- Committee Meetings - LBR and Other Areas of LBR and Other Areas of End of the Month Preparation Released by
(SBOE) and Florida College LBR years) election years) Briefings on the LBR Legislative Interest Legislative Interest DOE
System (FCS) Strategic Continue (election years Continue Continue
Plans, in Collaboration with only)
the Council of Presidents
(COP)

LBR Presentations to COP LBR Support Documents LBRs from State Agencies
and Council of Business Prepared Sent to the Governor and
Affairs (COBA) Legislature

State-Level Budget Close Out Prior Fiscal Year Begin New Fiscal Year Annual Financial Report AFR Data Sent to Cost Analysis Data from Governor's Recommended Funding and Allocation House and Senate House and Senate Budget and Conforming
Activity (AFR) Data from Colleges Department of Financial Colleges Reviewed by DFC Budget Released Late in the Methodologies Developed Preliminary Budget Conference Budget and Bills Approved by
Reviewed by DFC Staff Services for Inclusion in the Staff Month (no later than 30 by COP and Transmitted to Proposals and Conforming Conforming Bills Approved Governor with/without
State's Comprehensive days prior to session) Appropriations Committee Bills Released Beginning/ by the End of the Session Vetoes
Annual Financial Report and Staff Middle of March

Revenue Estimating Three-Year Financial Revenue Estimating Revenue Estimating Briefings for COP and COBA Briefings for COP and COBA
Conferences Held Outlook Approved by Conferences Held Conferences Held on Final Budget/ on Governor's Actions
(General Revenue, Lottery Legislative Budget (General Revenue, Lottery (General Revenue, Lottery Conforming Bills
Trust Fund, Public Commission Trust Fund, Public Trust Fund, Public
Education Capital Outlay Education Capital Outlay Education Capital Outlay
Trust Fund) Trust Fund) Trust Fund)

Institutional Level Close Out Prior Fiscal Year Begin New Fiscal Year AFR Data Submitted to DOE Cost Analysis Data
Budget Activity Submitted to DOE

College Operating Budget Annual Financial Report College Operating Budget

Approved by District Board (AFR) Data Reviewed/ Approved by District Board
of Trustees Approved by District Board of Trustees
of Trustees
Approved Operating
Budget Submitted to DOE

2013 Trustee Manual

selected statutory provisions related to finance

| 27
2.5 FLORIDA STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
Mr. Gary Chartrand
Chair, State Board of Education
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
Term: May 16, 2011 - December 31, 2014

Mr. John R. Padget

State Board of Education, Member
Key West, Florida
Term: May 13, 2009 - December 31, 2016

Mrs. Sally Bradshaw

State Board of Education, Member
Havana, Florida
Term: September 6, 2011 - December 31, 2013

Dr. Ada Armas

State Board of Education, Member
Coral Gables, Florida
Term: February 7, 2013 - December 31, 2016

Mrs. Barbara S. Feingold

State Board of Education, Member
Delray Beach, Florida
Term: July 18, 2011 - December 31, 2013

Mr. John Colon

State Board of Education, Member
University Park, Florida
Term: February 7, 2013 - December 31, 2014

Ms. Kathleen Shanahan

State Board of Education, Member
Tampa, Florida
Term: January 6, 2006 – December 31, 2013

Pam Stewart
Florida Department of Education, Commissioner
325 W. Gaines Street
Suite 1514
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
Phone: (850) 245-0505
Fax: (850) 245-9667

28 | 2013 Trustee Manual

college trustees in the
florida college system

T
he continuing success of the Florida College

System depends in large measure on an

effective system of local college governance,

and it is the trustees who have the greatest responsibility

to assure that local governance works as it should. This

section contains several statements, mostly adapted from

statements of the Association of Community College

Trustees, which describe the essential responsibilities of

trustees. The Florida Sunshine Law is also described in this

section, as is a brief overview of the FCS budget process

and notes on selecting a new president.

The following three sections are reprinted with permission: Association of

Community College Trustees
(2012). Guide to Trustee Roles and Responsibilities.
Retrieved from http://www.acct.org/resources/center/roles-responsibilities.php.

2013 Trustee Manual | 29

3.1 STATEMENT ON ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Community college boards of trustees are responsible for ensuring that their colleges are integral parts
of their communities and serve their ever-changing needs. Boards are accountable to the community for the
performance and welfare of the institutions they govern.
Effective boards consist of people who come together to form a cohesive group to articulate and represent
the public interest, establish a climate for learning and monitor the effectiveness of the institution. Boards of
trustees do not do the work of their institutions; they establish standards for the work through the policies
they set. Their specific responsibilities are to:

Act as a Unit
The board is a corporate body. It governs as a unit, with one voice. This principle means that individual
trustees have authority only when they are acting as a board. They have no power to act on their own or to
direct college employees or operations.
In order for boards to be cohesive and well-functioning units, trustees must work together as a team
toward common goals. Boards should have structures and rules for operating that ensure they conduct their
business effectively and efficiently, board agendas are clear and informative, and board meetings are run in an
appropriate manner.
The power of governance is expressed through one voice. As individuals, trustees make no commitments
on behalf of the board to constituents, nor do they criticize or work against board decisions.
To be effective boards must:
• Integrate multiple perspectives into board decision-making
• Establish and abide by rules for conducting board business
• Speak with one voice, and support the decision of the board once it is made
• Recognize that power rests with the board, not individual trustees

Represent the Common Good

Boards of trustees exist to represent the general public. They are responsible for balancing and integrating
the wide variety of interests and needs into policies that benefit the common good and the future of their
region.
Therefore, board members learn as much as they can about the communities they serve. They gain
this knowledge by studying demographic, economic and social trends, by being aware of issues facing the
community, and by talking with other community leaders and members of other boards. They use what they
learn to make decisions that respond to community interests, needs and values.
Boards discuss multiple viewpoints and issues in public, and have strategies to include the public in the
policy-making process. Effective trustees and boards:
• Know community needs and trends
• Link with the community
• Seek out and consider multiple perspectives when making policy decisions
• Debate and discuss issues in public
• Serve the public good

Set the Policy Direction

Governing boards establish policies that provide direction and guidance to the president and staff of
the College. A major board responsibility is to define and uphold a vision and mission that clearly reflect
student and community expectations. This responsibility challenges boards to think strategically, concentrate
on the “big picture,” and focus on the future learning needs of their communities. It requires that boards
consult widely with community groups as well as the administration, faculty, staff, and students of the college.
Trustees engage in exciting, creative, thoughtful discussions as they explore the future and envision what they
want their communities to be. They:

30 | 2013 Trustee Manual

 3.1 STATEMENT OF ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
• Are proactive, visionary and future-oriented
• Learn about and communicate with many different groups
• Focus on community needs and trends
• Establish the vision, mission and broad institutional goals as policy

Employ, Evaluate and Support the Chief Executive Officer

Successful governance depends on a good relationship between the board and the chief executive officer (CEO).
The chancellor or president is the single most influential person in creating an outstanding institution. Therefore
selecting, evaluating and supporting the CEO are among the board’s most important responsibilities.
The CEO and board function best as a partnership. The CEO implements board policies, while the board
depends on the CEO for guidance and educational leadership. This occasionally paradoxical relationship works
best when there are clear, mutually agreed-on expectations and role descriptions. The partnership thrives on open
communication, confidence, trust, and support. To be effective, trustees and boards must:
• Select and retain the best CEO possible
• Define clear parameters and expectations for performance
• Conduct periodic evaluations; provide honest and constructive feedback
• Act ethically in the relationship with the CEO
• Support the CEO; create an environment for success

Define Policy Standards for College Operations

Successful boards of trustees adopt policies that set standards for quality, ethics and prudence in college
operations. Once policy standards are established, boards delegate significant authority to the CEO, allowing the CEO
and staff the flexibility they need to exercise professional judgment. The policies:
• Define expectations for high quality educational programs
• Define expectations for student achievement and fair treatment of students
• Require wise and prudent use of funds and management of assets
• Set parameters to attract and retain high quality personnel and ensure fair treatment of employees

Create a Positive Climate

Boards set the tone for the entire system or institution. Through their behavior and policies, successful boards
establish a climate in which learning is valued, professional growth is enhanced, and the most important goals are
student success and adding value to the community. Alternatively, boards fail their institutions when they act in such
a way that they create a stifling, negative, or dysfunctional atmosphere.
Boards of trustees create a positive climate when they look to the future, act with integrity, support risk-taking,
and challenge the CEO and college staff to strive for excellence. Effective boards and trustees:
• Model a commitment to learning for students
• Focus on outcomes
• Support professional growth
• Seek consultation in developing policy
• Are ethical and act with integrity

Monitor Performance
Boards are responsible for holding colleges accountable for serving current and future community learning needs.
The board adopts the college direction and broad goals as policy, and then monitors the progress made toward those
goals. For instance if a board adopts a policy goal that the college programs will results in skilled employees for area
business, then the board should ask for periodic reports on how that goal is being met.
Boards also monitor adherence to their policies for programs, personnel, and fiscal and asset management. They
receive periodic reports from staff and review reports by and for external agencies, such as accreditation, audit, and
state and federal accountability reports. All monitoring processes culminate in the evaluation of the CEO as the
institutional leader.

2013 Trustee Manual | 31

3.1 STATEMENT OF ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

A board’s ability to monitor its institution is enhanced when it defines the criteria and standards to be used well in
advance of when reports are required, so that the CEO and staff are clear about what is expected. Effective boards and
trustees:
• Monitor progress toward goals
• Monitor adherence to operational policies
• Use pre-established criteria for monitoring
• Schedule a timetable for reports

Support and Be Advocates for the College

Trustees are essential links with their communities. They govern on behalf of the public and ensure that the
College meets the needs of external constituents. They are also advocates and protectors of the College. They promote
the College in the community, and seek support for the college from local, state, and national policymakers. They
support the college foundation in seeking community contributions.
Competent boards protect the College from undue pressure on the institution from political and special interests.
They support the professional freedom of administrators and faculty to create quality learning environments that
incorporate many different perspectives. They protect the ability of the College to fulfill its mission and promise to
their communities. Effective trustees and boards:
• Promote the College in the community
• Foster partnerships with other entities in the community
• Advocate the needs of the College with government officials
• Support the foundation and fundraising efforts
• Protect the College from inappropriate influence

Lead as a Thoughtful Educated Team

Good trusteeship requires the ability to function as part of a team, and a team functions best when all members
are encouraged to contribute their unique strengths and are committed to working together.
Effective boards are thoughtful and educated. Trustees on those boards listen well, ask good questions, analyze
options, think critically, and clarify their most important values and priorities. They explore issues thoroughly and
make policy decisions based on thorough deliberation and comprehensive understanding.
The best boards are future-oriented. They recognize that today’s world requires flexible institutions and personnel
who are willing to adapt and grow in response to the changing needs of society. Trustees who act with vision, with
intelligence, with curiosity and with enthusiasm create a board that is an agent for positive change. Effective boards
and trustees:
• Engage in ongoing learning about board roles and responsibilities
• Are curious and inclusive
• Are positive and optimistic
• Support and respect each other

32 | 2013 Trustee Manual

3.2 STATEMENT ON ETHICAL GOVERNANCE
Governing boards function better when the ethical standards for trustee behavior are clear. ACCT
recommends that boards explore and adopt a set of standards, often called a “code of ethics” or “standards for
good practice.” In fact some regional accrediting commissions for community colleges require that boards
have a code of ethics or similar statement.
ACCT has developed the following model code. Boards of trustees are encouraged to use it as a
starting point for discussion in developing a code or policy. It is important for trustees to explore together
expectations for their own behavior.

As a governing board member, I am responsible to:

1. Devote time, thought and study to the duties and responsibilities of a community college board member,
so that I may render effective and creditable service;

2. Work with my fellow board members in a spirit of harmony and cooperation in spite of differences of
opinion that arise during vigorous debates of points of issue;

3. Base my personal decision upon all available facts in each situation; vote my honest conviction in every
case, un-swayed by partisan bias of any kind; and abide by and uphold the final majority decision to the
board;

4. Remember at all times that as an individual I have no legal authority outside the meetings of the board,
and to conduct my relationships with the community college staff, the local citizenry, and all media of the
community on the basis of this fact;

5. Resist every temptation and outside pressure to use my position as a community college board member
to benefit myself or any other individual or agency apart from the total interest of the community college
district;

6. Recognize that it is as important for the board to understand and evaluate the educational program of the
community college as it is to plan for the business of college operation;

7. Bear in mind under all circumstances that the primary function of the board is to establish the policies by
which the community college is to be administered;

8. Welcome and encourage active cooperation by citizens, organizations, and the media of communication in
the district with respect to establishing policy on current college operations and proposed future developments;

9. Support the state and national community college trustees associations;

10. Finally, strive step by step toward ideal conditions for the most effective community college board service
to my community, in a spirit of teamwork and devotion to public education as the greatest instrument for the
preservation and the perpetuation of our representative democracy.

2013 Trustee Manual | 33

3.3 STATEMENT ON SELF-ASSESSMENT

Why Should Boards Engage In Self-Assessment?

• In order to identify where they are performing well as a board, and where they might improve.
• Discussion about board roles and responsibilities can strengthen communication and understanding
among board members. The discussions can lead to stronger, more cohesive working groups.
• A board’s willingness to engage in self-assessment is a model for the rest of the institution. It
indicates that board members take their responsibilities very seriously.
• Their interest in self-improvement sets a tone for others in the college to engage in an ongoing review
of how education is delivered.
What Should We Expect From a Self-Assessment?
Well-conducted board self-assessments lead to better boards. The results include:
• a summary of board accomplishments
• a better understanding of what it means to be an effective board
• clarification of what trustees expect from each other and themselves
• improved communications among trustees and between the board and CEO
• identification of problems, potential issues, and areas to improve
• an opportunity to discuss and solve problems that may hurt board performance
• identification of strategies to enhance board performance
• renewed dedication to the board
• agreement on board roles and trustee responsibilities
• board goals and objectives for the coming year

Evaluating the performance of the board is not the same as evaluating individual trustee performance.
The purpose of the evaluation is to look at the board as a whole, although a side benefit may be that
individual board members gain appreciation for the roles and responsibilities of trusteeship.

How Should Boards Evaluate Themselves?

The process generally involves the use of self-assessment instruments. The results of the survey
instruments then become the basis for discussion.

Who Should Be Involved In The Evaluation?

Each and every board member should participate in the self-evaluation by completing a board self-
assessment instrument (if used), and be involved in the discussion.
The CEO is also an important resource. Varying levels of involvement by the CEO are appropriate,
from being a full participant in the process, to contributing advice and support for the process, to providing
comments on the board/CEO relationship. Most boards conduct the board and CEO evaluations in tandem,
since the success of one entity depends on the effectiveness of the other. .
In addition, boards may consider inviting comments from those who are part of the management team.
Their perspectives can add valuable insight to the board process. However, evaluations that involve others
need to be carefully designed so that the information is based on a board established criteria of effectiveness.

Should the Board and CEO Evaluations be Linked?

The board and CEO work together in leading the institution - the board governs, and the CEO leads
and administers on a day-to-day basis. It is difficult to evaluate the board without reference to the CEO’s
contributions, and vice versa.
No matter the process, boards should recognize that when evaluating the CEO, their support of the CEO
is an important contribution to the success of the CEO. Conversely, when conducting self-assessments, the
CEO’s support and advice contributes to board success.

34 | 2013 Trustee Manual

 3.3 statement of self-assessment

How Often Should Boards Evaluate Themselves?

Formal self-assessments should occur annually. Getting into the habit of regular evaluations makes the process
part of the board and college culture, and lessens resistance to self-assessment.
New boards, or boards with a significant number of new members, may wish to hold sessions more often as the
members are learning to work together as a team.

What Criteria Should We Use?

A basic self-assessment question is: “Are we doing what we said we will do?” If the purpose of the evaluation is to
answer that question the criteria used in the self-assessment process includes what the board has defined as its roles
and the policies the board has for its own operations and behavior.
Another question is: “How does the board rank itself against commonly accepted standards of boardsmanship?”
In this case, the criteria used may be those established by national and state associations.
In either case, some possible categories and sample questions are listed below.
• Board Organization
• Community Representation
• Policy Direction
• Board-CEO Relations
• College Operations
• Monitor Institutional Performance
• Board Behavior
• Advocacy
• Board Education

How Do We Design an Instrument?

The first step in designing an instrument is to identify what the board wants to get from the evaluation. If the
major question is “Are we doing what we said we will do?” then whoever is designing the instrument needs to review
board policies, practices and other statements that set out the board’s expectations for itself.
For instance, if the board has a policy or practice that the board represents the community in its policy
discussions, the evaluation instrument or checklist may include items that read:
1. The board has a comprehensive understanding of community educational needs.
2. The board considers the interests and needs of the community in its policy discussions.
On the other hand, if the major question is “How do we compare with state or national standards for governing
boards?” then the instrument will be based on other standards, including the ACCT code of ethics and Standards for
Effective Governance.

Sample Structures
Rating Scales
Trustees and others doing the evaluation will rate statements on an instrument according to how well they
perceive the board performing. Every college has staff members who can assist with setting up rating scales. Following
are a few examples of rating a statement on the effectiveness of the board self-assessment process. Respondents would
be asked to circle or write the letter of the response.

Agreement
Respondents rate how strongly they agree or disagree with a statement

Performance
Respondents rate the quality of a particular item (i.e. excellent, fair, poor, etc.)

2013 Trustee Manual | 35

3.3 STATEMENT ON SELF-ASSESSMENT

Meets Standards
Respondents may be asked to simply state “yes” or “no” in response to a standard

Board Self-Assessment Instrument Item Bank

The Board Self-Assessment Instrument Item Bank is a composite of sample items that may be used in board self-
assessment forms. Self-assessment instruments generally have 30-40 items. Boards should select statements from the
item bank that are most useful to them. Possible question topics include:
• Board Organization
• Policy Role
• Community Relations
• Policy Direction
• Board-CEO Relations
• College Operations
• Institutional Performance
• Board Leadership
• Advocating the College
• Board Education
• Open-ended Questions
To see a complete list of sample questions go to www.acct.org/services/assessment/self-assessment-item-bank.php

How Should We Use The Results of a Board Self-Assessment?

The average ratings on a board self-assessment instrument, a summary of interviews, or key points in a group
discussion identify the strengths of the board and areas for improvement.
The strengths should be celebrated and boards should congratulate themselves on their good work. The strengths
are used to help the board improve.
Areas of improvement should be explored to identify the dynamics that contribute to any problems or
weaknesses. Strategies to address the issues may include board retreats or workshops on a specific topic, study
sessions or reading in an area where knowledge or clarification is needed.
Three to six board goals or activities for the coming year may be established, based on the evaluation and
performance on prior year goals. These goals become the basis for the board’s long-range or annual agenda.

36 | 2013 Trustee Manual

3.4 The Florida “Sunshine” Law
Overview of Florida Law Relating to Public Meetings and Public Records

PUBLIC MEETINGS
Scope
Section 286.011 F.S. provides a right of access to governmental proceedings at both the state and local
level. The law is equally applicable to elected and appointed boards and applies to any gathering of two or
more members of the sme board to discuss some matter which may foreseeably come before that board
for action.

Basic Requirements
• Meetings of public boards or commissions must be open to the public.
• Members of the boards or commissions may not discuss matters which may foreseeably come before
the board for action with other members of the board except in a properly noticed public meeting of
the board.
• Appropriate notice of such meetings must be given.
• Minutes of the meetings must be taken.

Application to Various groups
• Advisory Boards
• Advisory boards which make recommendations to the public agency may be subject to the
Sunshine Law
• Fact – finding committees which make no recommendations generally are not subject to the
Sunshine Law.
• Private Organizations
• Private organizations, which perform a public purpose delegated by a public agency, are subject to
the Sunshine Law.
• Staff
• Meetings of staff are not ordinarily subject to the Sunshine Law; however when a staff committee
performs a function which is delegated authority that normally resides with the public board or
commission, the Sunshine Law is applicable.

Miscellaneous Issues
• Communications between board member and others
• Correspondence by one board member to other members may not be a violation of the Sunshine
Law if prior to the meeting there is no response or other interaction related to the communication
among board members. Such communications should be avoided in an abundance of caution.
• Communication between board members by telephone, fax, e-mail, etc are subject to the Sunshine
Law limitations.
• Communication with staff and third parties by board members are not Sunshine Law violations
unless the staff of the third parties are used as conduits to communicate information between
board members.

Exceptions
• Collective bargaining discussions subject to certain limitations.
• Attorney – client discussions regarding litigation under certain circumstances.

2013 Trustee Manual | 37

3.4 the florida “sunshine” law

Penalties
1. Knowingly violating of the Sunshine Law is a misdemeanor of the second degree. (Section 286.011 (3) (b) F.S.)
2. Removal from office may occur after a conviction.
3. Non-criminal fines up to $500.00 may be imposed along with reasonable attorney’s fees.
4. Injunction or declaration relief may be obtained.

PUBLIC RECORDS
A. Documents which constitute public records
1. Section 119.011 (1) F.S. defines “public records” to include:
all documents, papers, letters, maps, books, tapes, photographs, films, sound recording, data
processing software, or other material, regardless of the physical form, characteristics, or means of
transmission, made or received pursuant to law or ordinance or in connection with the transaction
of official business by any agency.
2. All public records, as defined above, must be provided to the public promptly upon request.

3. Any agency document, however prepared, if circulated for review comment or information, is a public
record regardless if whether it is an official expression of policy or marked “preliminary”, “draft:,
“confidential”, or otherwise. Notes taken for one’s own use and not to be circulated are not public records.

4. Certain records of private entities acting on behalf of a government entity may be subject to public access.

5. Certain limited exceptions for copyrighted or “sensitive” software, trade secret information, and certain
audit materials are examples of exceptions to the public records access requirements.

B. Access to Records
1. No unreasonable delay may be allowed in response to a request for records.

2. Anyone may request records.

3. Statutory fees may be charged for production of records.

C. Penalties
1. Violation is a misdemeanor of the first degree.

2. Non-criminal fines of up to $500.00 may be assessed.

3. Attorney’s fees may be assessed.

4. Suspension or removal from office may be imposed.

38 | 2013 Trustee Manual

3.5 preparing to select a president

One of the most important tasks for a board is selecting a new president and the board should prepare for this
before there is a need to do so. Presidents may die in office or become incapacitated and boards should have a plan
for addressing these possibilities.. To do so also gives the board a valid reason to discuss how it would hire a new
president, regardless of the circumstances.
A workshop would be a good place for this discussion. Below are some of the elements the board would discuss
in developing an informal procedure, and Appendix 5.5 contains a sample policy:

• Who would be named as interim president?

The president might discuss with the board chair annually who he or she would recommend as an interim
president to serve immediately in the event of an emergency. The board could also discuss how they might
select a long-serving interim president, should that be necessary.
• What is the role of the board chair?
In the event of the president dies or becomes incapacitated, the board chair would likely need to assume a
role in helping the college and community cope with the change of leadership.
• Who should be notified of what?
The interim president and board chair would need to work together to notify important constituents and
plan a memorial service, etc.
• What is the role of the board?
The board plays a very important role in helping to stabilize the institution. Most immediately, the board
would need to meet to formally appoint an interim president (who would serve in a transition role), decide
how to appoint a longer-term interim president, should that be necessary.
• What are the things to consider in hiring a new president?
The board will need to decide whether to hire a search firm to coordinate the search process or handle the
search process internally. In the event the board decides to use an external search firm (and that is the most
typical approach for boards to choose)), the board will need to decide how to select a search firm. .

The board then needs to decide the qualifications and experiences it wants in a new president. While the board
needs to seek broad input into this process, it is the board who will ultimately determine what kind of new president
would best serve the college.

• Other considerations
Hiring a new president is a great opportunity for a board. The search procedure itself can be bring the board
closer together and prepare the way for the new president to be successful.

2013 Trustee Manual | 39

 TRUSTEES COMMISSION
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

I
t is important that trustees grow in their roles and

there are numerous for professional development

for trustees. This section contains a brief description

of the Trustee Commission of the Association of Florida

Colleges, the Association of Community College Trustees,

and the Association of Governing Boards of Colleges and

Universities.

2012
2013
Trustee
Trustee Manual |Manual
Orientation 41 | 41
4.1 THE ASSOCIATION OF FLORIDA COLLEGES TRUSTEES COMMISSION
The Association of Florida Colleges, which has been in existence since 1949, is a 501C-6 organization
open to all employees of the Florida College System. Currently, there are 8,100 members of the AFC. The
Association, which is governed by a Board of Directors, is structured into commissions representing the
interest of faculty, staff, and administrators among all 28 colleges.
One of the Commissions of the AFC is the Trustees Commission. All current trustees of the Florida
College System are automatically members of the Trustees Commission. As per the Trustees Commission by-
laws (See Appendix 5.3), the purpose of the commission, “shall be to promote and enhance the Florida College
System of the State of Florida by serving in a liaison capacity with the State Board of Education, by serving as
liaison with the general membership of the Association of Florida Colleges (AFC), and by providing trustees
within the Florida College System with education opportunities with regard to their duties and responsibilities,
by keeping such trustees informed about matters of concern to all of the community colleges, and by providing
a forum for such trustees to discuss the issues common to the Florida College System.”
The Association of Florida Colleges, Inc. is the professional association of Florida’s 28 public member
institutions of the Florida College System, their Boards, employees, retirees and associates, and the employees
of the Division of Florida Colleges. The mission of the Association is to actively promote, represent, and
support members and institutions as they provide their students and the citizens of Florida with a world-class
college system.

Value Statement: The Mission of the Association is driven by the following values:
1) Professional Growth and Development
2) Advocacy
3) Leadership
4) Community
5) Innovation
6) Networking

The Association fulfills its mission by accomplishing the following goals:

1) Develop and support professional development, education, and leadership opportunities for the
Association’s members (Values 1, 2, 3, 5, 6).
2) Advocate for policies, budgets, and programs on behalf of the Association’s institutional and individual
members (Value 2).
3) Communicate public policy and legislative issues and engage in cooperative research activities related to
those issues (Values 2, 3).
4) Increase public awareness of the mission, purpose, and accomplishments of the Florida College System
(Values 2, 4, 6).
5) Showcase and reward exemplary programs, practices, activities, and individuals (Values 1, 3, 5, 6).
6) Enhance, encourage and facilitate communication, cooperation, professionalism, and camaraderie
among individual and institutional Association members (Values 1, 4, 6).
7) Promote membership by providing professional development and services that ensures an active and
vital Association (Values 1, 3, 4, 6).
8) Maintain a fiscally sound organization that is efficiently and effectively managed (Value 3).
9) Provide opportunities for and engage in services to benefit the external community (Values 1, 3, 4, 6).

Trustee Commission Contacts

Tami Cullens, Chair Wendy Link, Chair-Elect
[email protected] [email protected]
South Florida State College Palm Beach State College
600 West College Dr. 4200 Congress Avenue
Avon Park, FL 33825 Lake Worth, FL 33461
PH: 863-381-0753 PH: 561-838-4100

42 | 2013 Trustee Manual

4.2 ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE TRUSTEES
The Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) is a non-profit educational organization of
governing boards, representing more than 6,500 elected and appointed trustees who govern over 1,200
community, technical, and junior colleges in the United States and beyond.
These community professionals, business officials, public policy leaders, and leading citizens offer
their time and talent to serve on the governing boards of this century’s most innovative higher education
institutions-community, junior, and technical colleges-and make decisions that affect more than 1,200
colleges and over 11 million students annually.

ACCT’s Board Leadership Services exists to:

Enhance the ability of community college boards to effectively carry out their roles and responsibilities.
Support community college boards in their efforts to govern and develop policies that focus on meeting
community needs.
Build community college boards’ capacity through education and training programs.
Assist community college boards in the recruitment, selection and retention of chief executive officers of the ‘
highest caliber.

J. Noah Brown
President and Chief Executive Officer
ACCT
1233 20th Street NW
Suite 301
Washington, DC, 20036
Phone: 202.775.4667

Executive Assistant
Karen Lomax
[email protected]
202.775.4472

2013 Trustee Manual | 43

4.3 ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNING BOARDS OF UNIVERSITIES AND
COLLEGES
The Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) is the only national association that
serves the interests and needs of academic governing boards, boards of institutionally related foundations, and
campus CEOs and other senior-level campus administrators on issues related to higher education governance and
leadership. Its mission is to strengthen, protect, and advocate on behalf of citizen trusteeship that supports and
advances higher education.

Members
AGB serves more than 34,000 individuals, including:
• trustees and regents
• campus and public college and university foundation CEOs
• board professional staff members
• senior-level administrators (vice presidents for finance, development, student services, academic affairs;
enrollment management and institutional research professionals; and chief legal counsel)
AGB has more than 1,200 member institutions--colleges and universities of all types (independent and public,
four-year and two-year, and general and specialized) plus public college and university foundation boards.

Purpose
AGB advances the practice of citizen trusteeship and helps ensure the quality and success of our nation’s colleges
and universities. To do so, AGB delivers programs and services that
• strengthen partnerships between presidents and governing boards
• define and clarify the responsibilities of governing board members
• provide guidance to trustees, board leaders, and campus leaders in their governance-related roles
• encourage a level of professionalism for trusteeship, a voluntary function
• monitor issues that affect higher education and governance and provide guidance for boards and campus leaders
• foster cooperation among all education stakeholders
• AGB, founded in 1921, is located in Washington, D.C.

44 | 2013 Trustee Manual

APPENDICES

2013 Trustee Manual | 45

5.1 a succinct history of the florida community college
system

By Dr. James L. Wattenberger, Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus, University of Florida

and
Dr. Harry T. Albertson, Former Chief Executive Officer,
Florida Association of Community Colleges

T
he community college is uniquely American. Its roots can be traced to William Rainey Harper, the
president of the University of Chicago, and a few others who believed that the substantial academic
resources of the nation’s universities could be better utilized if they were not burdened with the tasks of
teaching the basic learning and thinking skills taught during the freshman and sophomore years. Instead, these
pioneers suggested that there should be a different kind of institution which could bridge the gap between high
school and higher education. From these thoughts, the nation’s first publicly supported junior college, Joliet Junior
College in Joliet, Illinois, was born in the year 1901.
However, even before the birth of Joliet Junior College, there existed several private two-year colleges. Perhaps
in response to financial pressures, or perhaps as a means to accommodate the flood of new high school graduates,
many of these private two-year colleges were originally small four-year institutions that discontinued the junior-
and senior-year programs.
Similarly, the birth of Florida’s Community College System can be traced to the private sector. In 1927, St.
Petersburg Junior College was founded as a private, two-year college on Florida’s central, Gulf Coast. Shortly
thereafter, several other private two-year colleges including Jacksonville Junior College, Orlando Junior College,
Casements Junior College, and Edison Junior College were organized. All of these early private junior college
efforts in Florida failed except for St. Petersburg Junior College.
Florida’s first public junior college, Palm Beach Junior College, was established in 1933 by approval of the
local Board of Public Instruction. In 1939, the legislature adopted a law which provided that a county or group
of counties with a population of 50,000 or more could petition the State Board of Education for the establishment
of public junior college. From 1933 until 1947, Palm Beach Junior College remained the only public two-year
college in the state. However, in 1947, Dr. Edgar Morphet and Dr. R.L. Johns, who were consultants to the Florida
Citizens Committee on Education, included a section on “junior colleges” in their report to the Florida Legislature.
Mr. Howell Watkins, the principal of Palm Beach High School and dean of Palm Beach Junior College, was charged
with the junior college section of the report, and he assigned the task to a graduate student from the University of
Florida, James Wattenbarger, who was also a graduate of Palm Beach Junior College.
Among other things, the Florida Citizens Committee Report on Education to the 1947 Florida Legislature
included Wattenbarger’s recommendation that junior colleges should become an operational component of the
local school systems provided that the County Boards of Public Instruction received approval from the State Board
of Education to operate a junior college. This recommendation and many of the other provisions in the Florida
Citizens Committee Report on Education were included in the Minimum Foundation Program Law supported by
Senator LeRoy Collins and passed by the 1947 Legislature.
Upon passage of the Minimum Foundation Program in 1947, the Pinellas County Board of Public Instruction
requested the State Board of Education’s approval to make St. Petersburg Junior College a public junior college
by incorporating the two-year college into its school system. Likewise, in 1948 the Jackson County School Board
joined by the School Boards of Calhoun, Holmes, and Washington Counties received permission to take control of
Chipola Junior College which had operated as a private junior college in Marianna for only one year. That same
year, the Escambia County School Board (joined later by the Santa Rosa County School Board) requested and
received authority to establish a new public junior college, Pensacola Junior College.
Thus, by the end of 1948, Florida’s emerging community college system included four publicly funded
institutions — Palm Beach Junior College, St. Petersburg Junior College, Chipola Junior College, and Pensacola
Junior College. These four junior colleges became the focus for Florida’s new approach to postsecondary
education.

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In 1948, Dr. John I. Leonard, who served as both the superintendent of public instruction in Palm Beach
County and as president of Palm Beach Junior College, met with Dr. Leon N. Henderson from the University of
Florida’s College of Education to plan a series of conferences for junior college administrators. The conferences
were held in January, May, July, and October 1949 and included the presidents as well as faculty members from
the state’s four public junior colleges. At the October meeting, the participants formally organized as the Florida
Association of Public Junior Colleges (FAPJC), the forerunner of the Florida Association of Community Colleges
(FACC).
During the next few years, an increased interest in the expansion of junior colleges developed rapidly
in Florida. In 1949, Washington Junior College was authorized as the state’s fifth public junior college in
connection with Booker T. Washington High School in Pensacola. The Junior College Steering Committee of
the State Advisory Council on Education presented a study by Dr. C.C. Colvert and Dr. James W. Reynolds from
the University of Texas in 1951 to the State Board of Education. The study recommended the establishment
of new junior colleges, a position strongly supported by former Senator and now Governor LeRoy Collins,
without specifying where or how many. In 1953, the legislature authorized the Board of Control (the operating/
coordinating board for the state’s universities) to establish the Council for the Study of Higher Education, and in
the same year the University of Florida Press published its first education-oriented book, A State Plan for Public
Junior Colleges, by Dr. James L. Wattenbarger, now a faculty member at the University of Florida. In 1955, the
Board of Control issued its initial report to the legislature which urged the establishment of a separate study for
junior colleges in Florida.
As a result of the Board of Control’s report, and at the urging of the members of FAPJC, the 1955 Legislature
created the Community College Council to “formulate a long-range plan for the establishment and coordination
of community colleges.” During the same legislative session, the members of FAPJC also supported a bill that
appropriated $4.2 million for junior college construction funds during the 1955-57 biennium. The funds were
appropriated by the legislature to Pensacola Junior College ($1.25 million), Chipola Junior College ($.6 million),
Palm Beach Junior College ($1.05 million), and St. Petersburg Junior College ($1.3 million).
The Community College Council was organized in the fall of 1955, and Dr. James Wattenbarger was granted a
leave of absence from the University of Florida to direct the study of the council. After nearly two years of study,
the council issued its report to the 1957 Legislature. The report, titled The Community Junior College in Florida’s
Future, recommended a state plan that would provide twenty-eight junior colleges located within commuting
distance of 99 percent of the state’s population. The 1957 Legislature accepted the report as the master plan for
Florida’s community/junior colleges and at the same time approved six new community college districts to begin
implementing the master plan. The six colleges approved by the 1957 Legislature were Gulf Coast Community
College, Central Florida Community College, Daytona Beach Community College, Manatee Junior College, North
Florida Junior College, and St. Johns River Community College.
The 1957 Legislature also approved statutory revisions that permitted the junior colleges to begin a separate
existence apart from the K-12 programs, and the Division of Community Colleges was established as a separate
division within the Florida Department of Education. Dr. James Wattenbarger was appointed as the Division
Director.
During the next ten years, sixteen of the eighteen new public community/junior colleges visualized in the
ten-year master plan were opened. They were Brevard Community College (1960), Broward Community College
(1960), Indian River Community College (1960), Maimi-Dade Community College (1960), Edison Community
College (1962), Lake City Community College (1962), Lake-Sumter Junior College (1962), Okaloosa-Walton
Community College (1964), Polk Community College (1965), Florida Keys Community College (1966), Florida
Community College at Jacksonville (1966), Santa Fe Community College (1966), Seminole Community College
(1966), South Florida Community College (1966), Valencia Community College (1967), and Tallahassee
Community College (1967). In 1968, Hillsborough Community College was authorized by the legislature, and
in 1972, twelve years after the Community College Council issued its report to the legislature, Pasco-Hernando
Community College was opened to complete the twenty-eight community/junior college system in Florida.
In the mid 1960’s, Florida faced a period of desegregation in all of education. As part of the state’s
desegregation plan, the state decided to merge the twelve black community colleges (which had been established
in association with local formerly black high schools by their local school boards) with the newly created
community/junior colleges in those twelve districts. This limited each district to one community college; but,

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permitted multiple centers to be created in order to serve the whole population of the district. As such, Booker
T. Washington Junior College was merged with Pensacola Junior College, Carver Junior College was merged with
Brevard Community College, Collier-Blocker Junior College was merged with St. Johns River Community College,
Gibbs Junior College was merged with St. Petersburg Junior College, Hampton Junior College was merged with
Central Florida Community College, Jackson College was merged with Chipola Junior College, Johnson College
was merged with Lake-Sumter Junior College, Lincoln College was merged with Indian River Community College,
Roosevelt College was merged with Palm Beach Community College, Rosenwald College was merged with Gulf
Coast Community College, Suwannee River College was merged with North Florida Community College, and
Volusia Community College was merged with Daytona Beach Community College.
Although the 1957 legislature approved the Master Plan for the orderly development of Florida’s Community
College System, as well as several statutory revisions which created the Division of Community Colleges as a
separate entity within the Department of Education apart from the K-12 system, the colleges remained under
the jurisdiction of local school boards. Many community college advocates questioned the efficacy of this
arrangement, and in 1961-62 Dr. Samuel R. Neel, Jr., FAPJC president and president of Manatee Community
College, reported on several FAPJC sponsored meetings designed to prepare the way for making community/
junior colleges independent legal entities functioning under their own boards. Finally, during the 1967-68 fiscal
year, the legislature approved measures which released the colleges from the jurisdiction of local boards of public
instruction and established locally autonomous district boards of trustees to govern and operate each of the state’s
public community/junior colleges.
Dr. James Wattenbarger announced his resignation as Director of the Community/Junior College Division
of the Florida Department of Education during the 1966-67 fiscal year. Dr. Lee G. Henderson, Wattenbarger’s
assistant, was named the new Director of the Department of Education’s Division of Community Colleges.
During the 1969-70 academic year, FAPJC pushed for legislation that would make the terms “community”
and “junior” college synonymous in state law. That same year, the FAPJC assembly of delegates, in an effort to
represent more adequately the comprehensive nature of the state’s community/junior colleges, voted at their
November Annual Convention to change the name of the Association from the Florida Association of Public
Junior Colleges (FAPJC) to the Florida Association of Community Colleges (FACC). Similarly, in 1970 the Board
of Trustees of Lake-Sumter Junior College changed the college’s name to Lake-Sumter Community College, and
over the next few years several other colleges that used “junior” instead of “community” followed suit.
By 1971-72, the Florida Association of Community Colleges has grown to almost two-thousand members
and continued to retain the institutional membership of all 28 community colleges in the state. As such, the
Board of Directors hired the Association’s first full-time staff assistant, John B. “Jack” Armstrong, who became the
Association’s Executive Director and perhaps the main lobbyist for Florida’s community colleges. The Association
was provided offices at Tallahassee Community College. Mr. Armstrong continued to serve as the Association’s
Executive Director until April 1, 1976, when he resigned to become a candidate for the State’s 2nd Congressional
District. The Board of Directors appointed Dr. Jim Burnette, the Executive Vice President for Edison Community
College, Interim Executive Director, and he served in that capacity until December of 1976while the Board
conducted a national search for a new Executive Director. At the 1976 Convention, the Board selected a former
FACC President and Valencia Community College administrator as its second Executive Director, Dr. James
Kellerman. Dr. Kellerman took office in January of 1977.
Through 1979, the Community College Council continued to function as the state-wide advisory council for
the community college system. In 1979, however, the legislature created the Community College Coordinating
Board in an effort to answer questions regarding the management and coordination of higher education in Florida.
The Community College Coordinating Board functioned through 1983 when the legislature replaced the
Coordinating Board with the State Board of Community Colleges. The State Board of Community Colleges was
charged with “statewide leadership in overseeing and coordinating the individually governed public community
colleges” while ensuring that “there shall continue to be maximum local autonomy in the governance and
operation of individual community colleges.”
At the same time the Community College Coordinating Board was replaced by the State Board of Community
Colleges, Dr. Henderson announced his retirement as director of the Division of Community Colleges. Mr. John
Blue, Chairman of the Manatee Community College District Board of Trustees and a member of the Community
College Coordinating Board, was appointed interim Director of the Division of Community Colleges while a

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national search was conducted to find a replacement for Dr. Henderson. In 1984, after an exhaustive search, the
State Board of Community Colleges selected a former state senator and representative, Clark Maxwell, Jr., as the
Board’s first Executive Director and the state’s first Executive Director of the Community College System.
In late 1981, Dr. James Kellerman announced his plans to resign as FACC’s Executive Director by January
1, 1982 to assume the role of Executive Director of the California Community and Junior College Association.
By December of 1981, however, the FACC Board had already selected Dr. Kellerman’s replacement, Mr. L. Frank
Casey, a former FACC President and an administrator from Daytona Beach Community College.
Under Mr. Casey’s dynamic leadership the Association grew to just over 4,000 members and embarked on an
ambitious plan to build a home for FACC in Tallahassee. In 1991-92, land was purchased across the street from the
Education Building. The address was 816 South Martin Luther King Boulevard. By 1993 the plans for the building
were completed, and a massive fund raising drive was undertaken by Pasco-Hernando Community College
President, Dr. Milton O. Jones, to raise money to pay off the land and begin construction on the 4,000 square foot,
two-story, red-brick building. In December of 1993, Mr. Casey resigned as FACC’s Executive Director and the
Board of Directors named Dr. William “Bill” Odom as the Interim Executive Director. Dr. Odom served in that
capacity until April 1, 1994 when Dr. Harry T. Albertson, an Administrator from Pasco-Hernando Community
College, was selected as the Association’s fourth Executive Director. Dr. Albertson oversaw the completion of the
construction of the new facilities and arranged financing to pay the remaining cost of construction in the amount
of almost $400,000 with the Miami-Dade Community College Foundation. The Association moved into its new
home in July and August of 1994, and with the tremendous support of the Association’s membership and the
College presidents, FACC paid the fifteen year mortgage off in five years.
Since 1984, the Florida Community College System has continued to evolve as the state’s most effective and
efficient educational delivery system. The mission of Florida’s Community College System has also continued
to evolve far beyond the vision of providing the first two years (two-plus-two) of the baccalaureate degree. The
system provides over 750 associate in arts and associate in science degrees, and almost 500 certificate programs of
varying lengths. It is a national model for the articulation agreement with the state’s universities which provides
that all community college associate in arts degree graduates can enter a state university at the junior level. In the
early 1990’s the legislature added economic development as a primary mission of the colleges, and the substantial
role of the colleges in workforce development has been addressed by both the 1996 and the 1997 Legislatures. In
1996, the colleges became the first state agency in Florida to embrace performance-based budgeting.
During 1996, the state’s twenty-eight colleges served nearly one million students in credit and non-credit
programs. Based on 1994-95 graduation data, Florida’s community college system lead the nation in terms of
the number of associate degree awards, seven of the nation’s top ten liberal arts and sciences associate degree
producers were Florida community colleges, and Florida’s community colleges also ranked among the nation’s best
in terms of degrees awarded to minority and non-traditional students.
In December of 1997, Mr. Clark Maxwell retired as the Executive Director of the Florida Community College
System. He was replaced on an interim basis by the Assistant Executive Director of the Florida Community
College System, Mr. David Armstrong. Mr. Armstrong served in this capacity while a national search was
conducted for a new Executive Director of the system. In May of 1998 the State Board of Community Colleges
interviewed three finalists for the position who were recommended by a Search Committee. At the conclusion of
the interviews, the Board decided that none of the finalists were as qualified as Mr. Armstrong to lead the system,
and even though Mr. Armstrong was not in the applicant pool, the Board unanimously offered the position to Mr.
Armstrong who accepted the offer.
In November of 1998, the voters of Florida approved Constitutional revisions reducing the number of elected
members of the Florida Cabinet from seven to four effective January of 2003. Specifically the revisions eliminated
the Secretary of State and the Commissioner of Education from the Cabinet and combined the positions of
Comptroller and Treasurer. The cabinet also served as the State Board of Education; however the revision
approved by the voters eliminated the role of the Cabinet as the State Board of Education and instead established a
new board to oversee education which includes seven members appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the
Senate.
Despite arguments by both the Community College System and the State University System that the
Constitutional revision was aimed at a reorganization of the K-12 system, the 2000 Legislature adopted HB 2263
(the Florida Education Governance Reorganization Act of 2000) which reorganized the governance structure

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for all educational delivery systems in the State of Florida. The bill delineated that there will be a seven member
“super-board” called the Florida Board of Education” (FBE) appointed by the Governor to oversee all of education
in Florida; a Commissioner of Education (Secretary of Education until January of 2003) appointed by the FBE;
and, Chancellors for the K-12 System, the University System, and the Community College System appointed by
the Commissioner. Pending the recommendations of a “Transition Task Force,” the bill also eliminated the State
Board of Community Colleges and the Board of Regents in January of 2003, and very subtly merged the Division
of Workforce Development under the Division of Community Colleges, renaming the Division of Community
Colleges the Division of Community Colleges and Career Preparation.
The eleven member Transition Task Force, appointed in 2000, was charged with the duty “to identify issues,
conduct research, develop necessary procedural and substantive framework, and make recommendations to
the legislature for an orderly 3-year phase-in for a seamless education continuum and a single or coordinated
kindergarten through graduate school budget in accordance with the policies and guiding principles of s. 229.002,
so that the Florida Board of Education may immediately begin its work on January 7, 2003.” The task force was
chaired by an Orlando businessman, Mr. Phil Handy, and its recommendations to the legislature were to be
completed by March 1st, 2001.
As the work of the Transition Task Force commenced, arguments that the 1998 Constitutional Amendment
was aimed at “free public education” and not the state’s system of higher education were pronounced.
Nevertheless, most of the work of the Transition Task Force resulted in recommendations to the legislature that
restructured the governance of higher education in Florida with few recommendations for the state’s system of
“free public education.” Most of the recommendations of the Transition Task Force were incorporated into SB
1162 which was considered by the 2001 Legislature.
Though SB 1162 became the vehicle for the recommendations of the Transition Task Force, it also became a
vehicle for some other initiatives which were driven by the proclivities of some powerful legislators, in particular
Sen. Donald Sullivan, who Chaired the Senate Education Appropriations Committee in 2001. As a result of a push
by the state university system to increase enrollment in undergraduate programs, the state university system began
arguing in the late 1990’s that Florida ranked somewhere between 47th and 49th in the number of baccalaureate
degrees produced per 100,000 residents. As a result of this argument, access to the baccalaureate degree became
an issue for the legislature and a variety of different approaches to address access to the baccalaureate degree were
proposed from increasing enrollment funding for undergraduate programs in the university system, to creating
a middle-tier of colleges, to authorizing some community colleges to offer “site-determined, limited access,
baccalaureate degrees.” Sen. Sullivan favored the later approach and amended onto SB 1162 language from a
separate bill he had sponsored which set-up a process for community colleges to seek authority and funding for
“site-determined baccalaureate degrees,” and also specifically authorized in statute the changing of the name of
St. Petersburg Junior College to St. Petersburg College with specific authority to offer baccalaureate degrees in
nursing, education, and applied science.
SB 1162 became a very controversial bill during the waning hours of the 2001 Legislative Session. In fact, it
was the last Bill passed by the House during the 2001 Legislative Session partly because a logistical error had been
made which did not allow the House to get to its own Education Governance Reorganization Bill. The version
of SB 1162 that passed included Sen. Sullivan’s language related to the process for community colleges to seek
authority to offer baccalaureate degrees and also included the language renaming St. Petersburg Junior College
as St. Petersburg College with authority to offer baccalaureate degrees. However, the bill made it clear that St.
Petersburg College and any other community college that received permission to offer the baccalaureate degree
would still be considered a community college for funding purposes except for the baccalaureate degree programs.
Importantly, SB 1162 also abolished the State Board of Community Colleges and the Board of Regents effective
July 1, 2001, created local boards of trustees for each of the state’s universities similar to the community college
system model, separated the Division of Community Colleges from the Division of Workforce Development as
approved in the previous legislative session, and centralized all of education under one “super board” called the
Florida Board of Education with the charge to create a student-centered, seamless, K-20 system of education in
Florida. The bill also established the position of “Chancellor” for the state’s community college system who would
be appointed by the Florida Board of Education but report to the Secretary of Education, who would become
the Commissioner of Education in January of 2003. The bill provided that the seven member Florida Board of
Education and the Secretary (Commissioner) would be appointed by the Governor with ratification by the Senate.

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The appointment of the Secretary (Commissioner) by the Governor was a change from previous language passed
in 2000 that provided the Florida Board of Education would appoint the Secretary.
For the period 2001 through 2003, the Governor appointed the long-time Chair of the Senate’s Appropriations
Committee, the Honorable Jim Horne, to serve as the Secretary of the Florida Board of Education. He also appointed
a well-known Orlando businessman, Mr. Phil Handy, to serve as the Chair of the Florida Board of Education. In
2003, when the term of the elected Commissioner of Education (the Honorable Charlie Crist) expired, Jim Horne
was appointed by Governor Bush as the appointed Commissioner of Education as provided in SB 1162.
During 2001 and 2002, three additional Community Colleges petitioned CEPRI (the Council for Education
Policy Research and Improvement that replaced PEPC under SB 1162) and the Florida Board of Education for
permission to offer the baccalaureate degree. In addition to an appropriation for St. Petersburg College in the
amount of $1 million, an appropriation of $5 million dollars had been provided in the 2001 Appropriations Act for
use by community colleges which were granted authority to offer the baccalaureate degree. The colleges seeking
this authority were Edison Community College, Chipola Junior College, and Miami-Dade Community College.
The original recommendation from CEPRI in early 2002, denied the requests for all three institutions; however, the
Florida Board of Education granted permission to Chipola Junior College and Miami-Dade Community College
to offer Baccalaureate Degrees in the field of education and provided start-up dollars for these programs from the
$6 million appropriation included in the 2001 Budget. While not approving the request from Edison Community
College to offer the baccalaureate degree, the Florida Board of Education approved a partnership between Edison
Community College and Florida Gulf Coast University for baccalaureate degrees to be offered by Florida Gulf
Coast University on the Edison Community College campus in Ft. Meyers.
Perhaps even more significant than the passage of SB 1162 in 2011, was the passage of CS/SB 20-E in a special
session of the legislature (2002-E) held in May of 202. CS/SB 20-E eliminated all of the old statues regarding
education scattered throughout the volumes of Florida Statutes and created fourteen new chapters, FS 1000
through FS 1013 to address the laws governing a seamless K-20 system in Florida. The new statutes made many
changes in the governance of higher education in Florida IN Fact, in the eyes of many , it increased local control
for the state’s community colleges and universities while delegating authority to the State Board of Education to set
“policy and guiding principles for the Florida K-20 education system.”
The State Board of Community Colleges met for the last time at Indian River Community College in May of
2001. Mr. Armstrong was appointed Acting Chancellor of the Florida Community College System from July 1,
2001 until August of 2002. In August of 2002, after an exhaustive national search, Mr. Armstrong was named the
first Chancellor of the Florida Community College System by the Florida Board of Education.
With the dissolution of the State Board of Community Colleges as required by SB 1162, and the establishment
of the Department of Education, including the old Division of Community Colleges, as an agency of the
Governor’s office, it became apparent to the state’s 28 community college presidents who sit as the Council of
Community College Presidents, that changes needed to be made in the way the Council operated. It was especially
apparent that the 28 presidents would need to be much more proactive in terms of the advocacy effort and the
community college system’s legislative agenda. As such, the Council of Presidents began a national search in
January of 2001 for a Director of Governmental Relations to serve at the will of the Council under the auspices of
the Florida Association of Community Colleges. In July of 2001, the Council had still not reached consensus on
an individual to serve as Director of Governmental Relations, nor could they reach consensus on the duties and
responsibilities of the position. As such, the Council of Presidents and the FACC Board of Directors entered into
a formal Memorandum of Understanding on July 27, 2001 for the Association and the Association’s Executive
Director, Dr. Harry Albertson, to assume many of the duties that would have been assigned to the Director of
Governmental Relations, and for the Association to provide the staff support for the Council of Presidents. In
September of 2001, the Council of Presidents revised their by-laws to reflect this relationship between the Council
and the FACC, and also revised their by-laws to establish a Policy and Advocacy Committee under the umbrella of
FACC which would include all community college presidents and some members of the FACC Board of Directors.
At the Annual Meeting of the FACC in 2001, the Assembly of Delegates approved changes to the FACC By-laws
also establishing the Policy and Advocacy Committee as a permanent standing committee of the Association.
Upset with the dissolution of the Board of Regents to govern the State University System, former Florida
Governor and Florida’s senior United States Senator, the Honorable Bob Graham, collaborated with a former Chair
of the Board of Regents, Mr. E. T. York, and others to pass a Constitutional Amendment by voter referendum

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to re-establish a governing body for the state’s university system in the form of a Board of Governors. The
Constitutional Amendment was approved overwhelmingly by the voters of Florida in November of 2002 and left in
doubt the authority of the boards of trustees at each of the state’s universities. The passage of the amendment also
left in doubt many of the provisions of SB 1162 passed by the 2000 Legislature and designed to create a seamless,
student oriented, K-20 system of education in Florida under one super board, the Florida Board of Education.
For Florida’s community colleges, the passage of the amendment creating a separate board to govern the state’s
universities created other concerns with regard to the board’s power to affect agreements and other rules and
regulations which are the backbone of the nation’s best two-plus-two system.
In March of 2003, Okaloosa-Walton Community College used the procedures outlined in SB 1162 to
petition CEPRI for authority to offer a baccalaureate degree in nursing and a Bachelors Degree in Project and
Acquisition Management. At the March meeting CEPRI recommended a joint baccalaureate degree in nursing
with the University of West Florida and tabled the request for a Baccalaureate Degree in Project and Acquisition
Management. However, at the April meeting of CEPRI, the proposal for O-WCC to offer the Baccalaureate Degree
in Project and Acquisition Management was approved. Subsequently, the State Board of Education approved
both the joint project with the University of West Florida for the Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing and the limited
access Baccalaureate Degree in Project and Acquisition Management to be offered by O-WCC. The programs
were funded by the 2004 Legislature creating the fourth community college in the state with the authority to offer
limited access baccalaureate degrees.
During the 2004 Legislative Session two other important events affecting community colleges also occurred.
The community colleges sought legislation which would simplify the process for community colleges to gain
authority to offer limited access baccalaureate degrees, and provide a consistent funding model for community
college baccalaureate degrees (SB 2388 and HB 303). The bills also included language which changed the names
of Okaloosa-Walton Community College to Okaloosa-Walton College, Chipola Junior College to Chipola College,
and Miami-Dade Community College to Miami Dade College as required by SACS accreditation standards
for institutions offering baccalaureate degree. The Senate Bill cleared the Senate unanimously; however, the
companion house bill died on the calendar. Fortunately, an implementing bill (HB 1867 ) was passed by both
houses which included language changing the names of the three colleges to meet SACS accreditation standards.
The bill also changed the name of Edison Community College to Edison College even though Edison Community
College had not received authority to offer baccalaureate degrees.
It was also during the 2004 Legislative Session that SB 2986 cleared both houses of the legislature and
was signed by the Governor. The bill was among the first in the country to provide accredited postsecondary
institutions (including community colleges) to seek approval from the Department of Education to create
Educator Preparation Institutes for the purpose of providing any or all of the following: professional development
instruction to assist teachers in improving classroom instruction and in meeting certification or re-certification
requirements; instruction to assist potential and existing substitute teachers in performing their duties; instruction
to assist paraprofessionals in meeting education and training requirements; and, instruction for baccalaureate
degree holders to become certified teachers in order to increase routes to the classroom for mid-career
professionals who hold a baccalaureate degree and college graduates who were not education majors. The bill
also requires that each approved Educator Preparation Institute that offers “alternative certification programs”
for holders of baccalaureate degrees must “enable program participants to meet the educator certification
requirements required in statutes, and that each of the programs authorized for this alternative certification must
be “competency-based,” provide field experience, and a certification ombudsman to facilitate the process and
procedures required for eventual certification. Succinctly, the passage of the bill allowed community colleges
for the first time in the state to provide programs of instruction for baccalaureate degree holders that lead to
certification as a classroom teacher.
On August 17, 2004, The State Board of Education appointed Chief of Staff to Commissioner Horne, John
Winn, to head Florida’s K-20 Department of Education. Commissioner Jim Horne, who announced his resignation
in early August, 2004, stepped down August 31, 2004. Winn assumed the role of Commissioner effective
September 1, 2004.
In June of 2004, Dr. Harry T. Albertson, now the Chief Executive Officer of the Florida Association of
Community Colleges, suffered a heart attack and earlier in the year had been diagnosed with what doctors
believed to be Parkinson’s disease. At the same time, Dr. Albertson and the Board of Directors of FACC had begun

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negotiations for a larger facility to house the growing needs of the Association and the Council of Presidents.
Several properties were identified in downtown Tallahassee, across the street from the Capitol complex and Dr.
Albertson began negotiations for the five-story (four-stories and a basement), 18,000 square foot Florida Medical
Association Building and found a potential buyer for the Association’s current facilities. However, in December
of 2004, Dr. Albertson informed the Board that his doctor’s thought it best if he retired and he submitted his
resignation after twelve years of service to the Association. On February 28, 2005, Dr. Albertson left his duties as
CEO inconspicuously and without any fanfare as he had requested, though he agreed to serve as consultant to the
Council of Presidents for at least 18 months. The Board of Directors named Mr. Michael Comins, the newly hired
Chief Operating Officer for the Association, as interim CEO effective march 1, 2005. Mr. Comins completed the
work Dr. Albertson had started on the purchase of the Florida Medical Association Building and the sale of the
Association’s current facilities. Mr. Comins’ final negotiations resulted in the sale of the current facilities, located at
816 South Martin Luther King Boulevard, to Okaloosa-Walton College Foundation for $650,000. Mr. Comins
also closed the deal on the Florida Medical Association building, located at 113 East College Avenue, on May 16,
2005 for a purchase price of $2.1million, significantly less than the $3.2 million the Florida Medical Association
had invested in the building and property.
Florida’s Community College System has become a national and international model for the orderly
development of a community college system. Locally controlled by individual district boards of trustees, Florida’s
“Great 28” community colleges continue to make a notable contribution in assuring that all of the citizens
of Florida have access to higher education opportunities. As the community college transitions through the
implementation of The Florida Education Governance Reorganization Act of 2000, HB 2263, SB 1162, and the
most recent education governance bill, SB 20E passed by the 2002 Legislature and referred to as the School Code
Re-write Bill, the ability of Florida’s twenty-eight community colleges to meet the higher education needs of local
communities and the students within those communities will undoubtedly be impacted. Likewise, the mission
and purpose of Florida’s Community Colleges will be scrutinized by the new Florida Board of Education and,
as already is evident by the Board’s approval for baccalaureate degrees at four of the state’s twenty-eight colleges,
the result of this scrutiny will shape the future history of the Florida Community College System. Through all of
the history of changes in the organization and governance of the Florida Community College System, there has
remained only one constant, the Florida Association of Community Colleges (FACC). With a membership of
nearly 8,000 community college faculty and staff and all 28 of the state’s community colleges, it is the largest state-
based community college organization in the country and one of the largest associations in the State of Florida.

Updated 6/30/00
Updated 9/24/02
Updated 10/05/04
Updated 11/19/10

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5.1 a succinct history of the florida community college system

The Florida Community College System /

Florida College System Historical Update

by Dr. Willis Holcombe, Former Chancellor and

President Emeritus of Broward Community College

I
n 2005-06, Florida’s economy, fueled by strong real estate and construction industries, boomed. Employment
was high and enrollment in Florida’s community colleges flattened out, and in many colleges declined slightly.
This counter-cyclical relationship between Florida’s employment and enrollment in the system had been
understood and anticipated by key decision-makers and the state legislature. State financial support for the system
remained strong and, on a per student basis, reached record highs in the 2005 and 2006 legislative sessions.
Programmatically, the colleges continued to expand. New technology-based associate degrees and certificates
were introduced to keep up with the impact of the digital age on virtually every area of work and life. Florida’s
community colleges also responded to the state’s need for teachers, particularly in the critical shortage areas of
math, science, reading, and exceptional education in two new ways: 1) Educator Preparation Institutes (EPI’s),
established at our colleges, were providing teacher certification training for hundreds of people who already
held bachelor’s degrees and wanted to become K-12 teachers in Florida. 2) By the fall of 2007, the State Board of
Education had approved six colleges for baccalaureate education degrees in high demand teaching fields.
Charlie Crist was elected Governor of Florida in November, 2006, and 2007 became a year of change in the
Department of Education. These changes began with Commissioner of Education John Wynn leaving his position
in early March and Jeanine Blomberg becoming the interim Commissioner while the State Board of Education
conducted a national search for a permanent successor. In July, David Armstrong left his position as Chancellor of
the Community College System to accept the presidency of Broward Community College. Dr. Judith Bilsky served
as acting chancellor until Dr. Willis Holcombe, former President of Broward Community College was appointed
interim chancellor on Oct. 1 by Commissioner Blomberg. On Nov. 16, 2007, the State Board selected Dr. Eric
Smith as Commissioner of Education, and in January, 2008, Dr. Smith appointed Dr. Holcombe Chancellor of the
Community College System.
Economically, Florida was changing also; the real estate, lending, and construction boom came to an abrupt
halt near the end of 2007, and Florida, like the rest of the country, moved toward a deep and long recession. As
a result, in the spring of 2008, the state legislature adopted a conservative budget which contained reductions for
education as well as many other state agencies. On the policy front, the legislature also passed a bill that renamed
and redefined the Florida Community College System. House Speaker designate, Representative Ray Sansom and
Appropriations Chair, Representative Joe Pickens, spearheaded the passage of CS/SB 1716, which had four major
provisions:
1. It established the Florida College System, defined as a system of colleges that grant two-year and four-year
degrees to meet the employment needs of Florida in a more cost-effective manner to the state and the
student than the state university system.
2. It provided criteria and a locally-controlled process for the changing of an institution’s name consistent
with its degree-granting status.
3. It established the Florida College System Task Force to make recommendations regarding the
implementation and funding of the new system.
4. It established the State College Pilot Project, consisting of 9 colleges, also for the purpose of making
recommendations on the implementation and funding of the new system.
The Task Force and the Pilot Project were to coordinate with each other, but submit their reports separately to
the legislature and other decision-makers prior to the 2009 legislative session.
The Task Force was chaired by Dr. Eric Smith, Commissioner of Education, and was composed of seven
community college presidents, one state university president, one independent college and university (ICUF)
president, one for-profit college president, and one at-large member. The final report from the Task Force made
27 recommendations on articulation, mission, governance, transition process, program approval criteria, and
proposed funding. The report of the Pilot Project had similar recommendations. Both reports were well received

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 5.1 a succinct history of the florida community college system

by the legislature, and CS/SB 2682, which codified most of the recommendations, was passed in the 2009 session.
Specifically, the legislature:
1. Confirmed the open access mission of the college system, to include approved, employment-related
baccalaureate degrees
2. Stated the service districts for each of the colleges in the statutes
3. Affirmed the 2 + 2 articulation rights of students who possess associate degrees
4. Strengthened the program-approval process by requiring more employment needs data, better
coordination with other colleges and universities, and a specific time frame for DOE action on a proposal
5. Repealed the State College Pilot Project
Apart from the baccalaureate degree issue, the colleges in the new Florida College System came under
tremendous enrollment pressure beginning with the 2007-08 academic year. As employment figures dropped
around the state, college enrollments rose. At the same time, state revenues declined, and state appropriations to
the system decreased as well. In order to provide resources needed by the colleges to serve the growing student
body, the legislature authorized student tuition increases. The budget reductions, tuition increases, and enrollment
increases continued through the 2008-09, 2009-10, and 2010-11 academic years. Between 2006-07 and 2010-11,
credit enrollment grew by 31%, and state funding declined by 7%. During these same years, tuition increased by
34.5%. These tuition dollars partially replaced the missing state dollars and helped the colleges accommodate the
increased student enrollment.
In 2010 the legislature established the Higher Education Coordinating Council as a vehicle to help assure that
all sectors of the higher education community, both public and private, were avoiding duplication and operating
efficiently to meet the educational needs of the state. It is anticipated that this group’s recommendations will
be considered carefully by legislators and other policy makers. Articulation is a key concern of the Council as
universities struggle to accommodate the increased numbers of associate degree graduates from the Florida
College System.
The recession showed signs of easing in 2011 as the unemployment rate dropped and then hovered around 9%
in Florida. Florida College System enrollments continued to grow, but at a slower rate. The combined effects of
the recession, lower tuitions than the universities, the open-door admission policy, and expanded degree options
had increase the percentage of high school graduates in Florida who enrolled in the Florida College System to
an all-time high. Two-thirds of the 2009-10 graduates who enrolled in higher education enrolled in an FCS
institution.
During this same time period there were leadership changes at FACC and the Department of Education
that would also impact the Florida College System. In November, 2010, the FACC board of directors and the
membership adopted a new name for the organization that reflected the mission expansion that had been
confirmed by the legislature. The name, “Association of Florida Colleges,” (AFC) was unveiled at the annual
meeting by CEO Michael Brawer. Mr. Brawer had assumed his office in November of 2008 after Michael Comins
resigned. He led the organization through the name change process and conducted a very successful membership
campaign. At DOE, Dr. Eric Smith resigned as Commissioner of Education in June, 2011, and Mr. Gerard
Robinson was selected as the new Commissioner on July 29 by the State Board of Education. In the fall the
Council of Presidents appointed Dr. Charles (Chick) Dassance as their first Director of Government Relations
to assist in the advocacy effort in Tallahassee. Dr. Dassance had recently retired as President of the College of
Central Florida. In November, 2011, Dr. Holcombe retired as Chancellor of the Florida College System, and
Commissioner Robinson appointed Tallahassee attorney Mr. Randy Hanna as the new chancellor. Mr. Hanna
was a former chair of the State Board of Community Colleges, a former college trustee, and an active leader of the
Florida College System Foundation.
In December, 2011, the first Aspen Prize was awarded to the best community college in the United States.
Although the criteria were broad ranging, the data collection focused heavily on colleges that had high graduation
rates while serving a diverse student population. Fourteen of the FCS colleges were judged to be in the top 10% of
community colleges in the country. No other state had such a strong showing. The ultimate winner was Valencia
College, followed closely by Miami-Dade College. This national recognition of the outstanding colleges in the
Florida College System helped reaffirm that the system remains committed to its long-standing mission of service
to Florida. It also indicates the system has successfully incorporated the baccalaureate degree into its broad array
of degrees and certificates without compromising its commitment to open-access admissions.

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5.1 a succinct history of the florida community college system

By the end of 2011, 21 of the 28 colleges had been approved for at least one baccalaureate degree, and these
degrees accounted for 2% of the credit enrollment of the system. While the new mission of expanding access to
4-year degrees drew most of the attention during this period of its history, the traditional Florida College System
mission of providing access to a quality post-secondary education served Florida well during this turbulent
economic time. Serious issues remain, such as: facility funding, tuition affordability, and the restoration of state
support and matching money, but the Florida College System has emerged from this recession even more vibrant
and important to the state of Florida than it was before it.

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5.2 FLORIDA’S BLACK JUNIOR COLLEGES: BUILDING BLOCKS OF THE
“GREAT 28”

By Dr. Walter Smith

T
he Florida Community College System (as it exists today) evolved out of a merger between the formerly
segregated African American and white junior colleges that existed in Florida between 1933 and 1967.
Ostensibly, the twelve African American two-year colleges were established to provide the African
American community with equal access to higher educational opportunities. After all, at that time, only one public
institution of higher education, The Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, admitted African American citizens to
postsecondary studies in Florida.
When the Community College Council made its 1957 report to the Florida Legislature, “The Community
Junior College in Florida’s Future,” some of its findings were surprising. The report indicated that junior colleges
should be developed within commuting distance of most of Florida’s population. This could be accomplished by
establishing a junior college in 23 new areas in addition to the four that were already in existence. One of these
four institutions was the Booker T. Washington Junior College for African Americans that was established in 1949,
in Pensacola. The report also noted that 13 of these 31 areas had sufficient Black populations to meet the criteria
for a community college. The decision to build such colleges would rest with the local boards of education.
The initial inclination of then Governor LeRoy Collins was to pursue the development of integrated
institutions since the Supreme Court of the United States had indicated that segregation by race in our schools was
illegal. However, school integration had not yet taken hold in this part of the country at that time. In fact, The
Florida Constitution had not been revised since 1885. It clearly stated that “white and colored children shall not be
taught in the same school, but that impartial provisions shall be made for both.”
With Article XII, Sec. 8 of the Florida Constitutions as the guide, the governor and other educational and
legislative leaders decided that an equitable system of two-year colleges could be established with the help of Black
leaders.
Fortunately, for Florida, there was a moderate, even-tempered governor to guide the initial process of building
the two-year college system. Governor LeRoy Collins had taken the reins of the State of Florida in 1955 and
was determined to see that every citizen, regardless of race, would have an opportunity to recognize his or her
fullest potential. With the help of the State Superintendent of Public Instructions, the late Dr. Thomas Bailey and
Dr. James Wattenbarger, Director of the Community College Council, Governor Collins proceeded to build a
meaningful addition to Florida’s system of higher education.
The critical stages of developing the community college system of Florida were engineered by Superintendent
Bailey and Dr. Wattenbarger. Countless hours were spent reviewing the proposed two-year college program to
present to the people of Florida. There was full recognition that developing the Black institutions would meet with
great resistance from a segment of the Black community. The Brown vs. Board of Education decision had been
handed down by the U.S. Supreme court three years earlier, and most members of the Black community believed
that only integrated institutions should be built from that day forward. At the same time, it was known that an
even larger segment of the white community was not ready to accept integrated colleges. The efforts had to be
carefully planned so that the new system would be sufficiently strong and could withstand any efforts to discredit
its value and standing in the education community.
The Black institutions were designed so that each new college would be located on the campus of an already
existing Black high school. This location would provide immediate access to facilities as well as administrative and
academic leadership until the young colleges would merge, and the facilities that were developed could accrue to
the existing high schools.
Today’s community colleges are created by the state and local governments and function under the guidance
and direction of a local board of trustees. At that time, however, each two-year college was planned jointly by
the State Department of Education, the local school board, and a local advisory committee. At no time was
an institution established before the local board of education requested the state to provide assistance for its
development. It was a local initiative, and the local school board was the governing body. However, the State

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5.2 fLORIDA’S BLACK JUNIOR COLLEGES: BUILDING BLOCKS OF THE “GREAT 28”

Board of Education established minimum standards for the institutions and worked closely with the local school
districts to assure compliance with prescribed standards. In some areas of the state where a single district could
not support a college, several counties joined together in working out a formula to operate a jointly funded
institution. This venture often included the development of elaborate transportation systems so that any student
within 50 miles of an institution would have access to a college education.
Booker T. Washington Junior College (BTW) was the first public African American junior college build
in Florida. It was created in 1949, in Escambia County, in response to the needs of the naval base and other
government projects as they began to expand and were in need of skilled tradespersons and artisans to build new
facilities. Pensacola Junior College has been created in 1948 to meet the needs of the white citizenry. The Black
community, through its “Negro Citizens Committee for Junior College, “insisted that similar educational resources
must be developed for Black citizens.
The founding president and the only president of the institution was Dr. Garrett T. Wiggins. He came to the
college from Houston, Texas where he served as Dean of the Graduate School at Texas State College (not Texas
Southern University). He was the only educator in Northwest Florida with an earned doctorate degree, and his
new challenge included serving as principal of the Booker T. Washington High School and dean of the new college
concept. His chore was to design and operate the elongated concept of years thirteen and fourteen, which was to
be the new structure of BTW.
After sixteen years of operating, Booker T. Washington Junior College (BTWJC) and Pensacola Junior College
(PJC) were finally merged in 1965. At the time of the merger, the enrollment at BTWJC was 361 students. Dr.
Wiggins became the Director of Research in the newly designed Pensacola Junior College.
In the fall of 1957, Florida opened its first Black two-year college according to the recommendations of the
1957 report of the Community College Council. That institution was established on the campus of Gibbs High
School in St. Petersburg, Florida. The new college was named Gibbs Junior College (GJC).
Dr. John W. Rembert was the founding and the only president of GJC. At the time of the founding of the
college, Dr. Rembert was the principal of the Gibbs High School, and against the will of many Black community
leaders, he had been a strong advocate for the development of the two-year college.
True to Rembert’s prediction, the institution grew rapidly, serving Pasco, Pinellas, Hernando, Hillsborough,
Manatee, and Sarasota counties. It grew to become a strong academic college and was fully accredited by the
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1964. Its faculty had some of the strongest academic preparation
of any of Florida’s two-year colleges, and its athletic and music programs were also rated very highly.
The choral group was often called upon to perform at local, state, and national conferences and conventions
throughout America. In 1961, the choir performed at the 41st Annual Convention of the American Association of
Junior Colleges in Washington, D.C.
At the time of the merger between Gibbs Junior College and St. Petersburg Junior College, GJC had an
enrollment of 961 full-time students, and it faculty had a broad array of masters degrees, and several faculty
members had completed the requirements for doctorates.
Volusia County Community College (VCCC) had the distinction of being the first community college in
Florida. Founded in October 1957, the institution formally opened its doors to students in September 1958.
The college’s founding and the only president was Mr. J. Griffin Greene. At the time of his appointment to the
presidency, Mr. Greene was principal of Lincoln Academy High School at Fort Pierce, Florida.
Like Gibbs Junior College, VCCC grew rapidly and had a strong academic program. Additionally, the
college had an active adult education program and comprehensive skills and trades development program. Many
VCCC students began their development in the General Education Development (GED) Program and continued
through the associate degree curricula and certificate programs. Its high production of good quality tradespersons
and artisans caught the eye of the developing Cape Canaveral Space Center, and many of the graduates found
employment at the space port. Many other industries were developing in Volusia County, and the graduates found
employment at these facilities. Most prominent among the vocational-technical programs were practical nursing
radio and television repair, auto mechanics, dry cleaning, and electrical wiring. Many programs were taught
during the evening. This allowed people who were employed to attend school at night and upgrade their skills and
develop in new professions.
At the time of the merger between Daytona Beach Junior College and Volusia County Community College in
1966, this Black institution developed in close proximity to Campbell Street High School, had an enrollment of

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 5.2 fLORIDA’S BLACK JUNIOR COLLEGES: BUILDING BLOCKS OF THE “GREAT 28”

over 5,000 students. Its faculty numbered 79 persons and there were eight full-time administrators at the college.
The college’s programs included an outstanding array of extra-curricula activities, both intramurals and
intercollegiate. Its basketball teams, playmakers’ guild, and choir provided many activities, and the institution had
become neatly woven into the basic educational and developmental fabric of the community. It had also satisfied
the requirements for accreditation.
Hampton Junior College was founded as Howard Junior College, adjacent to Howard High School in Ocala,
in 1958. Its founding and only president was Mr. William H. Jackson, who at the time of the establishment of the
college was serving as principal of the Howard High School. This position he maintained along with the college
duties until 1961, when his college responsibilities required his full attention. Only then was a principal selected
by the school board to administer the high school.
The name change came during the first year of operation when the advisory board recommended that the
college be named for a local Black physician, Dr. L.R. Hampton. His son, Dr. L. R. Hampton, Jr., served as the
chairperson of the college’s advisory board from its inception until its merger with Central Florida Junior College
in 1966.
The college served the three county area of Citrus, Levy, and Marion counties. The nine-person advisory
board was made up of three representatives from each of the cooperating counties.
Many Black citizens in Marion County opposed the development of the segregated college. They pointed to
the fact that the University of Florida was less than 50 miles away and should be integrated. However, at the time
HJC was established, the university had not admitted a single Black undergraduate student. Furthermore, the
university had been the center of controversy when Virgil Hawkins, a Black applicant, was denied admission to the
Law school. Later in 1957, one African American was admitted to the Law School.
The founding President of Hampton Junior College, at the time of his appointment to the presidency, was also
the President of the Florida State Teachers’ Association, the Black teachers’ organization. In his leadership role in
the organization he was at the core of the battle for salary equalization for Black teachers and the desegregation
of public schools. Nevertheless, he felt he could create a strong Black two-year college and hoped that this
development would help to facilitate desegregation in schools and colleges throughout Florida.
Hampton Junior College did indeed develop into a strong two-year college. The majority of its faculty had
masters’ degrees, and its academic programs included associate degree programming and vocational-technical
training.
By the time the college was planning for merger with Central Florida Junior College, the faculty and staff
had already completed its self-study and was preparing for an accreditation visit by the Southern Association of
Colleges and Schools. The colleges merged in 1966, and the visit from SACS was not necessary.
At the time of the merger, HJC had an enrollment of nearly 900 students. It produced a number of
outstanding graduates who went on to senior colleges and universities within and outside of Florida. Additionally,
its academic, core, and extra-curricular activities had infused Ocala and the surrounding areas with a sense of
heightened sense of the need for postsecondary education.
Roosevelt Junior College at West Palm Beach was established in 1958 on the campus of Roosevelt High
School. Like most of the other colleges, its classes were held in the late afternoon and in the evening until
permanent facilities could be constructed to accommodate the new college. The Black community strongly
opposed the development of Roosevelt Junior College (RFC) because of the movement toward the desegregation of
public education and because the all-White Palm Beach Junior College already existed. Nevertheless, the effort to
build the college was not thwarted by the heated debates and turmoil that occurred during school board meetings
between school board members and leaders in the Black community.
Mr. Britton G. Sayles, the principal of Roosevelt High School, was appointed president of the junior college
and was also asked to remain as the principal of the high school. This dual responsibility existed for Mr. Sayles
throughout the life of Roosevelt Junior College. As a matter of fact, Mr. Sayles had two offices: one located at the
high school and another at the college. Mr. Sayles an staff developed a very strong academic institution that had a
good array of core and extra-curricular activities, including sports, a playmakers’ guild, and a community choral
group.
After building the new college to an enrollment of nearly 900 students, the president and his staff pursued
accreditation. After the college completed its self-study, the SACS sent a visiting team to determine if the college
met the standards expected for accreditation. Shortly thereafter President Sayles was notified that Roosevelt had

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5.2 fLORIDA’S BLACK JUNIOR COLLEGES: BUILDING BLOCKS OF THE “GREAT 28”

met the accreditation requirements of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Then lightning struck!
On March 3, 1965, School Board Chairman Louis B. Bills convened the Palm Beach County Board of Public
Instruction to indicate there would no longer be a need for two community colleges in the county. As of June 30,
1965, in spite of its high quality, Roosevelt Junior College was deactivated and ceased to exist. It had been granted
full status as an accredited institution at the same meeting where the SACS also accredited Brevard Engineering
College, Gibbs Junior College, and Central Florida Junior College.
It was almost thirty years after the merger that President Sayles was finally honored for his tireless efforts in
helping to establish a unit of Florida’s “Great 28.” The Palm Beach Community College Board of Trustees dedicated
the Britton G. Sayles Social Science Building just days before in death on March 15, 1994. Though frail and very
weak, he was present at the dedication ceremony.
Lincoln Junior College, located in St. Lucie County, was officially authorized as a two-year college by the
County Board of Public Instruction in December 1959. In January 1960, Dr. Leroy Floyd, principal at Lincoln Park
Academy, Fort Pierce, was named president of the new college. The institution was established to serve Indian
River, Martin, Okeechobee, and St. Lucie counties.
Most of the faculty members had been educated to teach at the secondary level. However, many of them had
masters’ degrees. A heavy dose on in-service education prepared them quickly for their work at the community
college level.
The curriculum was comprised of adult basic education, college parallel programs, and vocational-technical
education. The core and extra-curricular activities were well developed, and the college produced a championship
level basketball team under the tutelage of Mr. Vernon Floyd.
The college that was developed in separate facilities on the campus of Lincoln Park Academy grew rapidly. Its
enrollment grew to nearly 700 students and was at that level when the college was merged with Indian River Junior
College in 1965. Upon merger with Indian River Junior College (IRJC), President Leroy Floyd became the Dean of
Students. Additionally, several of his faculty and staff members were invited to join the faculty and staff at the new
institution.
Rosenwald Junior College was founded in Bay County in the Northwestern section of the state in 1958. Mr.
Calvin Washington, principal of Rosenwald High School, was named president of the college and retained his
duties as supervising principal of the high school for the first six years of the life of the college. The Superintendent
of Public Instructions noted that the two institutions had functioned well under the supervision of Mr. Washington
and that graduates of the college were entering senior college without difficulty. At this time, he recommended Mr.
Washington should be name president of the college. A separate position was then created and filled with another
person to carry out the functions of the principal of the high school.
The college grew to a maximum of 200 students and had a well-designed college transfer curriculum. Its only
vocational program was a secretarial science curriculum. Its contingent of local students was bolstered by the
presence of airman from nearby Tyndall Air Force Base. This gave campus a cosmopolitan ambiance.
In 1966 the Rosenwald Junior College and Gulf Coast Junior College were merged, and President Calvin
Washington was reverted to a position at the school board office. Almost three decades after the merger of the
two institutions, Gulf Coast Community College, on February 10, 1994, dedicated the Rosenwald Junior College
Center on its main campus.
Suwannee River Junior College, located in Madison County, was approved to begin its planning operation
on June 2, 1958. Dr. James G. Gardener was appointed as the first president of the new college. At the time of his
appointment, Dr. Gardener was principal at the Williston Vocational Technical School in Williston, Florida.
In the same board meeting that Suwannee River Junior College (SRJC) as established for Black citizens,
North Florida Junior College was established to meet the needs of the white population. Located in a small rural
community both colleges were designed to be supported in a cooperative agreement by Hamilton, Jefferson,
Lafayette, Madison, and Taylor counties.
The SRJC curriculum was almost entirely a college transfer program. The one exception was the creation of a
secretarial science track. The enrollment of the college began slowly with only 90 students present for the opening
day. However, when it became believable that the college credits would be accepted by other institutions, the
enrollment jumped to over 400 students. They came from as far away as Clay, Bradford, and Dixie counties. There
were also enrollees from several South Georgia counties.
When President Gardener departed the college in 1961 to accept a position in Broward County, Mrs. Jenyethal

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 5.2 fLORIDA’S BLACK JUNIOR COLLEGES: BUILDING BLOCKS OF THE “GREAT 28”

Merritt, then the Dean of Instructions at SRJC, was named president of the college. This promotion installed Mrs.
Merritt as the first female president in higher education in the State of Florida. She remained president until SRJC
and NRJC merged.
In 1967 SRJC and NRJC were formally merged to form the institution that is today North Florida Community
College. Mrs. Merritt died on the campus of NRJC after suffering a fatal heart attack in the Learning Resource
Center, which she directed, after the merger.
Carver Junior College was officially created by the Brevard County Board of Public Instructions on November
17, 1959. The board also approved the development of Brevard Junior College for white citizens. Both institutions
were approved in 1959 and were scheduled for opening in the fall of 1960. Interestingly, however, Dr. J. Bruce
Wilson was named to head the Brevard Junior College in December 1959 and was instructed to being planning
immediately for his institution to open in September 1960. On the other hand, Mr. James R. Greene was not
appointed president of Carver Junior College until July 12, 1960 and was directed as well to have his college ready
for opening in September 1960. Additionally, President Greene was asked to continue to serve as the principal of
Monroe High School.
Carver’s enrollment grew slowly and reached just over 200 students at its peak. Its primary programs were
geared toward college transfer, and the college had only three graduating classes before its merger with Brevard
Junior College in 1964. In spite of its short existence as an institution of higher education, Carver Junior College
planed a number of Black students into higher education who would not have had the chance to attend college
without its presence.
Under the leadership of Dr. Maxwell King, President of Brevard Community College, Carver Junior College
has been commemoratively reclaimed through the dedication of the new administrative facility. The new center
is named the George Washington Carver Administration Center, and portraits of Dr. George W. Carver and
President Greene have been placed in the facility. Unfortunately, President James R. Greene did not live to see his
portrait nor the plaque which was erected on the BCC campus in his honor.
Collier-Blocker Junior College (C-BJC) was established in Putnam County, Palatka, Florida in 1960. Mr.
Albert Williams was appointed the foundation president, and the institution was designed to serve students from
Clay, Flagler, Putnam, and St. Johns counties. At the time of his appointment to the presidency of C-BJC, President
Williams was serving s Dean at the Florida Industrial and Memorial College in St. Augustine, Florida.
The college never really had a chance for survival. Its location in a rural community thwarted its potential
to develop any programs other than a college transfer curriculum. Further, the advisory board and the founding
president never really worked well together, and the enrollment reached just over 100 students at its highest
peak. President Williams left the college shortly after the first graduation, and the superintendent recommended
“Professor” Fred R. Brooks as the Dean and acting president. Brooks was paid a salary supplement of $500 per
year to serve as the principal of Central Academy High School and president of C-BJC. C-BJC existed only four
years and was merged with St. Johns River Junior College in 1965.
Jackson Junior College, located in Marianna, was established in 1960 on the campus of the Jackson County
Training School. Mr. William H. Harley, then the principal of the training school, was also named president of the
Jackson Junior College.
JJC had a peak enrollment of 150 students. Its curriculum was basically standardized for students to transfer
to Florida A&M University and Bethune-Cookman College. Counseling services, then, were designed with the
transfer function as the basic model. The small enrollment numbers did not allow the college to hire a cadre of
guidance people. Therefore, the faculty had to become an intimate part of the guidance and counseling team.
Shortly after the college opened its doors, adult basic education was added to assist mature adults in their efforts to
return to school and obtain CED certificates and to improve their basic skills.
The establishment of the college was a cooperative effort supported by Calhoun, Jackson, and Washington
counties. Its activities were an asset to the rural counties. However, the college never realized its full potential,
and in 1965 it was merged with Chipola Junior College. As with the other presidents of the Black institutions,
President Harley was reverted to a lesser position. He became principal of the high school under the supervision
of a white supervising principal.
Johnson Junior College (JJC), established by an act of the legislature in 1961, was located in Leesburg, Florida.
Mr. Perman Williams, at that time the Supervisor of Negro Education in Lake County, was named the president of
the new institution. The college was placed on the campus of Carver Heights High School.

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5.2 fLORIDA’S BLACK JUNIOR COLLEGES: BUILDING BLOCKS OF THE “GREAT 28”

The president’s greatest concern was the absence of Black representation on the advisory board. Throughout
the life of the college, the all-white advisory board that guided the direction of the all-white Lake-Sumter Junior
College also guided the direction of JJC. The advisory group had to be formulated to serve Lake and Sumter
Counties. The school board members chose not to place a single African American on the new board. Said
Williams, “This was tantamount to taxation without representation.”
At any rate, the college grew from its original intake of 250 students to approximately 500 enrollees by 1965
and developed transfer curricula as well as vocational-technical programs. The enrollment was enhanced by
President Williams’ purchase of a school bus from his personal funds to provide travel for students between
Orlando and Leesburg. The bus also picked up students in Apopka. Without this convenience, many students
would not have been able to get to the college.
The official dedication and open house for the new facilities at Johnson Junior College took place on March 21,
1965. Present at the program were a number of state dignitaries, including Secretary of State Tom Adams, Speaker
of the Florida House of Representatives, and an array of community leaders. At this ceremony, resplendent with all
the pomp and expectancy of longevity, President Williams was presented the college medallion by Superintendent
Jack Morgan. However, this activity seemed to have sounded the death knell for the college. On March 25, 1965,
only four days following the dedicatory activities, President Perman Williams was told that the college would
be merged with Lake-Sumter Junior College and that he would become the dean of the old site. He would now
function under the supervision of President Paul Williams. In anger, President Williams left the college and
became a consultant for the Florida Department of Education.
Unfortunately, President Perman Williams did not live to see the dedication of a building in his honor on the
present campus of Lake-Sumter Community College. The dedicatory activity took place on February 25, 1996,
approximately thirty years after the merger of the two institutions.
As we approach the mid-point of the 1997-98 academic year, all Floridians should proudly salute the history
of Florida’s former Black Junior College System. It was a part of public higher education and was restricted only
by the legal evils of racial segregation. In many instances it appears that there are efforts to forget that much of
the foundation of today’s “Great 28” contains the heart of a magnificent group of colleges that were stripped of
their own development. Further, these institutions were forced into a system that often forgot some aspects of the
meaning of “Equal Educational Opportunity.”
Hopefully, we’ll not allow this thirty-year period to elapse without appropriate recognition of the contributions
of these institutions and their founders. Florida, America, and the world are all better off because these institutions
produced some of our great leaders who happen to be African American.

Special Notation: This article was drawn from the book titled: The Magnificent Twelve: Florida’s Black Junior
Colleges, Walter L. Smith (1994). Orlando, Florida, Four-G Publishers. All references pertaining to personal
interviews and review of public records are contained in the book.

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5.3 AFC TRUSTEE COMMISSION BY-LAWS

ASSOCIATION OF FLORIDA COLLEGES

BY-LAWS
OF
TRUSTEES COMMISSION

ARTICLE I: NAME
The name of this organization shall be the Trustees Commission of the Association of Florida Colleges.

ARTICLE II: PURPOSE

The purpose of this organization shall be to promote and enhance the community college system of the State of
Florida by serving in a liaison capacity with the State Board of Education, by serving as liaison with the general
membership of the Association of Florida Colleges (AFC), and by providing trustees within the community college
system with education opportunities with regard to their duties and responsibilities, by keeping such trustees
informed about matters of concern to all of the community colleges, and by providing a forum for such trustees to
discuss the issues common to the community college system.

ARTICLE III: MEMBERS

Each duly commissioned trustee of a public community college of the State of Florida is a member in good
standing of the Association of Florida Colleges and a member of the Trustees Commission.

ARTICLE IV: OFFICERS

SECTION 1 The officers shall consist of a chairman, chairman-elect, secretary, treasurer, and the immediate
past chairman. The offices of secretary and treasurer may be held by the same individual.

SECTION 2 The chairman shall serve for a one year term and shall be succeeded in office at the completion
of said term by the chair-elect. The chair-elect shall be elected for a one year term to this office at
the annual meeting of the Trustees Commission. All other officers shall be elected at the annual
meeting of the Trustees Commission for a one-year term. No officer may serve in the same office
for more than two consecutive terms.

SECTION 3 Officers shall be elected at the annual meeting of the Trustees Commission at the AFC annual
convention and shall assume office on July 1st following the annual convention, and serve until
June 30 of the following year. Officer-elects in November 2009 shall each serve an additional six
months term between January 1, 2010 and June 30, 2010.

SECTION 4 The chairman shall appoint a nominating committee to present nominees to the membership
for the offices subject to election at the annual meeting. There may be nominations from the floor.

SECTION 5 If a vacancy should occur in the office of chairman, the chairman-elect shall assume the office of
the chairman. If vacancies should occur in the offices of both the chairman and the chairman-
elect, the immediate past chair shall assume the office of chairman until the next regularly
scheduled odd number year annual meeting election. All other vacancies shall be filled by the
Executive Board and shall serve until the next annual meeting of the Trustees Commission.

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5.3 BY-LAWS OF THE TRUSTEE COMMISSION

SECTION 6 Duties of officers:

a. Chairman

1) The chairman shall preside at all Commission and Executive Board meetings.

2) The chairman shall serve as liaison with the State Board of Education and with the
Council of Presidents.

b. Chairman-elect

The chairman-elect shall act in the absence of the chairman or as directed.

c. Secretary/Treasurer

The secretary/treasurer shall record minutes of the Commission and work with the AFC
CEO to account for all commission monies

ARTICLE V: EXECUTIVE BOARD

The Executive Board shall consist of the chairman, chairman-elect, secretary, treasurer and immediate past
chairman, and shall act for the membership between annual and special meetings. The chairman shall appoint,
with confirmation by the Executive Board, no less than 5 or more than 10 members-at-large who will serve in an
ex-officio, advisory capacity to the Executive Board. These at-large members shall constitute the Advocacy and
Governmental Relations Committee.

ARTICLE VI: MEETINGS

SECTION 1 There shall be an annual meeting of the Trustees Commission, which shall be held at the same
time as the annual meeting of the Association of Florida Colleges.

SECTION 2 The Trustees Commission shall meet jointly with the Council of Presidents at least annually to
discuss legislative and other matters of mutual concern.

SECTION 3 Each community college trustee in attendance shall be entitled to one vote at all meetings of the
Trustees Commission.

SECTION 4 Special meetings of the Commission may be called at the discretion of the chairman of the
Trustees Commission or by the written request of at least fifteen chairmen of the District Boards
of Trustees.

SECTION 5 Representation of eight community colleges at any meeting shall constitute a quorum.

SECTION 6 The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the Commission
in all cases to which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order that
the Commission may adopt.

ARTICLE VII: COMMITTEES

The chairman is authorized to establish committees, at his or her discretion, to carry out the purposes of the
commission.

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 5.3 BY-LAWS OF THE TRUSTEE COMMISSION

ARTICLE VIII: AWARDS

The chairman is authorized to establish a committee for the purpose of selecting the recipient of the Trustees
Commission Trustee of the Year award and to make the award annually at the AFC Convention.

ARTICLE IX: AMENDMENTS

These bylaws may be amended at the annual meeting or at a special meeting by a majority of voting members
provided the proposed change(s) have been submitted in written form to the Executive Board at least thirty days
prior to the meeting.

ARTICLE X: ANTI-CONFLICT PROVISION

Nothing contained herein shall be construed in such manner as to conflict with the bylaws of the Association of
Florida Colleges.

Amended: November, 1993

October, 1995
November, 1996
November, 1998
October, 2003
November, 2009
November, 2010

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 ASSOCIATION OF FLORIDA COLLEGES STAFF
www.myafchome.org

Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer

Michael Brawer
[email protected]

Associate Executive Director for Membership

and Professional Development
Marsha Kiner
[email protected]

Member Information and Database Manager Director of Administration and Finance

Adrienne Bryant Eileen Johnson
[email protected] [email protected]

Staff Assistant Executive Assistant/Publications Coordinator

David Schrenk Tina Ingramm-Ward
[email protected] [email protected]

ASSOCIATION OF FLORIDA COLLEGES COMMISSIONS

Commissions bring together college employees with similar job responsibilities to enhance their professional skills
and knowledge and to network, share, and recognize exemplary practices with colleagues from around the state.

Administration: Offers professional development opportunities for administrative and business affairs staff.

Adult and Continuing Education: Facilitates the development and promotion of concepts and programs related
to adult and continuing education.

Career and Professional Employees: Promotes professional growth and exchange of information among the non-
administrative, non-faculty college employees.

Communications and Marketing: Provides a forum to share best practices in marketing and public relations as
well as peer recognition through awards and accolades.

Equity: Offers an exchange of ideas, advice and counsel on Equal Access/Equal Opportunity matters within the
Florida College System.

Facilities: Creates a collaborative environment for sharing ideas within the multiple disciplines associated with the
construction and management of our colleges’ facilities.

Faculty: Promotes quality leadership by articulating the interests and concerns of the Florida College System and
provides for effective participation in seeking solutions to matters relating to faculty.

Healthcare Education: Informs members of legislative developments and educational advancements in the field of
healthcare.

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 5.4 ASSOCIATION OF FLORIDA COLLEGES STAFF

Institutional Effectiveness, Planning, and Professional Development: Discusses ways to improve institutional
effectiveness, planning, and research.

Instructional Innovation: Provides for the participation of the faculty members, administrators, and other
concerned personnel in all areas relating to curriculum.

Learning Resources: Increases the awareness of the role that libraries, learning resource centers and learning
support service centers play in student learning and success.

Occupational and Workforce Education: Supports the improvement and development of educating an effective
workforce system in Florida.

Retirees: Represents the interests of Florida College System retirees.

Rural Campuses: (Provisional)Provides an avenue to address the education, training and economic issues that are
unique to rural communities.

Student Development: Involves members of the Student Affairs offices in carrying out the goals and objectives of
the student personnel philosophy.

Technology: Addresses all aspects of technology management, planning, information sharing and innovation.

Trustees: Provides trustees with education and information that will enhance their role in governance and
policymaking.

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5.5 guidelines regarding replacement of president in event
of death or disability

NOTE: This document was developed by Dr. Charles R. Dassance and the Board of Trustees at the College of
Central Florida and is intended here as a sample of the kind of document a board may want to consider devel-
oping. Some of the references are specifically related to internal documents related to the College of Central
Florida.)

GUIDELINES REGARDING
REPLACEMENT OF PRESIDENT
IN EVENT OF DEATH OR DISABILITY

This procedure is designed as a general outline for the Board to follow in the event of the death or disability of the
President. The procedure is intended as a guideline only and will be reviewed annually by the President and the
Board Chair.

A. Appointment of Acting President

1. Each July, the president will recommend to the incoming Board Chair an individual to serve as
“Acting President” in the event of the President’s death or disability.
2. The Board Chair will serve as the spokesperson on all matters relating to the immediate designa-
tion of an Acting President.
3. The role of the Acting President is to act as a short term substitute for the President upon Board
request during temporary absence or incapacity of the President or during emergencies, includ-
ing, but not limited to, the President’s death. Should the Acting President serve for longer than
30 days, the Board will negotiate compensation appropriate to the duties involved. At the end of
an absence by the President of 180 days because of disability, if the position of President remains
vacant, the Board will appoint an Interim President and negotiate a contract for such period until
the position of President is filled.

B. Death of the President

1. The Board Chair should immediately contact the individual designated as the “Acting President”
and inform the individual that he or she is now the Acting President. The Board Chair should
work with the Acting President on all the remaining parts of this procedure.
2. Of most immediate concern will be the College’s role in funeral/memorial arrangements, com-
munication with College community, communication with the press, and communication with
external constituents.
a. Internal Community
(i) The Board Chair will, with the assistance of the Acting President, prepare a memorandum
to be sent to all full-time employees to “calm the waters.” (See Appendix I)
b. External Community
(i) The following individuals should be contacted immediately: Board members and College
Attorney (by Board Chair); Foundation Board (by CEO of Foundation); Chancellor of the
Community College System (by Acting President);
(ii) The Chancellor will be requested to inform his staff and community college presidents (by
e-mail from Acting President); Executive Director of FACC (by Acting President); key col-
lege supporters (decision by appropriate Vice Presidents.)
c. Funeral/Memorial
(i) Acting President or Board Chair should contact spouse or next of kin to discuss those ar-
rangements. For whatever service is planned, notification will need to be sent to external
constituents and, for some, special seating planned (i.e. state dignitaries, other presidents,
and so on.)

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 3. As soon as practical, the Board should do the following:
a. Officially designate an “Interim President” and designate the Board Chair to work out a con-
tract for that service subject to Board approval. The Interim President may be the individual
serving as Acting President.
b. Discuss the process for a presidential search process. Current Board consensus on this mat-
ter is to use an external search firm to assist with the process. Thus, the Board will need to
develop an RFP and establish a process to review and select a search firm.
c. Once a search firm is selected, the Board will work with that firm to establish job description,
process, and deal with other matters related to the search. Keeping with the college’s commit-
ment to inclusion and openness, the process should include representation from all segments
of the college and the community.

C. Disability

1. In the event the President is unable to perform his/her duties:

a. The President will notify the Board that the Acting President should assume his duties until
he/she can resume them.
b. In the event the President is mentally or physically incapable of so notifying the Board, the
Board, by a super majority vote, shall require the President to submit to a medical examina-
tion by two (2) physicians licensed to practice medicine in Florida including, but not limited
to, a psychological evaluation, following the procedures set forth in the President’s current
contract for medical examinations. The purpose of the examination will be to determine if the
President is capable, both physically and mentally, of performing the duties of the presidential
office.
2. Should the President or the physician determine that he/she is not able to perform his duties,
either temporarily or permanently, the Board shall call a “Special” or “Emergency” meeting for
the purpose of informing the Acting President of his duties and placing the President on leave of
absence for 180 days or until the President is able to perform his/her duties, whichever shall first
occur. The President shall not resume the performance of his/her duties without a second medi-
cal examination performed according to the terms set forth in the President’s contract and the
concurrence of both physicians that he/she is capable of doing so.
3. At the end of 180 days, if the two physicians do not agree that the President is capable of resuming
his/her duties, the Board may grant an extension of the leave of absence with or without pay or
terminate the President’s contract for cause as set forth under the terms of the President’s contract.
4. In the event of termination, the Board will follow the procedures set forth in Section B in regard to
Board action following the death of the President.

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