OPPAGA Research on Florida College System Baccalaureate Degree Programs Senate Committee on Higher Education Emily Sikes, Chief Legislative Analyst March 10, 2015 THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE’S OFFICE OF PROGRAM POLICY ANALYSIS & GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY Overview 1 History & Background 2 Approval Process for Florida Colleges Offering Baccalaureate Degrees 3 Overlapping Programs with the SUS Outcomes of Florida College 4 Baccalaureate Students THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE’S OFFICE OF PROGRAM POLICY ANALYSIS & GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY 2 History & Background: Baccalaureate Degree Programs in the Florida College System oppag THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE’S OFFICE OF PROGRAM POLICY ANALYSIS & GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY 3 a History & Background Statutory Authority to Offer Bachelor’s Degrees at Colleges Florida statutes require that any Florida college offering a bachelor’s degree program must maintain1 As its primary mission to respond to community needs for postsecondary academic and career education, including providing associate degrees that articulate to a state university2 College Mission College An open-door admission policy for associate-level degree programs and workforce education programs 1 Section 1007.33(2), F.S. 2 Section 1004.65(5), F.S. THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE’S OFFICE OF PROGRAM POLICY ANALYSIS & GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY 4 History & Background Legislative History of Florida Colleges Offering Bachelor’s Degrees Universities A moratorium allowed to on the State Board of Degree proposal submit Education creation, objections to approving any submission, and colleges’ proposed new bachelor review process bachelor’s programs is is further programs and established in The Florida clarified and colleges May 2014, College codified to required to which expires Community System is include provide May 2015. colleges established involvement evidence of authorized to and the State and review by need and College Pilot The Legislature offer degrees the Department discussions authorizes Project is with other in math and created to of Education community science (DOE), Division postsecondary Site-determined colleges to offer recommend institutions. baccalaureate bachelor’s education, an approval of Florida degree access degrees in and the state process for Colleges. 2014 program high-demand approval the transition created to and a funding 2012 expand access areas and process is designates St. model for the to bachelor’s modified. system. degrees for Petersburg place-bound, College as the 2009 non-traditional first college to students. offer these Community degrees. State 2008 24 colleges and 4- approval 23 Colleges year institutions process is 2007 Colleges partner to established for provide other colleges. 14 degrees. 10 Colleges 8 Colleges Number of colleges 2001 Colleges offering bachelor’s 1999 1 degrees College 5 History & Background Authority to Offer Bachelor’s Degrees at Colleges Colleges Authorized to Award Bachelor’s Degrees by Year St. Petersburg College 2001 Chipola College 2002 Miami Dade College Northwest Florida State College 2003 2005 Daytona State College Florida SouthWestern State College Florida State College at Jacksonville 2006 2007 Indian River State College In 2014, 24 of 28 colleges were Broward College Palm Beach State College 2008 authorized to award bachelor’s degrees. Polk State College Santa Fe College Florida Keys, 2009 Seminole College State College of Florida-Manatee Hillsborough, North College of Central Florida Florida, and Tallahassee Gulf Coast State College Pensacola College 2010 are not approved to St. Johns River State College award bachelor’s Valencia College degrees. Florida Gateway College 2011 South Florida State College Lake-Sumter State College Eastern Florida State College 2012 Source: OPPAGA analysis of data from the Florida DOE. 2013 Pasco-Hernando State College 6 Note: Authorization was either granted directly by the Legislature in statute or through the State Board of Education approval process outlined in statute. History & Background Fastest Growing Bachelor’s Degree Program Areas at Florida Colleges Program areas in the business and health care areas have grown the fastest (in terms of enrollment) since 2007-08 (By 2-Digit CIP)1 14,913 Business These 5 program areas 10,693 account for 90% of enrollment in all program areas. Health 6,216 Professions 5,020 4,567 Education 3,362 3,195 2,769 IT 1,435 1,501 2,490 2,523 1,147 836 Security & Law 1,079 1,508 504 1,125 Enforcement 440 578 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 1 Two-digit CIP codes for Business includes degree programs such as Organizational Management, Supervision and Management, and Business Administration; two- digit CIP codes for Health Professions includes degree programs such as Nursing and Health Services Administration. Source: OPPAGA analysis of data provided by Florida DOE. 7 Approval Process for Florida Colleges Offering Baccalaureate Degrees THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE’S OFFICE OF PROGRAM POLICY ANALYSIS & GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY 8 Approval Process Steps to Offering a Bachelor’s Degree If not If another viable, institution college objects, decides not college may to pursue drop degree proposal College If viable, researches college DOE Identification viability of submits (after distributes LOI of Possible degree BOT approval) to other (BOT approves Letter of Intent postsecondary New Degree exploration of (LOI) institutions program) to DOE for feedback DOE provides College If the State College If approved, Board approves creates proposal is feedback to addresses any formal degree college, may feedback and proposal, proposal and then DOE submits college can submitted to recommend begin offering submits to not continuing final proposal to BOT DOE State Board degree (after proposal SACS approval) If DOE recommends State Board BOT may not moving Source: OPPAGA interviews with Florida DOE reject forward, may reject staff and FCS institution administrators proposal college may proposal pull proposal 9 Approval Process College Feedback on the State Approval Process • In general, colleges are satisfied with the current approval process and reported that it is clear, rigorous, and productive. • All colleges reported that they received feedback from the Department of Education during the proposal review process and work with the department to prepare proposals for presentation to the State Board of Education. • Colleges reported the entire approval process for a new baccalaureate program typically takes between 18 months and 3 years • 12 colleges reported that the timeframe was appropriate. Source:• OPPAGA7 colleges interviews with mentioned FCS institution administrators. they would prefer a shorter timeframe to allow for more flexibility and responsiveness to local needs. • 9 colleges did not provide an opinion on the timeframe 10 oppag THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE’S OFFICE OF PROGRAM POLICY ANALYSIS & GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY a Approval Process University Feedback on the State Approval Process • While most universities reported positive relationships and good communications with the Florida colleges in their area, universities expressed that more communication, collaboration, and coordination would be helpful to the process. • 3 universities reported either working directly with their college or through the state process to halt a proposal. • 5 universities identified some concerns with the process. • 4 universities reported that the state process does not allow them enough time to develop alternative proposals. • 1 university reported the letters informing the university about the new program proposals come too late in the approval process for them to feel comfortable voicing concerns. oppag THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE’S OFFICE OF PROGRAM POLICY ANALYSIS & GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY 11 a Approval Process Number of College Programs Approved by State Board Since 2002, the State Board of Education has approved 151 proposals and denied 2 2 proposals by colleges for bachelor’s 33 degree programs. 23 Programs approved by State Board 19 17 Programs denied by State Board 14 12 10 11 7 1 2 2 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Number of colleges submitting 2 1 0 2 2 5 7 8 16 7 10 13 4 proposals 12 Note: This graphic does not include 24 programs approved by the St. Petersburg College Board of Trustees that did not go before the SBE. Approval Process Number of Formal Objections to College Bachelor’s Degrees Total Programs 17 of the 151 College Bachelor’s Degree Approved Programs received formal objections by 1 151 other postsecondary institutions Number of Programs Total Approved Despite Programs Specifically, Objections 7 with • SUS institutions objected to 10 programs • FAU objected to 8 programs, UF and FIU each Number of Programs Objections objected to 1 program Approved After 17 Objections Withdrawn 10 • Private institutions objected to 8 programs • Of the 17 programs with objections • Objections for 10 programs were withdrawn prior to approval (8 of these were from FAU) Number of • The State Board approved the remaining 7 Programs programs despite the objections; these include • Indian River’s Business administration, Approved Criminal Justice, Public Administration, and IT Without and Security and Management (Keiser Formal University objected to all 4) • Polk’s Criminal Justice (Florida Southern Objections College) 134 • Miami Dade’s Biology program (FIU and Barry objected) • Northwest Florida’s Early Childhood Education Source: OPPAGA review of Florida (Nova University) DOE documentation and analysis