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Guidelines on Florida Residency for Tuition Purposes

Purpose

Section 1009.21, Florida Statutes, outlines the requirements for determination of resident status for tuition purposes. Additionally, the State Board of Education has designated in Rule 6A-10.044, Florida Administrative Code, criteria for classification of students as residents or non-residents for tuition purposes at community colleges. This rule is identical to the residency regulation of the Board of Governors for the State University System of Florida. The purpose of the "Guidelines on Florida Residency for Tuition Purposes" is to maintain consistency of procedures between institutions in both educational sectors so that articulation of students is maintained, which is especially critical for the 2+2 system of postsecondary education in Florida.

Guidelines

The most recent version of "Guidelines on Florida Residency for Tuition Purposes" as adopted by the Articulation Coordinating Committee (ACC) and published at the FACTS.org website will serve as the official guidelines on residency for Florida's community college system. Residency Guidelines

History

Date approved by the Council of Presidents: November 1, 2006
Date approved by the Chancellor: November 13, 2006

Guidelines for Effective Use of Part-Time Faculty

Purpose

The importance of part-time faculty in community colleges is virtually unchallenged today as colleges recognize the value of the special expertise of many citizens who can enrich the instructional program. In some subjects, part-time faculty who work full-time in the field can provide the most current and relevant instruction that is available. In addition, the increasing need for flexibility in scheduling and the requirement for quick responses to fluctuating enrollments and course demands make the use of part-time faculty an important component of academic management. However, there are certain concerns and considerations that must be addressed as colleges work to assure that part-time faculty are fully assimilated into the work and life of the college.

Although, there is no "magic" in the proportion of courses taught by part-time versus full-time faculty, there is general agreement that a substantial portion of instruction should be provided by full-time faculty to assure continuity in the curriculum and availability of faculty for student advising, curriculum development, work with college committees, and other important non-class activities accomplished by faculty. A reasonable ratio of full-time to part-time faculty should be maintained in each college program, on each campus or instructional site including outreach centers, and collegewide. Colleges must ensure that they have at least one full-time faculty member in each degree program/discipline as required by accrediting agencies.

When ratios of full-time to part-time faculty are considered, student semester hours or credit hours or, in the case of occupational contact hours programs, contact hour equivalents taught should be used as the measure rather than headcount faculty. Otherwise it will appear that a higher proportion of a college's instruction is accomplished by part-time faculty than is actually the case. Part-time faculty should not be used just to save money as evidenced by individuals who are assigned full instructional loads at reduced salaries.

Guidelines

The following guidelines represent sound educational practices. They focus on treating this important component of the faculty as important professionals and on assuring quality teaching throughout the hiring and managing of part-time faculty. In keeping with Florida's long established local governing board autonomy, each community college is responsible for translating these precepts into instructional policies and procedures.

1. Colleges should recruit and maintain a pool of qualified part-time faculty to avoid "last minute" hiring and placement into classes of instructors who are not prepared to begin instruction at the first class meeting. Recruitment and selection of part-time faculty should include appropriate screening, such as reference checks and personal interviews.
2. Qualifications of part-time faculty (i.e., academic and professional preparation and experience) should be consistent with the Criteria for Accreditation of the Commission on Colleges for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
3. Orientation of part-time faculty should be conducted prior to beginning teaching or at least within the first term to ensure that each instructor understands the mission of the community college, the nature of the students in their classes, the expectations for their performance, and other aspects of their assignment necessary for their success.
4. A current faculty handbook, which details expectations and college practices, should be provided to each part-time faculty member.
5. Full-time faculty members should be assigned as mentors to new part-time faculty members to assist with the orientation, development, and assimilation of the part-time faculty member into the college community.
6. Part-time faculty members who have been with the college for a number of semesters should be provided professional development opportunities to enhance their pedagogical skills, knowledge of their subjects, and sense of involvement with the college community.
7. Colleges should provide an appropriate workspace for part-time faculty to prepare for classes and meet with students before and after classes, and they should require clearly identified times for part-time faculty to be available to their students outside of scheduled instruction.
8. Part-time faculty should be provided with a sample course syllabus for each course they teach, and they should be required to submit a copy of the syllabus they use for each course they teach to be filed with their supervisor.
9. Part-time faculty should be provided mail services, access to library, audio-visual and other media and technology services and resources, telephones, and word processing/clerical and copying support.
10. Evaluation and supervision of part-time faculty should include periodic visits to the classroom and follow-up interviews as well as other procedures used to evaluate full-time faculty such as student feedback.
11. Part-time faculty members should retain their student class records for 12 months following the end of the term and submit a copy of the official grade report and grade book to be retained by the appropriate authority.
12. Colleges should, when appropriate, invite part-time faculty to participate in departmental and college faculty meetings and professional development activities and include part-time faculty on the distribution list for college newsletters and other publications.
13. Compensation for teaching by part-time faculty should be understood to cover not only the course hours but also out-of-class activities such as course preparation, orientation, faculty meetings, and identified hours to meet with students outside the class time.
14. Colleges should consider implementing a program to recognize part-time faculty for outstanding teaching performance.

History

Approved by the Council of Presidents: February 10, 1994

Guidelines for Vacation Leave

Purpose

The purpose of these guidelines is to provide a framework for boards of trustees to develop local policies for vacation leave that will enable colleges to attract and retain personnel within competitive job markets. This framework is comparable with state universities and general government.

Pursuant to Subsection 1001.64(4)(b), Florida Statutes, The Community College Boards of Trustees are authorized to develop and adopt guidelines relating to fringe benefits and personnel for community colleges.

Guidelines

The following guidelines are provided to the boards of trustees for use in the development of rules related to vacation leave:

A Twelve Month Personnel, Excluding Executive, Administrative and Managerial

Provide vacation leave for twelve-month personnel based on related experience as follows:

B.Executive, Administrative and Managerial Personnel, Excluding Senior Management

Provide vacation leave as follows:

C.Senior Management Personnel

Provide vacation leave for senior management personnel as follows:

D.Excess Vacation Leave

Accrued vacation leave is excess of the maximum on an employee's anniversary date may be transferred to sick leave. Such vacation leave transferred to sick leave shall be without compensation and cannot be used in the calculation of terminal sick leave pay as authorized in Section 1012.865(2), Florida Statutes.

History

Date approved by the Council of Presidents: November 1, 2006
Date approved by the Chancellor: November 13, 2006

Guidelines for Fees for Repeated Enrollment in College Preparatory Classes and for Withdrawal and Forgiveness

Purpose

Section 1009.28 and 1009.285, Florida Statutes, Fees for Repeated Enrollment in College-Preparatory Classes and Rule 6A-14.0301, Florida Administrative Code, Withdrawal and Forgiveness Rule, necessitate the need for this guideline.

Pursuant to the provisions of Subsection 1009.28, Florida Statutes, " ....Each community college shall have the authority to review and reduce fees paid by students due to continued enrollment in a college-preparatory class on an individual basis contingent upon the student's financial hardship, pursuant to definitions and fee levels established by the State Board of Education." In response to this language, the following guidelines were developed to assist the local boards of trustees in developing their policies related to extenuating circumstances.

Guidelines

Section 1009.28, Florida Statutes, requires that...

A student shall be funded to enroll in the same college-preparatory class within a skill area only twice, after which time the student shall pay 100 percent of the full cost of instruction to support continuous enrollment of that student in the same class and such student shall not be included in calculations of full-time equivalent enrollments for state funding purposes; however, students who withdraw or fail a class due to extenuating circumstances may be granted an exception only once for each class, provided approval is granted according to policy established by the board of trustees. Each community college shall have the authority to review and reduce fees paid by students due to continued enrollment in a college-preparatory class on an individual basis contingent upon the student's financial hardship, pursuant to definitions and fee levels established by the State Board of Community Colleges.

In order to provide some consistency and guidance and to assist the boards of trustees in developing their policies related to extenuating circumstances, the guidelines are as follows:

1. Exceptions shall be based only on extenuating circumstances or financial hardship.
2. Extenuating circumstances are those circumstances determined by the college to be exceptional and beyond the control of the student, which may include but not be limited to documented circumstances as follows:
   1. serious illness;
   2. medical condition preventing completion;
   3. death of an immediate family member;
   4. involuntary call to active military duty;
   5. learning disability;
   6. English as a second language background;
   7. change in conditions of employment;
   8. other emergency circumstances or extraordinary situations, such as natural disasters.
   Please note that the statute specifies that "students who withdraw or fail a class due to extenuating circumstances may be granted an exception only once for each class."
3. The criteria for determining financial hardship should include, but not be limited to, qualification for federal need-based financial aid. Students with other documented financial hardships may also be considered. In either case, the exception for financial hardship should be granted only after the student has demonstrated reasonable effort to succeed in the class.

History

Date approved by the Council of Presidents: November 1, 2006
Date approved by the Chancellor: November 13, 2006

Guidelines for Concurrent-use Articulation Agreements

Purpose

Section 1001.64(8)(c), Florida Statutes, provides authority for each community college board of trustees to establish intrainstitutional and interinstitutional programs to maximize articulation. The purpose of these guidelines is to establish: (1) planning procedures for a community college interested in developing a concurrent-use articulation agreement with a state university or independent college to offer baccalaureate degree instruction at a community college site; (2) provisions that should be contained in a concurrent-use articulation agreement; and (3) reporting requirements for community colleges that enter into concurrent-use agreements with state universities or independent colleges.

Concurrent-use agreements do not encompass simple space rentals for a few classes at a community college location, but rather an agreement to provide a baccalaureate degree and related services such as library, computer support, and student services as 2 + 2 partners.

Guidelines

The community college should conduct a joint planning process which shall include, at a minimum, all state and independent universities in the community college service area that are interested in providing upper-level course offerings at a community college location.

Concurrent-use articulation agreements shall outline the provisions for the college or university to offer baccalaureate degree instruction at the community college campus. The concurrent-use articulation agreements should contain the following provisions:

1. The name of the public or independent college or university and the baccalaureate degree instruction that the college/university plans to offer at the community college.
2. Assurance that the partner college or university is regionally accredited and that any out-of-state college or university is licensed to operate in Florida as provided in Section 1005.02, F.S.
3. Information that demonstrates the need for the concurrent-use arrangement and the benefits that will accrue from the agreement.
4. The estimated number of students to be served.
5. The locale where the partner college or university will be offering the instruction and the type of facility arrangement (i.e. owned, leased, rented, etc.)
6. The State License Number as recorded by the State Board of Independent Colleges and Universities (SBICU) or the Secretary of State of any independent out-of-state college/university partner.
7. The signatures of the presidents of the local community college and the proposed partner(s) who are parties to the proposed agreement.
8. A statement certifying that the local community college intends to assure that the Criteria of the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) related to contracts/consortia, library services, and student support services will be fulfilled in the agreement, i.e., relates to community college responsibilities under the agreement only.
9. A statement related to whether the baccalaureate program is to be offered for a cohort group or as an ongoing degree program.
10. Assurance that upper-level and graduate courses (common course prefixes of 3 or above) will be offered by the partner state university or independent college and lower-level courses (common course prefixes of 0, 1, 2) will be offered by the community college.

Each year, those community colleges that have entered into concurrent-use agreements with state universities or independent colleges shall provide to the Division of Community Colleges the requested data on current program offerings and student enrollments.

History
Date approved by the Council of Presidents: November 1, 2006
Date approved by the Chancellor: November 13, 2006

Guidelines for Student Activity and Service Fee Budget Development

Purpose

Student Activity and Service fee dollars (restricted funds) are generated by a fee added to each credit semester hour for which students enroll. Fees are determined in accordance with Florida Statute Title XLVIII, Chapter 1900, 1009.23; established locally by each community college board of trustees, the amount of which does not exceed 10 percent of the tuition fee. Traditionally, activities sponsored by the Florida Community College Activities Association (FCCAA) and other extracurricular/co-curricular activities and student services providing a direct benefit to students are deemed appropriate for funding from Student Activity and Service fee dollars. Fees are to be used in a manner consistent with current statute and rule and local Board policy. The Budget Committee composition and guidelines are determined at the local level.

Guidelines

The following guidelines are recommended:

1. Budget Committee
   The Budget Committee is appointed by the President and comprised of both students and faculty/staff, with students constituting at least half of the committee. Suggested composition of the committee follows:
   1. Single campus institutions:
      • Student Government Association/Student Activities Board/Campus Advisory Board Advisor
      • Other interested faculty/staff members
      • Other Student members representing various programs and activities
      • The SGA/SAB/CAB President
      • Secretary (non-voting)
      Student members are comprised of members of the SGA/SAB/CAB Budget Committee, active members of SGA/SAB/CAB, and officers/members from other campus organizations. The committee should elect co-chairs, one student and one faculty/staff with the Student chair as the tie-breaking vote.
   2. Multi-campus institutions:
      • Student Government Association/Student Activities Board/Campus Advisory Board Advisors
      • Other interested faculty/staff members
      • The SGA/SAB/CAB President from each campus
      • Additional SGA/SAB/CAB and interested program members per campus
      • One (1) Secretary (non-voting)

      Student members are comprised of members of the SGA/SAB/CAB Budget Committee, active members of SGA/SAB/CAB, and officers/members from other campus organizations. The committee should elect co-chairs, one student and one faculty/staff with the Student chair as the tie-breaking vote.

2. Requisition of Student Activities Funds
   1. An appropriate administrative or staff member will create and distribute a Notice of Requisition to all interested student organizations, and publish same in all campus-wide student publications. The deadline for requests should be no less than thirty (30) days from the first date of announcement. The recommended first date of announcement is February 15th.
   2. Colleges should develop procedures to ensure that all student activity requests are submitted with a detailed, itemized list of needs and costs.
   3. Recipients of funds from the current fiscal year should submit a report detailing the current utilization of student activities dollars and plans for the remainder of the budget for current fiscal year.
   4. The committee should develop guidelines to evaluate how all events, programs, and services funded through the Student Activity Budget support the needs of students. Events should be free of charge whenever possible to allow broad participation.
3. Requisition of Student Services Funds
   1. Projected services budgets shall be submitted to the committee for review. Service budgets shall undergo the same budgetary process as student activities requests.
   2. The committee should develop guidelines to evaluate how all services funded through the Student Activity and Services Fee Budget support the needs of students.
4. Budgetary Process
   
   1. The appropriate financial representative of each institution provides the committee chairman with the anticipated student activities budget allocation for the next fiscal year by March 15th.
   2. The committee chairman solicits from college-wide budget managers their budget reports from the current year and requests (to include dollars requested and justification) for the next fiscal year. The deadline for manager's budget requests will be the same as student activities requests.
   3. The committee meets as necessary to review college-wide budget requests balancing revenue against requests, creates an operating budget for the next fiscal year and recommends the allocations of the college-wide student activity and services budget. The committee should determine the appropriate balance between student activities and student services funded by the budget.
   4. Following committee approval, the Committee Chairman forwards the recommendations to the appropriate administrative parties for approval. The administrative parties have the option of approving, not approving, or returning items to the committee for further review.
   5. The budget shall be completed, finalized, and approved by the close of the Spring Semester. Thereafter, the Budget Committee shall meet as needed to review the budget and process any amendments or late requests.
   6. Campus budget dollar allocations are determined at the local level. Recommended distribution is based on the percentage of unduplicated college credit headcount at each campus in the preceding fiscal year with appropriate consideration for district-wide student activities.
   7. If college-wide carryover/rollover dollars from the previous year are available, the committee will meet during the academic year to recommend how those funds are reallocated. The President of the institution or appropriate party shall submit a report to the committee detailing the status of said dollars by January 31st. Recommendation of budget for expenditure of carryover/rollover dollars is also the responsibility of the committee.
   8. Any allocation restrictions are determined by the budgetary committee and approved by the President or appropriate representative in accordance with Florida statute.
   9. Since a budget cannot anticipate every contingency, committees should have a plan to address needs or emergency situations requiring an immediate decision.
   10. It is the responsibility of the college to ensure that the committee receives appropriate training and assistance to ensure that restricted Student Activity and Service fees are utilized in a manner consistent with current state statute and rule and local Board policy.
   11. Rules regarding the Budget Committee process should utilize a standard meeting format such as Robert's Rules.
   12. The entire Student Activity and Service Fee budget must be approved by the President of the institution and/or appropriate representative (such as Vice President for Financial Affairs, etc.).
5. Clubs and Organizations
   Eligible organizations are determined at the institutional level but shall be open to all students and benefit the student population as a whole. Any club or organization receiving funds from the Student Activity and Service fee shall implement standard accounting practices and prepare an annual fiscal report to be forwarded to the Budget Committee and the President or appropriate financial representative.

History

Date approved by the Council of Presidents: February 28, 2003

Guidelines for the Implementation of Laboratory/Special Course Fees and User Fees

Purpose

In Audit Report No. 03-010, Finding 5, the Auditor General recommended that the colleges in consultation with the Division of Community Colleges develop a methodology to determine what constitutes unusual costs relating to a course and the amount of laboratory fees to assess to recover the costs.

Finding 6 of the audit report directed that the colleges in consultation with the Division of Community Colleges develop a methodology to ensure that user fees are based on the costs of services provided.

A committee consisting of college staff and division personnel was formed to respond to the Auditor's recommendation.

Guidelines

Laboratory and Special Course Fees:

Each local board of trustees shall establish policies for the implementation of laboratory and special course fees. Such policies shall provide justification for the additional fee. Such policies shall define which costs are in excess of base instructional costs, describe the documentation required to support the additional charge, the time period for review of such additional charges, and the manner of presenting such fees to the board for approval.

User Fees:

Each local board of trustees shall establish policies for the implementation of user fees authorized by law. Such policies shall define the basis for determining the amount of the fee and the manner of presenting such fees to the board for approval.

History

Date approved the Council of Presidents: September 26, 2003.

Guidelines for Minority Business Expenditure Reporting

The Office of Supplier Diversity (OSD) requires state agencies to report monthly expenditures for transactions conducted with certified minority businesses registered with the state. State universities and community colleges have been granted permission by OSD to submit quarterly reports. A sub-committee consisting of four college purchasing directors, 2 college business officers and representatives from the DOE Purchasing Office and the Community College Budget Office and The Office of Supplier Diversity has helped develop and review the subcommittee recommendations and approved the reporting format to be used by the states community colleges. This was achieved after seven months of negotiations between OSD and a subcommittee of the Cooperative of Purchasing Professionals (COPP) and Council of Business Affairs (COBA). The community college system minority business expenditures will be reported by early August each year as a separate entity in the Governor's annual report.

Guidelines

The following provisions are recommended to be followed in the development of the quarterly report.

Program Development:

Funding Sources - All funding sources (including student fees) used to purchase commodities and services may be included in this report.

Certified Minority Business Expenditures Only - Determine whether the minority business is a "certified" minority business by referring to the Office of Supplier Diversity website. The link is: http://www.osd.dms.state.fl.us/DATA_DOWN_LOAD.HTM. Only vendors and sub-contractors or sub-suppliers certified by OSD may be identified and included as Certified Minority Business (CMBE's) for the purposes of this report.

Object Code (OC) / General Ledger Code (GLC) Listing - State agencies and the state universities use a different set of object codes (e.g. general ledger codes) than the community colleges. A listing attached and identified as Appendix "A" has been developed so that community college expenditures will be comparable to the state agency and university expenditures. This listing of object codes is included in these instructions below.

Industry Object Codes Expenditures for the four "Industries" to be reported are: (1) Construction, (2) Architectural & Engineering, (3) Commodities and (4) Contractual Services must be reported with a breakdown for CMBE vendors with detail to include their designated classification (H-Certified African American, I-Certified Hispanic etc).

Below is a summary of the object codes for each industry to be reported.

Check the above GLC Appendix A listing to determine where to apply the expenditure.

Expenditure Exclusions None
Since the purpose of this report is to capture ONLY the certified minority business expenditures, there are no exclusions to be applied.

Report Completion:

Using the college' expenditure spend data collected from the program developed with the guidelines above, complete Appendix "B". Enter $ spend data by industry by CMBE code. Totals will be generated by formulas in the report. Do not change the formulas or format of this form.

An optional section has been designed for those community colleges which prefer to track the year to date cumulative total CMBE expenditures. Copy the quarterly expenditures into this section using "Paste Special, Values". The Community College Budget Office will track the community college cumulative year to date expenditures for reporting to OSD.

Comments - The "Comments" section of the report is provided to enable colleges to identify and recommend to OSD locally certified businesses for potential OSD CMBE certification. In other words, if colleges have identified and done business with local certified W/MBE businesses that have NOT been certified by OSD, information may be provided for OSD to contact the business for potential certification. The name of the company, annual expenditure, phone number, e-mail address and contact person's name should be listed in the quarterly report or attached hereto.

Additional Comments - Any additional comments that the colleges wish to submit may be included in the "Comments" section of this report, (e.g. changes in the college's W/MBE procurement program as well as their "total" W/MBE spend $ can be listed here that includes both CMBE $ and non OSD certified W/MBE spend $).

Report Submission

1. Report Due Dates:

   (a) Community College Submission to Community College Budget Office: Each community college will allocate IT resources by not later than July 1, 2006 to re-write its financial enterprise system spend reports to capture CMBE spend data elements as defined in Appendix A. Once the colleges' reports are developed, the deadline for submission of the Minority Business Expenditure Report by the community colleges is the 15th of the month following the end of each quarter, (e.g., by October 15th, January 15th, April 15th and the final quarter and year end report by August 1st.)

   (b) Community College Budget Office Submission to OSD: The deadline for submission by the Community College Budget Office to OSD is the 20th of the month following the end of the quarter.

2. Adjustments:>

   (a) Subcontractor Adjustments:
   Adjustments for OSD certified CMBE subcontractor or OSD certified sub-supplier expenditures may be submitted quarterly or as part of the year end August 1st report. These adjustments can be included in the cumulative expenditure total. The annual deadline for receipt of these adjustments will be determined by OSD.

   (b) Technical Adjustments:
   Technical adjustments are corrections to an original submission. Technical adjustments may be made quarterly or annually prior to the defined deadlines.

3. Reports are to be submitted to the:
   Community College Office of Budget and Financial Services
   325 West Gaines Street, Suite 1224
   Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400
   Fax: 850-245-9393 or Suncom: 205-9393

History

Date approved by the Council of Presidents: November 1, 2006
Date approved by the Chancellor: November 13, 2006

Appendix A

OSD W/MBE Report General Ledger Codes (GLC)

The following GLC's are to be included in each College's quarterly report of W/MBE OSD certified suppliers/subcontractors used.

Appendix B
Quarterly Certified Minority Business Expenditure Report

Community College: ___________________________

Quarter ____ Date from ___________to__________

* = See Appendix ;B; of GLC #'s by Category
Note: Above expenditures may include subcontractor payments.

Comments regarding potential vendors for OSD certification:

Additional Comments:

Guidelines for Advising and Tracking Student Progression

Purpose

Section 1007.28, F.S. requires the State Board of Education to establish a single, statewide, computer-assisted student advising system, which must be an integral part of the process of advising, registering, and certifying students for graduation. The legislation was passed to facilitate, through a statewide student advising system, the progression of students towards their educational goals. The law provides that the State Board of Education develop rules outlining the responsibilities of the department, universities, and community colleges in the design, implementation, promotion, development, and analysis of the statewide student advising system (FACTS.org).

Guidelines

The following are guidelines adopted by the Community College Council of Presidents for the development of institutional procedures related to the implementation of s. 1007.28, F.S. and student progression.

Each community college shall establish written procedures that:

1. Implement the FACTS.org 2+2 evaluation.
2. Require each degree-seeking student enrolled in an Associate in Arts degree program to declare a major or pre-major that aligns with a university program by the time they have accumulated 24 college credit hours or sooner. Students who have not declared a major by the time they have acquired 24 college credit hours shall be referred to a career assessment tool and/or advisor to determine a major. Students, who remain undecided, shall be placed in a university liberal arts track.
3. Post notifications that direct associate in arts degree-seeking students, when they are accessing their grades or registering for courses (either on-line or via other mediums), to the FACTS.org 2+2 degree audit (or their institutional audit if it provides comparable information). The notification should alert them to review the courses they need to take in order to stay on track with the requirements for their declared major at the university to which they wish to transfer.
4. Establish point(s) at which students are notified to access their 2+2 evaluation on FACTS.org to assess if they are on track with regards to taking the appropriate courses for their major and maintaining a grade point average in keeping with admission to the university program.

History
Date approved by the Council of Presidents: January 27, 2006
Date approved by the Chancellor: January 2006

Statement of Standards

Dual Enrollment/Early College Programs In The Florida Community College System

Purpose

Introduction:
As required by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), each of our community colleges “must ensure appropriate levels of student achievement and equivalent quality of programs regardless of method of instruction or location of program.” To that end, the following Standards provide a statement of community college commitment to ensuring that Early College/Dual Enrollment programs demonstrate the level of academic rigor expected of all college courses and programs.

Definition:
Section 1007.271, F.S., defines Dual Enrollment as the enrollment of an eligible secondary student or home education student in a postsecondary course creditable toward high school completion and a career certificate or an associate or baccalaureate degree. Dual Enrollment does not include remedial or physical education courses. In addition to the common placement examination, student qualifications for enrollment in college credit dual enrollment courses must include a 3.0 unweighted grade point average, and student qualifications for enrollment in career certificate dual enrollment courses must include a 2.0 unweighted grade point average. Early College/Dual Enrollment students are exempt from the payment of registration, tuition, and laboratory fees.

Rigor:
In contrast to other accelerated programs available in Florida, Early College/Dual Enrollment allows students who meet program admission eligibility criteria to take and earn credit in actual postsecondary courses offered by a regionally accredited postsecondary institution and taught by faculty credentialed per SACS Commission on Colleges guidelines. Therefore, satisfactory completion of the course fulfills the requirement for earning postsecondary credit. This postsecondary credit is transferable to any public postsecondary institution in Florida via the Statewide Course Numbering System as provided in Section 1007.24, F.S.

Role of the Community Colleges:
The Florida Community College System works with local school districts, private secondary schools and home school families to provide Dual Enrollment or “Early College” postsecondary options to over 30,000 eligible students annually. The term Early College is synonymous with “Dual Enrollment” in the Florida Community College System.

Purpose of the Standards:
The Standards are measurable criteria of Early College/Dual Enrollment elements that are the basis of quality programs. Community Colleges are required to submit evidence of implementation of these Standards through periodic program reviews conducted by the Division of Community Colleges, Florida Department of Education.

Categories of Standards Students

• Faculty
• Curriculum
• Environment
• Assessment
• Strategic Planning

Guildlines

Students: Standards for Early College Eligibility

S1-Grade Point Average (GPA):
In order to participate in Early College/Dual Enrollment, students must meet the GPA requirements, as specified in Florida Statute, (1007.271 F.S.) for the degree/certificate program selected. Any exceptions to the GPA requirements must be noted in the Interinstitutional Articulation Agreement.

S2-Assessment for Placement Purposes:
In order to participate in Early College/Dual Enrollment, students must complete the required assessment tests (CPT, SAT/ACT, or TABE). Students seeking to enroll in college credit coursework must meet the same placement test score requirements as all postsecondary students.

S3-Joint AP/Early College-Dual Enrollment:
For joint Dual Enrollment and Advanced Placement courses, as authorized in Section 1007.272, F.S., students must comply with the add/drop policies and deadlines of the postsecondary institution. Under no circumstances will an Advanced Placement student who does not take or pass the AP examination be permitted to earn postsecondary credit for that course through Dual Enrollment. (Credit earned will be posted to the student transcript as either college credit with a grade, or AP credit, but not both.)

Faculty: Standards for Early College Faculty

F1-Faculty Credentials:
All full-time or adjunct faculty teaching Early College/Dual Enrollment must meet SACS requirements/guidelines for postsecondary instructors in the course/discipline. Criteria are the same for all faculty teaching postsecondary courses regardless of the location of the class (i.e., college campus, high school campus, or satellite site). The college is responsible for ensuring that all Dual Enrollment/Early College courses are taught by qualified faculty.

F2-Faculty Transcripts:
For SACS accreditation purposes, postsecondary transcripts of all full-time or adjunct faculty teaching Dual Enrollment/Early College courses must be on file with the community college, regardless of who (school district/college or both) actually employs or pays their salary.

F3-Faculty Handbook:
All full-time and adjunct faculty teaching Dual Enrollment/Early College classes shall be provided with a copy of the current faculty and/or adjunct faculty handbook, and are expected to adhere to the professional guidelines, rules, and expectations therein. Exceptions must be noted in the Interinstitutional Articulation Agreement.

F4-Student Handbook:
All full-time and adjunct faculty teaching Early College/Dual Enrollment classes shall be provided with a current student handbook detailing add/drop and withdrawal policies, student code of conduct, grading policies, critical dates, etc., and are expected to adhere to the guidelines, rules, and expectations therein. Exceptions must be noted in the Interinstitutional Articulation Agreement.

F5-Faculty Liaison/Mentor:
All adjunct faculty teaching Early College/Dual Enrollment classes shall be provided with a full-time faculty contact or liaison in the same discipline.

F6-Observation/ Evaluation of Instruction:
All full-time and adjunct faculty teaching Early College/Dual Enrollment classes shall be observed by a community college faculty member or administrator for evaluation purposes using the same criteria as for all other full-time and/or adjunct faculty.

Curriculum: Standards for Content/Syllabi/Exams/Grades

C1-Course Content All courses taught as a part of Early College/Dual Enrollment must meet the postsecondary course content requirements as specified in the Statewide Course Numbering System.

C2-Course Plan and Objectives All full-time and adjunct faculty teaching Early College/Dual Enrollment classes shall be provided with a copy of course plans/objectives for the college course they are teaching. In addition, they will be provided with additional requirements for Gordon Rule courses, if applicable. All course objectives must be included in the instructional plan and “covered” per the syllabus during the term.

C3-Syllabus Requirement All full-time and adjunct faculty teaching Early College/Dual Enrollment classes shall file a copy of their current course syllabus with the discipline/department chair prior to the start of each term. Content of the syllabus must meet the same criteria as required for all college courses.

C4-Final Exam All full-time and adjunct faculty teaching Early College/Dual Enrollment classes shall file a copy of their course final exam with the college discipline/department chair each term. The Vice President for Academic Affairs will assign the responsibility for reviewing the exams for comprehensiveness in assessing expected learning outcomes. Feedback will be provided as appropriate to the instructor and the high school principal.
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C5-Textbooks and Instructional Materials Textbooks/instructional materials used in Early College/Dual Enrollment classes must be the same as or comparable to those used other postsecondary courses at the college with the same course prefix and number. The college will advise the school district of instructional material requirements as soon as that information becomes available, but no later than one term prior to a course being offered.

C6-Tests and Assignments Course requirements in terms of tests, papers, or other assignments for Early College/Dual Enrollment students shall be at the same level, rigor or depth as those for all non-Early College/Dual Enrollment postsecondary students.

C7-Grades All full-time and adjunct faculty teaching Early College/Dual Enrollment classes must observe college procedures/deadlines for submission of grades in appropriate format. All faculty will be advised of college-wide grading expectations/guidelines prior to teaching an EC/DE course.

Environment: Early College Class/Course Expectations

E1-Classroom Atmosphere Early College/Dual Enrollment courses taught on a high school campus are expected to maintain a college-like atmosphere with minimal interruptions of instructional time. Student behavior which is disruptive to the learning environment may result in that student’s loss of EC/DE eligibility.

E2-Early College Course Expectations Students and parents/guardians of students enrolled in Dual Enrollment/Early College courses will be advised of college course-level expectations, including, but not limited to the following:

• Expectation of 2-3 hours of homework for each hour spent in class.


• Firm assignment deadlines.


• Any letter grade below a will not count as credit toward satisfaction of the General Education requirement or the Gordon Rule requirement; however, all grades are calculated in a student’s GPA and will appear on their college transcript.


• All grades, including for withdrawal, become a part of the student permanent college transcript and may affect subsequent postsecondary admission.


• While appropriate for college-level study, course materials/class discussions may reflect topics not typically included in secondary courses which some parents may object to for minors. Courses are not brought down to high school level to accommodate variations in student age and/or maturity.


• Students/parents should consult a community college counselor and/or advisor regarding the selection of courses to meet degree requirements or for transfer to a specific course of study at another institution.

Assessment/Accountability

A1-Grade Analysis of Subsequent Course Success:
Colleges shall conduct follow-up analysis on grades of Early College/Dual Enrollment students in subsequent college courses taken at their institution to ensure that level of preparation and future success is comparable with non-EC/DE postsecondary students. Reports shall be shared/reviewed with the principal and local school district and the Division of Community Colleges.

A2-Course/Instructor Evaluation:
Institutions shall conduct course/instructor evaluations for Early College/Dual Enrollment classes on the high school campus, consistent with those used in all other community college classes.

A3-Consistency in Standard Assessments:
Any course-, discipline-, college-, or system-wide assessments that a postsecondary institution requires in non-Early College/Dual Enrollment sections of a course shall also be used in all EC/DE sections of the course.

A4-Grade Comparison of Early College and “Regular” Student Grades:
Institutions shall conduct follow-up on Early College/Dual Enrollment course offerings to ensure that grading standards and outcomes are comparable to non-EC/DE sections. Results will be shared with the principal, local school district and the Division.

A5-Periodic Program Review:
Every three years the Division of Community Colleges will conduct a thorough program review of all Early College/Dual Enrollment programs that will include evidence of institutional implementation of the aforementioned Standards, including the areas of assessment. This program review will provide, but not be limited to, system-wide information on the performance of Early College/Dual Enrollment students in subsequent courses in both the Florida Community College System and the State University System. Measures will include: participation and success rates of all students (also disaggregated by ethnicity and gender), as well as subsequent postsecondary enrollment and/or employment. The results of the program review will be shared with the local school districts, the Commissioner and the State Board of Education.

Minimum Performance Measure Summary:

• Annual Participation Rate


• Annual Participation Rate by gender/ethnicity


• Grade Distribution for EC/DE students


• Comparison of Grade Distribution for regular community college students and EC/DE students


• Postsecondary enrollment rate by prior year high school graduates (both CC and SUS) by EC/DE students and non-EC/DE students; (also disaggregated by ethnicity and gender)


• Student success rate (grades) in postsecondary courses subsequent to community college Early College/Dual Enrollment.


• Comparison of student success rate in SUS courses for non- EC/DE students with EC/DE students

Strategic Planning: Interinstitutional Articulation Agreements

S1-Shared Vision:
Per statute, school districts and community colleges must annually develop/ revise and submit the Interinstitutional Articulation Agreement (IAA) aligned with the district Student Progression Plan. Interinstitutional Articulation Agreements should involve collaborative strategic planning and promote effective management of resources. The agreements must delineate institutional responsibilities to inform students and parents about articulated acceleration program options, eligibility criteria to ensure college readiness, the process for monitoring student performance, and the criteria by which the quality of Early College/Dual Enrollment programs are to be judged. (Section 1007.235, F.S.)

S2-Articulation and Partnership Implementation:
Public schools and postsecondary institutions are encouraged to share resources, form partnerships with private industries, and implement innovative strategies, student and faculty workshops, and parental involvement activities that serve the local needs of the educational community. Strategic partnerships promote integrated and inclusive involvement that focus on a shared return on the investment.

S3-Continuous Improvement:
The IAA should outline strategies for collaborative professional development to improve instructional efficacy, encouraging teacher utilization of instructional technologies, addressing critical needs, and supporting in-service initiatives.

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