The Florida Senate is considering a bill that could shift control away from state colleges and cap its ability to expand four-year degree programs.
Florida State College at Jacksonville offers 13 types of four-year degrees. But under a new Senate bill, it might become harder for state colleges to add or expand bachelor's degree programs.
The average age of students who are pursuing bachelor鈥檚 degrees at FSCJ is 31. One of those students, Kimmi Walker, 51, a mother of three with a full-time job on top of being a student.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 my life,鈥� Walker said. 鈥淚鈥檝e got the kids, I鈥檝e got school and I鈥檝e got work.鈥�
This May she鈥檚 expecting to graduate with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in supervision and management and a paralegal certification.
She said she relies on accelerated online courses, night classes and the convenience of multiple FSCJ campuses. She鈥檚 also paying out of pocket and considers FSCJ courses affordable.
She鈥檚 what college spokeswoman Jill Johnson calls a nontraditional student.
鈥淲e want to continue to be the community鈥檚 college and strive to remain open access so we can meet the needs of all of these students, whether they鈥檙e full-time, part-time, looking for a workforce certification,鈥� said Johnson.
The , sponsored by Senate Education Chairwoman Dorothy Hukill, R-Port Orange, makes it clear that those degrees are a 鈥渟econdary, not primary role鈥� of the community college system.
The legislation would limit the growth of such degrees by imposing a cap based on the percentage of students enrolled in four-year programs. And FSCJ oversight would be given to a newly created 13-member State Board of Community Colleges appointed by the governor. Johnson says that鈥檚 concerning.
鈥淲e appreciate and continue to value having local control here through our board of trustees with the assistance that we do receive from the state board of education,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 really see that a creation of another layer of oversight is necessary. As well as looking at it bringing an additional cost to taxpayers.鈥�
The state board would review state colleges annually and could modify or terminate four-year degree programs not in line with compliance or meeting standards.
Johnson said it鈥檚 too early to tell how much this bill would affect FSCJ.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to be diligent and certainly informing our legislators of all of the ramifications that might be against or for the Florida State College of Jacksonville,鈥� she said.
The bill is working through Senate committees ahead of the legislative session in March.
A separate House bill would not create the new board, but it would tie some of the colleges鈥� funding to the percentage of students who graduate in four years.
Reporter Lindsey Kilbride can be reached at lkilbride@wjct.org, 904-358-6359 or on Twitter at .
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