Meeting the Needs of Florida:
The Role of the Florida College System
David Tandberg, Ph.D.
Toby Park, Ph.D.
Craig Beebe
Spencer Scruggs
The Florida College System Institutions
History of the FCS
Key points in the history of the FCS
• 1927 - St. Petersburg Junior College founded as private, two-year college
• 1939 - Legislature passes law allowing counties to petition for the establishment of public colleges
• 1957 - Community College Council issues report to legislature which recommended state plan for 28 community/junior colleges
• 1968 - Legislature approves measure allowing community colleges to be governed under local boards
• 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
• 2001 - SB 1162 eliminates State Board of Community Colleges, establishes State Board of Education as the FCS state board, and
creates local boards of trustees
• 2001 - St. Petersburg, Edison, Miami Dade, and Chipola approved to offer baccalaureate degrees
• 2004 - Legislation outlines process for community colleges to create baccalaureate degrees
• 2009 - The Florida Community College System is renamed The Florida College System (FCS)
• 2015 – New performance funding program established for the FCS colleges
Missions of the FCS and the Colleges
• The historical development of the mission and vision of the Florida College
System can be viewed as a series of timely responses to the state’s economic and
social context.
• Early, at a time when few progressed beyond a high school education, a disparate
assortment of unregulated institutions began to emerge in an organic process of
communities responding to demand for opportunity.
• As the need to re-integrate and re-train returning soldiers after World War II
exploded, Florida took steps to organize, with a mind toward increasing efficiency
and reducing duplication of efforts.
• Today the FCS institutions attempt to:
•
•
•
•
Provide access to higher education
Provide traditional and adult education services
Provide for economic development
Meet local, regional, and statewide workforce and educational needs
Alignment Between Current Missions and
Outcomes: Key Data Points
Florida and U.S. Economic and Demographic
Data
Florida
2010
2014
% of Population 18-24
% of Population 25-44
% of Population 45-64
% of Population White
% of Population Hispanic
% of Population Black
% of Population American Indian or Alaska Native
% of Population Asian American
% of Population Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
% of Population Two or More Races
% of Population Male
Median Household Income
% of Population Living Below the Poverty Level
9.3
25.1
27.0
57.9
22.5
16.4
0.5
2.5
0.1
1.8
48.9
$45,609
16.5
9.0
24.9
26.7
56.4
23.6
16.8
0.5
2.8
0.1
2.0
48.9
$46,036
17.0
U.S.
2010
2014
9.9
26.6
26.4
63.7
16.3
13.0
1.2
4.9
0.2
2.3
49.2
$51,144
15.3
9.
26.4
26.2
62.6
17.1
13.2
1.2
5.4
0.2
2.5
49.2
$52,250
15.8
Degree Attainment
2013
Florida %
U.S. %
White
42.27
44.47
Black
26.62
28.14
Hispanic
31.95
20.27
Asian
57.49
60.07
Native American
25.66
23.86
38.6
40.0
Total
Total community college enrollments, 20042013
Total FCS enrollment by credential, 1995-2014
Percentage of students receiving Pell awards,
2008-2013
Proportion of U.S. and Florida enrollments by
race, 2004-2013
Percentage of part-time versus full-time FCS
enrollments, 1980 and 2013
Total community college completers by race,
2004-2013
Total FCS completions (two year or less) by
award type, 1995-2014
Total system-wide bachelor’s degree completion
statistics, 2004-2014
Total system-wide program completion statistics,
by program
Completion statistics, bachelor’s degrees by
subject
Projected Percent Change in Employment by Industry (2014-2022) and
Actual Percent Change in Related Credential Completion from FCS
Institutions (2010 to 2013)
Rank
Industry Title
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Construction
of Buildings
Specialty
Trade
Contractors
Ambulatory
Health Care
Services
Heavy and
Civil
Engineering
Construction
Nursing and
Residential
Care Facilities
Nonmetallic
Mineral
Product
Manufacturing
Educational
Services
Social
Assistance
Professional,
Scientific, and
Technical
Services
Wood Product
Manufacturing
Projected
Percent
Change in
Employment
Total
Related
Degrees and
Certificates
Awarded
2010
Total
Related
Degrees
and
Certificates
Awarded
2013
Percent
Change in
Related
Credentials
Awarded
Employment
2014
Projected
Employment
2022
76,674
105,679
37.80%
1,035
1,063
2.70%
254,098
340,684
34.10%
879
753
-14.30%
431,173
548,917
27.30%
4,162
4,613
10.80%
49,621
61,805
24.60%
320
306
-4.40%
184,004
226,415
23.00%
7,054
6,313
-10.50%
18,115
22,208
22.60%
0
0
N/A
154,646
185,556
20.00%
3,359
3,591
6.90%
117,957
140,537
19.10%
1,471
1,697
15.40%
481,218
571,932
18.90%
2,179
3,276
50.30%
11,162
13,205
18.30%
27
8
-70.40%
Source: Florida Department of Economic Opportunity; U.S. Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)
Projected Percent Change in Employment by Occupation (2014-2022)
and Actual Percent Change in Related Credential Completion from FCS
Institutions (2010 to 2013)
Ranking
Occupation Titles
1
Home Health Aides
Cement Masons and
Concrete Finishers*
Cost Estimators
Diagnostic Medical
Sonographers
Heating, A.C., and
Refrigeration
Mechanics and
Installers
Market Research
Analysts and
Marketing Specialists
Nonfarm Animal
Caretakers*
Drywall and Ceiling
Tile Installers*
Physical Therapist
Assistants
Healthcare Support
Occupations
Health Technologists
and Technicians
Registered Nurses
Primary, Secondary,
and Special Education
Teachers
2
3
4
5
6
8
9
10
85
127
131
223
Employment
2014
Employment
2022
Projected
Percent
Change in
Employment
29,607
41,144
39.0%
Total
Related
Degrees
and
Certificates
Awarded
2010
54
Total
Related
Degrees
and
Certificates
Awarded
2013
40
11,605
12,251
15,982
16,736
37.7%
36.6%
0
393
0
68
N/A
-82.7%
4,594
6,217
35.3%
123
124
0.8%
27,123
36,371
34.1%
191
304
59.2%
17,274
22,630
31.0%
96
165
71.9%
11,381
14,767
29.8%
0
0
N/A
6,607
8,565
29.6%
0
0
N/A
4,706
6,101
29.6%
308
320
3.9%
231,647
282,707
22.0%
1783
2,332
30.8%
180,561
167,360
216,394
199,927
19.9%
19.5%
5978
4852
5,498
5,662
-8.0%
16.7%
208,700
242,307
16.1%
395
1,095
177.2%
Percent
Change in
Related
Credentials
Awarded
-25.9%
Source: Florida Department of Economic Opportunity; U.S. Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)
Total appropriations and tuition and fees per FTE
Total
FCS degrees and certificates awarded in 2013,
by age group
Policy Issues
The 2+2 Program
• Viewed as an important policy tool in allowing students to enroll in
the lower cost and generally more accessible state colleges prior to
transferring to the state universities.
• More than 30,000 students transferred into the FL State University
System as a result of the 2+2 program in 2011
• However, the success rates of 2+2 transfers do not meet those of
third year university students who started within the State University
System.
The Community College Baccalaureate.
• FL an early adopter
• Our most recent data indicates that in 2014 around 6,000 FSC
students graduated with a Bachelor’s
• Critics worry that the State Colleges are programs outside local
workforce needs and encroaching on existing university programs
• Proponents of the CCB in Florida argue that the program aligns with
the colleges’ mission of providing access to degrees and meeting local
workforce needs.
Bright Futures
• The Bright Futures Scholarship has done a good job keeping our best and
brightest from leaving the state for college
• However, the state financial aid system does not appear conducive to
encouraging FCS institution enrollment as the bulk of spending is isolated
among the public four-year universities.
• Only 17% of Bright Futures awards go to FCS students
• Nationally 48% of state grant dollars are distributed based on need alone;
in FL only 25% of our grant dollars are based on need alone.
• Nationally, states distribute $509 of need aid per FTE student, on average;
in FL we distribute $191 of need aid per FTE student
• One option would be that the state could significantly increase its
investment in need-based financial aid.
Performance Funding
• For the state colleges the performance funding program includes four
metrics:
•
•
•
•
job placement/continuing education;
completion;
retention; and
starting salaries.
• These indicators, however, fail to recognize the colleges’ traditional
access mission.
• One solution would be to include a metric for enrollment of
underrepresented groups (often measured as low-income student
enrollments).
State Colleges’ Performance Funding Points
Performance Category
College
Entry Level
Wages (0-3)
Total
Points
(0-30.5)
6.75
10
8
1.2
25.95
7.5
8.67
9
0.3
25.47
7.5
4.33
10
3
24.83
Lake-Sumter State College
5.25
10
7
1.2
23.45
Gulf Coast State College
3.75
10
7
1.2
21.95
7.5
7.33
6
0.9
21.73
Florida South Western State College
7.5
7.33
3
3
20.83
Chipola College
3.75
10
6
0.9
20.65
Broward College
5.25
1.67
10
3
19.92
Florida Gateway College
0.75
6
10
3
19.75
Seminole State College of Florida
6
4
8
0.9
18.9
Hillsborough Community College
5.25
6.67
5
1.8
18.72
6
1
9
2.7
18.7
Eastern Florida State College
3.75
7.33
7
0.3
18.38
Palm Beach State College
5.25
2.67
10
0.3
18.22
Polk State College
7.5
3
5
2.7
18.2
St. Johns River State College
4.5
5
8
0.3
17.8
Miami Dade College
Florida Keys Community College
0.75
8
6
3
17.75
South Florida State College
3.75
7.33
2
3
16.08
Florida State College at Jacksonville
0.75
5
8
1.5
15.25
North Florida Community College
2.25
8.33
4
0.6
15.18
St. Petersburg College
3.75
1
7
3
14.75
3
5
5
0.9
13.9
Indian River State College
Pasco-Hernando State College
Bronze
Retention
Rates (0-10)
Valencia College
State College of Florida, ManateeSarasota
Silver
Completion
Rates (0-10)
Santa Fe College
Tallahassee Community College
Gold
Job
Placement/
Continuing
Education
(0-7.5)
4.5
1.67
5
2.1
13.27
College of Central Florida
0.75
5
6
0.3
12.05
Daytona State College
0.75
6.67
3
0.9
11.32
Northwest Florida State College
2.25
6.67
1
0.3
10.22
Pensacola State College
0.75
1.33
2
3
7.08
Average
4.18
5.75
6.32
1.62
17.87
Standard Deviation
2.38
2.90
2.60
1.10
4.62
Performance Funding Results
• Eight colleges will receive their existing funding back and a higher share of the new money:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Santa Fe College;
Valencia College;
Tallahassee Community College;
Lake-Sumter State College;
Gulf Coast State College;
State College of Florida;
Manatee-Sarasota; and
Florida SouthWestern State College.
• Five schools will not receive new funding and will have some of their existing funding held back until they
show improvement:
•
•
•
•
•
Pasco-Hernando State College;
the College of Central Florida;
Daytona State College;
Northwest Florida State College; and
Pensacola State College
• The other 16 colleges will receive their existing funding and some performance funding, though not as much
as the seven highest-scoring schools.
The $10,000 Degree
• Idea that students should be able to spend no more than $10,000 for a
bachelor’s degree (tuition, fees, and books).
• To date 23 FCS institutions have students enrolled in what they are calling
$10,000 four-year degree programs.
• The programs only apply to specific majors
• In some cases, students must enter the programs with accelerated learning credits
• The $10,000 price only includes tuition.
• Critics argue that:
• quality may suffer under such a program;
• that while the price to the student might be reduced, the cost to the institution may
not; and
• natural inflation will make sustaining the $10,000 price impossible, especially if
quality is to be maintained.
Average Costs to FCS Students for a Four-year
Degree (Fall 2012-13)
Average
Costs
Tuition
Only
Tuition and
Fees
Tuition, Fees,
and Books
$10,285
$13,418
$18,218
Source: FCS Fact Book (2014)
Governance
• Florida is the only state that has a state governing board for its universities
(The Board of Governors) and that utilizes the state board of education as
the policy and coordination board for the community/state colleges.
• A number of individuals interviewed for this report indicated that the FCS
may benefit from having its own state board, arguing that such a board
could:
• provide stronger advocacy for the FCS,
• develop specific expertise in the issues related to the FCS, and
• devote its sole attention to the needs of the FCS institutions.
• In each case the individuals advocating for an independent state board for
the FCS also argued that the colleges ought to retain their local boards of
trustees and that the traditional role of local governance and should be
protected and enhanced.
Free Community College
• Two states, Tennessee and Oregon, have passed “free community college” legislation
• President Obama has proposed a federal program for making two years of community college
free nationwide
• The Tennessee Promise has impacted enrollments:
• The Tennessee Promise has enrolled 22,534 college freshmen as of the last August deadline to remain in the
program.
• This well above the 13,000 students projected for the program a year ago.
• In 2013 about 11,400 incoming freshmen entered the community colleges straight after high school.
• Therefore the recent participation numbers represent a considerable increase (nearly double) of students
entering the community colleges directly from high school, indicating that the Tennessee promise has had a
significant impact on these students.
• What is not known is:
• How many of the Tennessee Promise students would have attended college regardless of the initiative; and
• how many of these student were diverted away from another sector (e.g., the public universities or the
private colleges and universities).
Free Community College
• Such universal programs tend to be inefficient, because some of the
benefits will flow to those who would enroll in college even without
the benefit and who could afford to pay without such aid.
• Critics argue that such programs should instead be targeted at those
who are less likely to attend without financial assistance (make such
program need-based).
• Likewise, critics argue that such programs should also be targeted at
students who enroll in four-year universities as well as community
colleges, because of the much larger pay-off to bachelor’s degrees
relative to associate’s degrees
Developmental Education Reform
• Coursework completed post-high school that is not yet college-level
(generally non-credit bearing)
• In Florida alone, upwards of 78% of community college students are
enrolled in at least one developmental course with a cost of $129.8
million during the 2005-06 year (Office of Program Policy and
Government Accountability, 2007).
• Further, national figures demonstrate that only 28 percent of
community college students who take a developmental education
course will go on to earn a degree within eight years (Jaggars &
Stacey, 2014), compared to 43 percent for non-developmental
students (Attewell, Lavin, Domina, &Levey, 2006).
Developmental Education Reform
• The new legislation provided students with several developmental
education options, and some students (recent high school graduates), who
previously would have tested into developmental education, will be able to
skip it altogether.
• The methods for offering developmental education also changed. These
methods, including modularized, compressed, contextualized, and corequisite courses, will offer students the ability to enter college-level
courses much more quickly.
• Colleges have also received additional flexibility with the placement of
students as college placement testing is no longer required for most Florida
public high school graduates.
• Finally, admission counseling or advising is mandated for all incoming
students regarding their placement options.
Developmental Education Reform
• Preliminary data analysis indicates that:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Developmental education course enrollments have gone down
Developmental education course passing rates have gone up
College gateway course (first college level courses) enrollments have gone up
College gateway course passing rates have gone down
However, the total number of students passing gateway courses has gone up
Some students who would have been placed into developmental education are not
only skipping developmental education but also the associated gateway course.
• Institutions report:
• Implementing more personalized advising practices which consider an array of
factors when advising students whether to take developmental education
• Challenges regarding course restructuring and staffing
• Difficulty in delivering the gateway courses with more unprepared students
Recommendations
1. The FCS should receive public funding at
at-least the national average per student level.
• The FCS is underfunded relative to the rest of the nation.
• If we desire more from the FCS institutions, we should fund them
accordingly.
• A wealth of research shows that public institution performance
(measured a number of different ways) is directly impacted by the
level of state fiscal support provided to the institutions. Increased
state appropriations are associated with increased performance.
• With the introduction of performance funding, the state ought to
ensure that the colleges have the resources necessary to meet
performance expectations.
2. The current performance funding system should
reward colleges that serve large portions of lowincome students.
• Florida’s current performance funding program may not do enough to encourage
the enrollment of low income students.
• Florida will only increase its education attainment rates by doing a better job of
educating underrepresented populations such as lower income individuals.
• Therefore colleges which do a good job of enrolling these populations should be
rewarded.
• Furthermore, low-income students also tend to be those are more difficult to
graduate and who require more resources from the colleges.
• Therefore the current performance funding program penalizes institutions which
serve low income students.
• From a technical perspective this is an easy fix. The state could a metric regarding
the enrollment of Pell Grant eligible students or by weighting the retention and
completion metrics by Pell Grant eligible student, in effect providing a bonus for
each Pell Grant student who is moved to completion.
3. The state ought to significantly increase its
investment in need-based financial aid.
• While the Bright Futures Scholarship has done an excellent job
keeping our best and brightest from leaving the state for college,
• FL has not done enough from a financial aid perspective to encourage
the enrollment of underserved populations, those populations most
likely to attend an FCS institution.
• Expanding the current need-based financial aid programs would help
address this issue and help us raise our educational attainment rates.
4. The FCS ought to be have its own state
board
• Given the amount and complexity of the K-12 education issues facing
the state board of education and the important and complex needs of
the FCS, allowing the FCS to be overseen by its own board may make
some sense.
• This would allow a single state board for the FCS to gain expertise in
the issues facing the system and to become informed advocates on
behalf of the FCS
• Even with the development of a new state board for the FCS, the
traditional role of local governance should be protected and
enhanced.