Photo courtesy: Kyla Hill
Florida A&M University hosted Florida’s Board of Governors on Tuesday and Wednesday, including the BOG’s Academic and Student Affairs Committee on Wednesday.
Governors discussed regulations they wanted to amend and repeal.
Christy England, vice chancellor for student affairs, provided an overview of some of the proposed changes in order to clarify requirements for market-rate tuition programs. The proposed amendment is to explain that universities may submit proposals for market tuition for graduate-level courses through the university’s education program.
Technical revisions were also proposed in hopes of being approved by the BOG.
“These technical revisions will better align the required information with the type of information we typically collect for new degree proposals and allow board staff,” England said.
The amended regulation was approved. The committee then took up an item proposed by BOG Chair Brian Lamb.
“Chair Lamb has stated as one of his priorities. He would like to increase efficiencies for the universities by reducing reporting burdens for them, in response to his charge. My team continued to review the regulations under our purview, and today we are proposing to repeal in light of his directive,” England said.
England said it is essential that universities report academic programs at least once every seven years to assess how the programs are faring. After concluding her presentation on the proposed repeal of regulation 8.015, the committee approved, and the motion was carried out.
The committee also addressed intercollegiate athletes. Emily Sikes, assistant vice chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and Economic Development, provided an overview of the proposed changes.
The revision “deletes portions of the regulation to align with the revised statute and provides greater flexibility for athletes to earn compensation for their name, image, and likeness.” Sikes said.
The modification will include financial literacy and life skills workshop. Some workshops will consist of entrepreneurship. Universities aren’t liable for any damages to any college athlete’s ability to earn compensation for NIL, according to the proposed revisions, which were approved.
The changes for Regulation 6.022 was approved.
The committee also considered changes to specialized admissions requests for the 2023-2024 academic year. Specialized admissions status allows the universities to establish additional criteria for admission to undergraduate programs. The committee requested approval of the 33 remaining degrees in the same categories, including minimal skills, limited resources, and accreditation.
There were three total minimal skills for board approval. “All three of these undergraduate programs do require students do require students’ specific skills prior to admission to ensure that they will be successful in these programs,” England said.
Five proposals met both the limited resources criteria and the accreditation criteria. The request is in the health, journalism and architecture-related programs. The remaining 25 proposals meet the limited resources criteria: critical and field placement, design studio, labs and equipment, or faculty and academic staff.
The specialized admissions requests were approved.
Governor Nimna Gabadage, who represents the Florida Student Association, talked to the committee about students’ concerns with the Legislature and HB 999.
“Recently, students across the state have increasingly expressed confusion and dismay to us, as student body presidents, to the proposed changes to the academic, programmatic, and financial landscape,” Gabadage said.
Gabadage said students’ conversations at state schools would be in jeopardy if HB 999 is passed.
“Students have expressed concerns to us about how these conversations in pending legislation may negatively impact their ability to engage in civil conversation,” Gabadage said.