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A bill to be entitled

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An act relating to the University of South Florida

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Polytechnic; creating s. 1004.345, F.S.; establishing and

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designating the University of South Florida Polytechnic

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campus; providing legislative intent; requiring the Board

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of Trustees to appoint a Campus Board; providing

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membership, powers, and duties of the Campus Board;

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providing that the university is administered by a Campus

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Executive Officer; requiring the President of the

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University of South Florida to consult with the Campus

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Board before hiring or terminating the Campus Executive

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Officer; providing duties and powers of the Campus

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Executive Officer; providing that students enrolled at a

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branch campus of the university have the same rights as

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other students; requiring the University of South Florida

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to provide for a system of student registration that meets

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certain conditions; providing an effective date.

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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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     Section 1.  Section 1004.345, Florida Statutes, is created

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to read:

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     1004.345 The University of South Florida Polytechnic.--

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     (1) The Lakeland campus of the University of South Florida

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is established and shall be known as the "University of South

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Florida Polytechnic."

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     (a) The Legislature intends that the University of South

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Florida Polytechnic be operated and maintained as a separate

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organizational and budget entity of the University of South

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Florida, and that all legislative appropriations for the

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University of South Florida Polytechnic be set forth as separate

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line items in the annual General Appropriations Act.

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     (b) The University of South Florida Polytechnic shall have

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a Campus Board and a Campus Executive Officer.

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     (c) The Legislature intends that the University of South

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Florida Polytechnic operate under separate accreditation from the

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Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges

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and Schools when separate accreditation is in the best interest

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of the campus. The Campus Board shall ensure that sufficient

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student enrollment, faculty, and administration are in place

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before requesting that the Board of Trustees of the University of

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South Florida apply for separate accreditation for the University

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of South Florida Polytechnic. Upon approval by the Board of

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Trustees of the University of South Florida, the President of the

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University of South Florida shall begin the application process

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for separate accreditation on behalf of the Board of Trustees of

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the University of South Florida. If the application is not

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approved, or is provisionally approved, the President of the

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University of South Florida shall correct any identified

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deficiencies and shall continue to work for separate

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accreditation.

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     (2) The Board of Trustees of the University of South

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Florida shall appoint, from a list of candidates recommended by

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the President of the University of South Florida, four residents

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of the Polytechnic campus service area to serve on the Campus

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Board. The fifth member of the Campus Board shall be selected by

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the Board of Trustees of the University of South Florida from

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among its membership, and that trustee shall serve jointly as a

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member of the Board of Trustees of the University of South

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Florida and the Campus Board. A trustee who serves jointly on the

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Campus Board must be a resident of the Polytechnic campus service

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area, unless none of the appointed members of the Board of

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Trustees of the University of South Florida meet this criteria,

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in which case any trustee may be appointed to serve jointly on

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the Campus Board. The Board of Trustees of the University of

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South Florida shall ensure, to the greatest extent possible, that

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each county in the Polytechnic campus service area is represented

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among the membership of the Campus Board. Each member of the

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Campus Board shall be appointed to a 4-year term and may be

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reappointed for one additional 4-year term. However, for purposes

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of staggering the terms of the initial appointees, the Board of

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Trustees of the University of South Florida shall select and

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appoint one member to serve a term of 1 year, one member to serve

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a term of 2 years, and one member to serve a term of 3 years,

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each of whom may be reappointed to a subsequent 4-year term. The

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Campus Board has the powers and duties provided by law, which

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include the authority to:

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     (a) Review and approve an annual legislative budget request

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to be submitted to the Board of Trustees of the University of

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South Florida. The Campus Executive Officer shall prepare the

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legislative budget request in accordance with guidelines

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established by the Board of Governors of the State University

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System. This request must include items for campus operations and

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fixed capital outlay.

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     (b) Approve and submit an annual operating plan and budget

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for review and consultation by the Board of Trustees of the

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University of South Florida. The campus operating budget must

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reflect the actual funding available to that campus from separate

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line-item appropriations contained in each annual General

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Appropriations Act. Such line-item appropriations must initially

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reflect the funds reported to the Legislature for the University

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of South Florida Lakeland campus for the 2007-2008 fiscal year

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and any additional funds provided in the legislative

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appropriation for the 2008-2009 fiscal year.

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     (c) Enter into central support services contracts with the

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Board of Trustees of the University of South Florida for any

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services that the Polytechnic campus cannot provide more

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economically, including payroll processing, accounting,

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technology, construction administration, and other desired

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services. However, all legal services for the campus must be

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provided by a central services contract with the university. The

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Board of Trustees of the University of South Florida and the

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Campus Board shall determine in a letter of agreement any

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allocation or sharing of student fee revenue between the

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University of South Florida's main campus and the Polytechnic

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campus.

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The Board of Trustees of the University of South Florida may

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lawfully delegate other powers and duties to the Campus Board for

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the efficient operation and improvement of the campus and for the

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purpose of vesting in the campus the attributes necessary to meet

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the requirements for separate accreditation by the Southern

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Association of Colleges and Schools.

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     (3) The University of South Florida Polytechnic shall be

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administered by a Campus Executive Officer who shall be appointed

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by, report directly to, and serve at the pleasure of the

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President of the University of South Florida. The President shall

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consult with the Campus Board before hiring or terminating the

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Campus Executive Officer. The Campus Executive Officer has

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authority and responsibility as provided in law, including the

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authority to:

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     (a) Administer campus operations within the annual

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operating budget as approved by the Campus Board.

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     (b) Recommend to the Campus Board an annual legislative

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budget request that includes funding for campus operations and

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fixed capital outlay.

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     (c) Recommend to the Campus Board an annual campus

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operating budget.

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     (d) Recommend to the Campus Board appropriate services and

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terms and conditions to be included in annual central support

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services contracts.

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     (e) Carry out any additional responsibilities assigned or

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delegated by the President of the University of South Florida for

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the efficient operation and improvement of the campus, especially

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any authority necessary for the purpose of vesting in the campus

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attributes necessary to meet the requirements for separate

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accreditation.

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     (4) Students enrolled at the University of South Florida,

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including those enrolled at a branch campus, have the same rights

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and obligations as provided by law, policy, or rule adopted by

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the University of South Florida, the Board of Governors of the

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State University System, the Department of Education, or any

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other lawful entity. The University of South Florida shall

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provide a comprehensive and coordinated system of student

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registration so that a student enrolled at any campus of the

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University of South Florida has the ability to register for

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courses at any other campus of the University of South Florida.

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     Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2008.