HJR 931

1
House Joint Resolution
2A joint resolution proposing an amendment to Section 7
3of Article IX of the State Constitution to require the
4Governor to appoint a state university student body
5president to the Board of Governors of the State
6University System.
7
8Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
9
10     That the following amendment to Section 7 of Article IX of
11the State Constitution is agreed to and shall be submitted to
12the electors of this state for approval or rejection at the next
13general election or at an earlier special election specifically
14authorized by law for that purpose:
15
ARTICLE IX
16
EDUCATION
17     SECTION 7.  State University System.-
18     (a)  PURPOSES.  In order to achieve excellence through
19teaching students, advancing research and providing public
20service for the benefit of Florida's citizens, their communities
21and economies, the people hereby establish a system of
22governance for the state university system of Florida.
23     (b)  STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM.  There shall be a single
24state university system comprised of all public universities. A
25board of trustees shall administer each public university and a
26board of governors shall govern the state university system.
27     (c)  LOCAL BOARDS OF TRUSTEES.  Each local constituent
28university shall be administered by a board of trustees
29consisting of thirteen members dedicated to the purposes of the
30state university system. The board of governors shall establish
31the powers and duties of the boards of trustees. Each board of
32trustees shall consist of six citizen members appointed by the
33governor and five citizen members appointed by the board of
34governors. The appointed members shall be confirmed by the
35senate and serve staggered terms of five years as provided by
36law. The chair of the faculty senate, or the equivalent, and the
37president of the student body of the university shall also be
38members.
39     (d)  STATEWIDE BOARD OF GOVERNORS.  The board of governors
40shall be a body corporate consisting of seventeen members. The
41board shall operate, regulate, control, and be fully responsible
42for the management of the whole university system. These
43responsibilities shall include, but not be limited to, defining
44the distinctive mission of each constituent university and its
45articulation with free public schools and community colleges,
46ensuring the well-planned coordination and operation of the
47system, and avoiding wasteful duplication of facilities or
48programs. The board's management shall be subject to the powers
49of the legislature to appropriate for the expenditure of funds,
50and the board shall account for such expenditures as provided by
51law. The governor shall appoint to the board fifteen fourteen
52citizens dedicated to the purposes of the state university
53system, one of whom shall be a state university student body
54president. The appointed members shall be confirmed by the
55senate and serve staggered terms of seven years as provided by
56law, except that a state university student body president
57appointed to the board shall serve a term of one year and shall
58not be subject to senate confirmation. A student body president
59is ineligible for appointment if the student body president
60appointed to the board in the previous year was from the same
61state university. The commissioner of education and, the chair
62of the advisory council of faculty senates, or the equivalent,
63and the president of the Florida student association, or the
64equivalent, shall also be members of the board.
65     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be
66placed on the ballot:
67
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
68
ARTICLE IX, SECTION 7
69     APPOINTMENT OF STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT TO BOARD OF GOVERNORS
70OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM.-Proposing an amendment to the
71State Constitution to remove the president of the Florida
72Student Association, or the equivalent, as a member of the Board
73of Governors of the State University System and to require that
74the Governor appoint a state university student body president
75to the Board of Governors. Specifically, the amendment requires
76that a state university student body president shall be one of
7715 citizen members appointed to the Board of Governors by the
78Governor, except that a state university student body president
79is not subject to confirmation by the Senate and the term of
80appointment is 1 year. The amendment also provides that a
81student body president of a state university is ineligible for
82appointment if the student body president appointed to the Board
83of Governors in the previous year was from the same state
84university.


CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.