Statewide course numbering system.

(1) The Department of Education, in conjunction with the Board of Governors, shall develop, coordinate, and maintain a statewide course numbering system for postsecondary and dual enrollment education in school districts, public postsecondary educational institutions, and participating nonpublic postsecondary educational institutions that will improve program planning, increase communication among all delivery systems, and facilitate student acceleration and the transfer of students and credits between public school districts, public postsecondary educational institutions, and participating nonpublic educational institutions. The continuing maintenance of the system shall be accomplished with the assistance of appropriate faculty committees representing public and participating nonpublic educational institutions.

(2) The Commissioner of Education, in conjunction with the Chancellor of the State University System, shall appoint faculty committees representing faculties of participating institutions to recommend a single level for each course, including postsecondary career education courses, included in the statewide course numbering system.

(a) Any course designated as an upper-division-level course must be characterized by a need for advanced academic preparation and skills that a student would be unlikely to achieve without significant prior coursework.

(b) A course that is offered as part of an associate in science degree program and as an upper-division course for a baccalaureate degree shall be designated for both the lower and upper division.

(c) A course designated as lower-division may be offered by any Florida College System institution.

(3) The Commissioner of Education shall recommend to the State Board of Education the levels for the courses. The State Board of Education, with input from the Board of Governors, shall approve the levels for the courses.

(4) The statewide course numbering system must be maintained electronically and regularly updated by the department and include the courses at the recommended levels, course numbers, course titles, credits awarded, and other identifiable information by institution and academic year, as required by state board rule.

(5) The registration process at each state university and Florida College System institution must include the courses at their designated levels, statewide course numbers, course titles, credits awarded, and other identifiable information, as required by state board rule.

(6) Nonpublic colleges and schools that are fully accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education and are either eligible to participate in the William L. Boyd, IV, Effective Access to Student Education grant or have been issued a regular license pursuant to s. 1005.31, may participate in the statewide course numbering system pursuant to this section. Participating colleges and schools shall bear the costs associated with inclusion in the system and shall meet the terms and conditions for institutional participation in the system. The department shall adopt a fee schedule that includes the expenses incurred through data processing, faculty task force travel and per diem, and staff and clerical support time. Such fee schedule may differentiate between the costs associated with initial course inclusion in the system and costs associated with subsequent course maintenance in the system. Decisions regarding initial course inclusion and subsequent course maintenance must be made within 360 days after submission of the required materials and fees by the institution. The Department of Education may select a date by which colleges must submit requests for new courses to be included, and may delay review of courses submitted after that date until the next year’s cycle. Any college that currently participates in the system, and that participated in the system prior to July 1, 1986, shall not be required to pay the costs associated with initial course inclusion in the system. Fees collected for participation in the statewide course numbering system pursuant to the provisions of this section shall be deposited in the Institutional Assessment Trust Fund. Any nonpublic, nonprofit college or university that is eligible to participate in the statewide course numbering system shall not be required to pay the costs associated with participation in the system. No college or school shall record student transcripts or document courses offered by the college or school in accordance with this subsection unless the college or school is actually participating in the system pursuant to rules of the State Board of Education. Any college or school deemed to be in violation of this section shall be subject to the provisions of s. 1005.38.

(7) Any student who transfers among postsecondary institutions that are fully accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education and that participate in the statewide course numbering system shall be awarded credit by the receiving institution for courses satisfactorily completed by the student at the previous institutions. Credit shall be awarded if the courses are judged by the appropriate statewide course numbering system faculty committees representing school districts, public postsecondary educational institutions, and participating nonpublic postsecondary educational institutions to be academically equivalent to courses offered at the receiving institution, including equivalency of faculty credentials, regardless of the public or nonpublic control of the previous institution. The Department of Education shall ensure that credits to be accepted by a receiving institution are generated in courses for which the faculty possess credentials that are comparable to those required by the accrediting association of the receiving institution. The award of credit may be limited to courses that are entered in the statewide course numbering system. Credits awarded pursuant to this subsection shall satisfy institutional requirements on the same basis as credits awarded to native students.

(8) Participating postsecondary institutions receiving transfer course credit must accept and apply general education courses and credit in accordance with this section, s. 1007.25, and other provisions of law, including credit earned through dual enrollment, course equivalencies, and other acceleration mechanisms, as first satisfying general education core course credit requirements and other general education subject area course credit requirements before applying the course credit as elective credit.

(9) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules that provide for the collection of course information from participating institutions, identifiable information required for each course, and the conduct of regularly scheduled faculty committee reviews and recommendations. At a minimum, rules must address all of the following:

(a) Required institutional reporting formats, timelines, and procedures for the timely and uniform collection and publication of course data information.

(b) Regularly scheduled faculty committee reviews and recommendations to the commissioner for the alignment or realignment of courses, course numbers, course titles, designated levels, credits awarded, and other identifiable information for the purpose of facilitating credit transfer and acceptance for substantially similar courses at receiving institutions.

(c) Regularly scheduled faculty committee reviews and recommendations to the commissioner for the classification or reclassification of courses as satisfying general education, general education core, prerequisite, substitution, equivalency, civic literacy, or other course types, pursuant to s. 1007.25, consistent with subject area, course content, programmatic, and other requirements outlined in rule.

(d) Purges of courses that are listed in the statewide course numbering system but have not been taught at an institution for the preceding 5 years. These rules must include waiver provisions that allow course continuation if an institution has reasonable cause for having not offered a course within the 5-year limit and an expectation that the course will be offered again within the following 5 years.