System Articulation and Information

Several state officials reported satisfaction with the quality of data that the State University System has provided concerning its institutions and students. Legislative staff, however, reported frustration with the need to rely on the University System to produce the data. Systemwide data about the community colleges is more difficult to collect. No statewide data base on community college students exists. In order to learn more about specific issues, like the number of excess credit hours students take, the Legislature and other agencies dealing with higher education must rely on special studies and the cooperation of the various sectors.

Articulation between the two- and four-year institutions in Florida is of growing concern to the Florida Legislature. As a result of the credit-hour study, the Legislature learned that many of the excess credits are taken by community college students. This has heightened legislative interest in better articulation between the educational sectors.

In addition to the data collection efforts of the University System, the community colleges and PEPC, the Legislature produces annual statistical reports and profiles on higher education.

Florida's two-plus-two policy promotes the recognition and utilization of the community colleges as the primary point of entry for postsecondary education. The statewide Articulation Agreement guarantees community college transfers with the associate of arts degree entry to the upper division of one of the state universities. The transition of students through the education system is supported by the Articulation Coordinating Committee, the statewide course numbering system, discipline-specific articulation agreements among institutions, a network of institutional articulation officers, and acceleration mechanisms, such as dual enrollment, early admission and credit by examination.

PEPC has documented in a recent report that "a bottleneck currently exists for both university native students and community college transfer students as they enter [the] upper division of the university." PEPC cites the growth in lower-level enrollment in both sectors and resource constraints as the primary culprits for the shortfall in the number of courses offered, the number of faculty utilized and the space available for more classes.

Florida has implemented a number of administrative solutions to solve articulation problems between two- and four-year campuses. The credit-hour study and PEPC documents show, however, that serious problems still remain for the two-plus-two policy as a mechanism for students to achieve their educational goals.

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