The Evolution of Workforce Baccalaureate Degrees in Florida

Abstract

This chapter highlights the history of workforce baccalaureate degrees in Florida, documents the growth of these programs across the state, and provides a framework for the designation of various degree types and academic requirements. Florida's new College System is described as one of the largest and most innovative systems of higher education for increasing access to four‐year workforce baccalaureates.

The Price of Mission Complexity: A National Study of the Impact of Community College Baccalaureate Adoption on Tuition and Fees

“…Earlier work has suggested that CCB degree programs are typically offered to address local workforce shortages in high-demand fields (Bilsky, Neuhard, & Locke, 2012; Daugherty, Goldman, Butterfield, & Miller, 2014; Floyd, Falconetti, & Hrabak, 2008; Hanson, 2009; Walker, 2005), such as teacher education, nursing, and information technology (Daun-Barnett & Escalante, 2014). Because CCB degree programs were concentrated within applied fields with local workforce shortages, CCB adoption was designed to complement nearby four-year institutions and allow many underserved students to gain access to the benefits associated with earning a bachelor’s degree (Bilsky et al, 2012; England-Siegerdt & Andreas, 2012; Floyd, 2006; McKinney & Morris, 2010; Padrón, 2004; Russell, 2010), particularly place-bound and lower-income students (Floyd & Walker, 2009).…”

Concurrence of colleges and universities conferring baccalaureate degrees : a case study of Washington State

“…All states initially put restrictions on the number of institutions allowed to offer the CCB, and/or the fields of study partially to address concerns of universities (Bilsky, Neuhard, & Locke, 2012). For example Florida required community colleges to seek a release from universities that they were not interested in offering the same degree, and Washington first restricted degree granting authority to four institutions with one degree each.…”

“…These include a substantive change proposal to a regional accrediting body seeking an institution status change to baccalaureate degree granting, possibly program specific accreditation, and internal governance procedures to the institution or system for program and curriculum approval. Scholars have presented case studies of authorization in particular states (Remington & Remington, 2005) with Florida being the subject of several studies given its longevity and national attention (Campbell, 2005;Floyd, Garcia Falconetti, & Hrabak, 2008;Bilsky, Neuhard, & Locke, 2012, Campbell, 2014, Henderson, 2014. Washington is another leader among the 50 United States (England-Siegerdt, & Andreas, 2012).…”

“…A state must first authorize its colleges to offer the CCB (passage of that legislation is a different initiative with different strategic considerations). Then, a college must pass state agency approval, Board approval, regional and program accreditation, none of which is automatic and 100% in control of an individual college despite their organizational capacities (Bilsky et al, 2012). Offering a baccalaureate degree is a substantive change in terms of regional accreditation and triggers and automatic full site visit (Doughtery & Townsend, 2006).…”

“…One component of determining the impact of the CCB degree is its effectiveness as a public policy tool, specifically to help raise baccalaureate attainment in the adult population of a state. Implementing the CCB for this reason has been cited as a legislative motivation in several research publications (Bilsky, Neuhard, & Locke, 2012;England-Siegerdt & Andreas, 2012;Mejia, 2012;Skolnik, 2016). Creating a new baccalaureate pathway that possibly competes with universities has historically been viewed as one drawback to the CCB (Russell, 2010), but when viewed as the decision of a neoliberal state legislature it becomes the creation of a new marketplace, an action desirable to increase prosperity and overall public good.…”