A new task force on higher education has been formed to determine if the state’s universities and colleges can handle the anticipated call for high-tech students, and more importantly, if there will be enough students who can handle the baccalaureate programs' workload.

Florida Board of Governor Chairman Dean Colson announced Wednesday the creation of a task force to see if the state’s higher education system is physically ready for the proposed increase in baccalaureate degrees, from 53,000 to 90,000 by 2025.

“With the emergence of other task forces, some may question whether we need another group studying higher education," Colson wrote in a letter to a member of the board. "I am of the opinion that now is the time to focus on the crucial issue of capacity."

The announcement comes the same week as the state Board of Education curved its school grading system, the FCATs, after new grading standards resulted in a vast drop in student test results.

Among the questions from Colson for the Board of Governors' Commission on Florida Higher Education Access and Degree Attainment to determine within one year:

• “Is the pipeline of college-age students going to be able to produce a sufficient number of college-ready students?”
• “Is there going to be any need in the near future for additional universities or colleges to meet this demand?”
• “Should all these new students attend our state universities, or is there a major role to be played by the state’s colleges?"
• “Will the increased demand be evenly distributed around the state or will there be some geographic areas disproportionately impacted?"

The call for the new task force comes within weeks of the Florida Polytechnic University being signed into law and Gov. Rick Scott's announcement of a blue ribbon task force to take up many of the higher education reforms that were pushed during the recent legislative session.

Board Chair Ava L. Parker was named chair of Colson’s commission. The commission will also include Rep. Bill Proctor, R-St. Augustine.

Proctor has also been named to Scott’s blue ribbon task force and headed the Legislature's look into higher education after Scott and House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, called for reforming upper academic programs at the start of the regular session.



Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 215-9889.