Florida Statutes 1005.01 – Purpose
Current as of: 2023 | Check for updates
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Terms Used In Florida Statutes 1005.01
- Accreditation: means accredited status awarded to an institution by an accrediting agency or association that is recognized by the United States Department of Education and that has standards comparable to the minimum standards required to operate an educational institution at that level in this state. See Florida Statutes 1005.02
- Degree: means any educational credential that is generally taken to signify satisfactory completion of the requirements of an undergraduate, graduate, academic, educational, or professional program of study or any honorary credential conferred for meritorious recognition. See Florida Statutes 1005.02
- Diploma: means a credential that is not a degree but is any of the following: a certificate, transcript, report, document, or title; a designation, mark, or appellation; or a series of letters, numbers, or words that generally are taken to signify satisfactory completion of the requirements of an educational or career program of study or training or course of study. See Florida Statutes 1005.02
- Operating in this state: means any of the following:(a) Maintaining for any purpose related to offering a degree, diploma, or credit a physical location in this state, a mailing address in this state, a telephone or facsimile number in this state, or a mail forwarding service or telephone answering or relay service in this state or advertising any such presence; or(b) By any means or device, facilitating in this state any part of a scheme to offer a degree, diploma, or credit, or any activity connected with the administration, promotion, recruitment, placement, instruction, fee collection or receipt, or any other function of a purported independent postsecondary educational institution, other than periodic and customary contact with the institution's own alumni. See Florida Statutes 1005.02
- person: includes individuals, children, firms, associations, joint adventures, partnerships, estates, trusts, business trusts, syndicates, fiduciaries, corporations, and all other groups or combinations. See Florida Statutes 1.01
(1) The Legislature encourages privately supported higher education and intends to aid in protecting the health, education, and welfare of persons who receive educational services from independent postsecondary educational institutions in this state; to aid in protecting employers and others who depend upon people whose educational credentials are from independent postsecondary educational institutions in this state; and to aid in protecting independent postsecondary educational institutions that currently operate or intend to begin operating in this state. The Legislature finds that both individuals and independent postsecondary educational institutions benefit from a state system that assures that all institutions satisfactorily meet minimum educational standards. The Legislature further recognizes the role of federally recognized accrediting associations in setting standards for independent postsecondary educational institutions and encourages the use of recognized accreditation standards as general guidelines for the licensure of independent postsecondary educational institutions.(2) The Legislature recognizes that a degree, diploma, or other educational credential serves several purposes. Employers rely upon a person‘s educational credentials in judging that person’s qualifications for employment. Educators rely upon a person’s educational credentials to assess the adequacy of that person’s preparation for the pursuit of further education. Therefore, the Legislature intends that the provisions of this chapter aid in protecting the integrity of degrees, diplomas, and other educational credentials offered by independent postsecondary educational institutions by providing for the evaluation of minimum educational requirements.(3) The Legislature intends to prohibit the granting of false or misleading educational credentials and to prohibit misleading literature, advertising, solicitation, or representations by independent postsecondary educational institutions or their agents.