Ben Sasse has big changes in mind for UF

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Florida
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#1 No more Bright Futures scholarships at UF:
Sasse discussed adjusting student tuition costs, reducing the total number of academic departments, eliminating “quiet-retired” faculty and restructuring the delivery of education, a professor said.

“Sasse predicted that low tuition costs, which are heavily subsidized by the Legislature’s appropriations that include lucrative Bright Futures scholarships for many students, can’t continue,” one professor wrote.

Sasse described low tuition costs as radically underpriced and “an economic model that doesn’t make sense.”

#2 Time to nuke some departments like WVU:
Sasse also indicated that the total number of academic departments at UF need to be reduced. There are currently 199 academic departments across UF’s 16 colleges.

“[Sasse] indicated an ideal number would be far fewer, such as 140, which would be a 30% decrease,” one professor wrote.

#3 Sasse wants more Online/Video classes:
Sasse also said UF needs to rethink its delivery of education to students.

“Sasse distinguished remote teaching from asynchronous lectures where students passively watch professors on pre-recorded video, which are unpopular for many students,” one professor wrote. “He said new models would disrupt traditional notions of place-and-time teaching, where faculty meet virtually with students at the same time but not necessarily in the same location.”

Revamping education delivery would have wide-ranging positive effects, Sasse said.

“He said that could broaden UF’s appeal among students across Florida’s 67 counties and help solve challenges recruiting top professors to move to Gainesville,” one professor said.

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Your first bullet point is not entirely accurate. He did not propose ending Bright Future scholarships, just noted that continued legislative funding of the school at current levels was unlikely ( true in every state). He has no control over Bright Future scholarships.

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I think as the President of UF, he sits on a legislative board that has some degree of influence. I could be mistaken.

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The board was pushing to raise at least OOS tuition over the summer – or that was talked about at some meetings. OOS tuition is much lower at UF than many other schools. But I’m not sure if the legislature will even approve that. I have a hard time believing the legislature will raise in-state tuition, in theory both bc (1) voters! and (2) if the state is paying for all those Bright Future scholarships (which are not going anywhere anytime soon), I would assume they’d want the cost to stay low.

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Raising tuition does not increase the actual cost of teaching the scholarship students for free. The marginal cost of these additional students is likely quite low. Instead, increasing tuition only increases an artificial accounting cost, which offset by actual increased revenue from students that have to pay the higher tuition.

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If they raise OOS tuition, they may attract fewer high stat kids and risk their USNWR #5 public university ranking.

They must have mentioned that 100 times during our visit a few years ago.

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Bf is a separate state agency. When the program was first started I believe it did cover tuition at all state schools, but tuition was a lot lower (about $3000) and it did not cover fees. As tuition was raised, BF continued to cover about $3200 of tuition when tuition was about $6500. In 2016(?) BF again raise the level back to cover tuition at the top award, fees, and a $600 book stipend. It covers 75% of tuition at the medallion level, but no book stipend.

UF can raise tuition without BF covering it all; it’s not unprecedented. The BF agency could word it that BF covers tuition up to $XXX or whatever they decide. BF pays a per credit fee to private schools too. The amount is 120 crdits x $213.55 =$25,626 (about 4 years of tuition at a state school) (and they really do cut you off when you hit that 120th credit - ask how I know). I think right now they pay up to 18 credits per semester at public schools, but the student would have to pay anything over that. It used to not pay for summer tuition but it currently does.

Another consideration for Florida is that a LOT of people have prepaid tuition plans which they bought long ago and those plans could be for 4 years of tuition and fees. If tuition rises substantially, those plans could be in trouble. I do think the plans are run by a private company, so Sasse may not care if raising tuition eats into profits.

But I think Florida needs to raise tuition. And I think combining some of those 200 department could cut down on admin costs.

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Just saw this – Sasse speaking at the faculty Senate today, and some others. It’s interesting: Mediasite - Mediasite Channel

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Point #1 (No more Bright Futures) is inaccurate. He’s talking about raising tuition (which he can’t do, the state legislature has to do it, more below), not eliminating Bright Future Scholarships.

Point #2 ("Nuke departments like WVU) is inaccurate. WVU eliminated Programs. Sasse is talking about consolidating administrative unites (academic departments). It’s an administrative change, and has nothing to do with eliminating programs, majors, etc.

Point #3 (more online classes) is accurate and I have a problem with it.

First on point #1, I think Sasse is going down a path UF tried years ago to get special “permission” to raise tuition. That’s how the state (and us) got stuck with the disaster called the “Tuition Differential”. Raising tuition conflicts with the promise of Bright Futures, but more importantly with the “Florida pre-paid tuition” program. By asking to raise tuition, he’s asking the state to fund more $ into Bright Futures and into to the Pre-paid program (which should be self-funding) or to anger a LOT of voters. I don’t think the legislature is going to go down that path again.

He should continue to do what the past presidents have been very successful at doing, asking for supplemental funding from the state (hence UF’s rise in the rating, and its ability to greatly add to faculty and facilities.

Point #2 is about consolidating departments. That reduces administrative headcount/overhead, but you do have a lot of folks at UF (administrative) who will complain. Remember when UF tried to consolidate its Engineering and Liberal Arts Computer Science programs? It will be a repeat of that drama.

Point #3…what can I say. I think he’s way off base. UF doesn’t compete against “technology” companies. What UF offers is an opportunity to join a community. There is great value for students, in being able to meet (and live with) other students in person, as well as the professors. There is also great value in the faculty being together. There is an important role for online only programs (much lower cost and much greater access) for a subset of students, but for most, in person is far better. Not every class at UF is a large (100+) student lecture.

We’ve seen the impact first hand with COVID (forcing all of the classes online). It really felt like a lost period of time at UF (for my kids). I’m all for improving the technology, but you can’t lose focus on what UF “IS”, and what it isn’t is an online degree mill.

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I should say I was/am supportive of the Sasse hire. However, I did have some concerns that he sometimes thinks he’s the smartest person in the room and wants to transform the “business”. I think he gets this from his time working as a consultant at the management consulting firm (he had to sell himself as having the answers customers are paying for…).

This is one reason he wasn’t a very successful senator (= not impactful or transformative).

UF does need to change with the times and technology, but he should be taking input from many sources and not assume he has all of the answers. Then he needs to try and build consensus. As best he can with Faculty, which is always resistant to change, but especially with his own board and the state legislature (which has to fund any changes).

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Why?

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But are the current Florida state governor and legislature as supportive of UF or university education in general as the past ones that gave the extra funding?

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This is the current Governor’s 5th year/budget, and they have been very supportive. (Overall) Higher Education Funding has increased every year, even during COVID. In Florida, Education is a key initiative for Florida republicans and democrats.

Much of the funding has been via the “Performance-Based Incentives Funding”.

Don’t let the politics confused the actual funding.

This is a good example of a misleading article.

DeSantis cuts higher ed funding; New College gets a boost (insidehighered.com)

“DeSantis cuts $120M from Higher Education!”

Actually, the overall higher education budget is higher in 2023, even with DeSantis using his line-item veto on several items.

EDIT: To put the $120M!!! in cuts into perspective. The current state higher education budget includes operating funding of $1.5 billion for Florida’s state colleges and $3 billion for Florida’s state universities. In addition, it includes $1.8 billion in capital outlays.

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