Enrollments cuts likely - FSU 6200 to 5200 FTIC

Colleges and Universities A-Z Florida State University
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<p>Competition to enter FSU is likely to become even more intense.</p>

<p>*During its meeting Thursday in Tallahassee, the panel that oversees the 11 state universities is set to discuss admitting fewer students next fall.</p>

<p>That means thousands of applicants could find it harder to gain entry at a time when universities are setting the admissions bar higher and higher.</p>

<p>State university system Chancellor Mark Rosenberg told university presidents in a letter Tuesday that he will ask the Board of Governors to "make necessary changes in its admissions policies."</p>

<p>A $1 billion state budget shortfall this fiscal year has institutions such as the University of South Florida and Florida State University considering layoffs. While each school has said it might consider cutting enrollment, the Board of Governors could make that a reality.</p>

<p>"You can't continue to take multimillion-dollar budget cuts without serious repercussions," said Bill Edmonds, the spokesman for the Board of Governors.</p>

<p>**Prospective students with applications pending may feel those repercussions most. Admissions officers at FSU, for instance, are reviewing their applicant pool daily. Before the budget outlook worsened, they anticipated enrolling 6,200 freshmen next fall. They now plan to pare that number to 5,200, which would be FSU's smallest class in years.</p>

<p>"We know standards are going up, and we know we'll have a bigger wait list," said Janice Finney, FSU's admissions director. "We are overenrolled. We are consciously shrinking."***</p>

<p>See:
University</a> system may order enrollment cut</p>

2

<p>What is going to happen with the tuition differential fee? I thought they were going to use that money to hire faculty. It sounds like they will use that money and the tuition increase to try to replenish the money being cut in their budget.</p>

3

<p>Counting our blessings bestowed at the Nov 28 decision. D hit the submit button Sept 15th, not a moment too soon.</p>

4

<p>One prediction is that the bottom 1000 of the applicant list would be cut off or the bottom 20% more or less.</p>

<p>The remaining Florida students would then not be out of the woods as they'd face increased pressure from out-of-state applicants who pay more in tuition.</p>

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<p>Does anyone know the current status on this?</p>

6

<p>This ran in the Tallahassee paper about the same time:</p>

<p>
[quote]
"Jobs, programs axed as FSU trims $30M"
By Angeline J. Taylor </p>

<p>The Florida State University board of trustees approved a whopping $30 million in budget cuts Friday in response to the state's dismal financial climate where public institutions are being asked to cut spending for the second time this fiscal year.</p>

<p>Administrators told trustees that repeated cuts are beginning to erode the academic excellence they have tried to maintain. Florida State, like any university, is like a great, big battleship," FSU President T.K. Wetherell said. "You just don't turn it on a dime." </p>

<p>FSU's operating budget is $1.8 billion for this fiscal year, which began July 1 and ends June 30. Trustees' approval of a broad motion gave full authority to administrators to do whatever necessary to shave off the $30 million. A total of 218 jobs will be eliminated. Of those, about 40 are currently vacant. A hiring freeze that was implemented in October 2007 will continue. Travel restrictions will be mandated. Departments will be restructured with the hopes of reducing administrative costs.</p>

<p>And enrollment of out-of-state students, who pay the most in tuition, could be increased. Enrollment of other students will be reduced by as much as 1,000. Administrators also approved reopening collective bargaining agreement.</p>

<p>"Now, we're headed in the wrong direction," said Ralph Alvarez, FSU vice president for budget/planning and financial services. "It doesn't appear to be an end to the state's downward spiral."</p>

<p>FSU Provost Larry Abele said other impacts would include increasing classroom sizes. He said FSU and other state colleges share the student-to-faculty ratio of 31:1, which puts the Florida system last in the country.</p>

<p>"I don't see any indication the Legislature is willing to add revenue sources," Abele said. "The Legislature has created an almost impossible situation for the state of Florida."</p>

<p>What kind of impossible situation? The $30 million was suggested as a means to prepare for a cut to take place before this fiscal year ends. However, administrators also anticipate another 4-percent budget cut at the start of the next fiscal year, which begins July 1.</p>

<p>In the first round of October 2007 budget cuts, FSU terminated 44 people in academic affairs. Seventeen people in the division of finance and administration also lost jobs.</p>

<p>Now, in addition to layoffs, departments are being asked to trim more dollars.</p>

<p>FSU's largest program, the College of Arts and Sciences, will cut $6.1 million. Social sciences and business programs plan to cut $1.44 million each. And, the university's largest department of finance and administration will decrease by $6.3 million.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>In today's (2/2/08) Sun Sentinal, this article ran, <a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-flpbudget0202sbfeb02,0,4417688.story%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-flpbudget0202sbfeb02,0,4417688.story&lt;/a>, with a run down of each of the state's major U's and their plans to handle the budget problems. It again mentions a cut of 1000 in enrollment at FSU.</p>

<p>The actual meeting referenced in the original post for this thread is discussed here <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22827558/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22827558/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>31:1 is just atrocious... some of the Florida schools are ridiculously over-enrolled.</p>

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<p>sunnyflorida,</p>

<p>Thanks for the updated information.</p>

9

<p>On Friday FSU finally made it official - they are cutting 1000 spots in the freshmen class for 2008. The target is 2000 freshmen for summer and 3300 for fall. Last year 6300 were admitted, this year is will only be 5300. Numbers will be cut from the low end of applicants and serious review will take place of accepted students' final hs grades.</p>