FSU gets $65.8 million state cut

Colleges and Universities A-Z Florida State University
1

<p>To date, since 2007, FSU has already taken more than $100 million in general revenue cuts from the state. Yesterday it was announced that we're now getting a huge $66 million cut--more than any other Florida university. No wonder we get tuition increases every year.</p>

<hr>

<p>As part of a budget agreement Monday, state lawmakers hammered out a plan to spread $300 million in cuts among Florida's 11 universities. Here's a breakdown:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Florida State University -$65,834,110</p></li>
<li><p>University of Central Florida -$52,613,031</p></li>
<li><p>USF Tampa -$36,905,544</p></li>
</ol>

<p>i) USF St. Pete -$5,111,531</p>

<p>ii) USF Sarasota Manatee -$2,993,867</p>

<p>iii) Polytechnic -$5,231,911</p>

<ol>
<li><p>University of Florida -$36,460,787</p></li>
<li><p>Florida Atlantic University -$24,790,484</p></li>
<li><p>Florida International University -$24,291,544</p></li>
<li><p>Florida A&M University -$19,850,901</p></li>
<li><p>University of West Florida -$11,944,722 </p></li>
<li><p>University of North Florida -$7,191,189</p></li>
<li><p>Florida Gulf Coast University -$5,232,328</p></li>
<li><p>New College of Florida -$1,548,051</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Source: Florida House Appropriations Committee/Senate Budget Committee</p>

2

<p>Yeah, I saw that. Seems a little unfair to FSU and UCF.</p>

3

<p>Little unfair? It seems to me a lot unfair! FSU got penalized for being a good money manager with its $100 million plus (the most of any Florida universities) saved in “reserves” for near future FSU needs and expenses and the state now grabs it for general state spending. It seems just like a parent grabbing their kid’s piggy bank to make parent’s car payment. FSU should have had a giant party last week after midterm exams and blown all the money before the state could get its paws on FSU’s “reserves.”</p>

4

<p>Correct me if I am wrong, but aren’t most of the cuts somewhat proportional to how much state money each of the schools get? </p>

<p>I seem to recall that being a point when the news down here was reporting on how USF was “saved” from the horrors of having to cut way back, in exchange for USF Poly to become Florida’s 12th University.</p>

5

<p>FSU’s getting it, but not in a good way. I think FSU is getting hit hardest because of the $130 million or so FSU had in “reserves.” FSU had the most in reserves of any of the 11 state universities. Some kind of crazy formula for cuts was decided on in the last few days. Under the new plan, half of the cuts will be based on university reserves. Another $100 million will be portioned out based on the state funding for a university, and the final $50 million will be based on a university’s available tuition funding.</p>

<p>[Florida</a> Legislators Cut Higher Ed $300 Million Even as They Create a 12th University | FlaglerLive - Your News Service for Flagler County News Palm Coast News Bunnell Flagler Beach Beverly Beach and Marineland](<a href=“http://flaglerlive.com/35140/florida-university-cuts]Florida”>http://flaglerlive.com/35140/florida-university-cuts)</p>

6

<p>A cut based on the reserves isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If it’s truly a one-time cut, that’s not going to hit FSU as hard as it would appear. It does suck that FSU’s getting hit the most because they appeared to be (I don’t know the specifics) the best at managing finances, but if it lowers the potential impacts facing the student body, that’s sorta okay.</p>

<p>I’m still not entirely sure what the point of creating Florida Poly is. I get that JD Alexander wants the school badly and that he absolutely hates the USF leadership, but I think it’s pretty damn pathetic that petty politics are getting the better of this crap. Florida Poly now will take 4 years to get accreditation- which, as someone brought up in an article I read yesterday, why would any student willingly go to a school that isn’t accredited?</p>

7

<p>I realize that it’s just reserves, but there is an opportunity cost here. If FSU knew that this was going to happen, they could have used the money for any number of legit purposes such as facilities improvements or research, etc.</p>

<p>Regarding USF Poly, it’s amazing how one man has essentially cowed the entire legislature along with the entire state university system into doing his bidding. Why does Florida need to start a separate university that is literally a few miles down the road from USF? This would be like starting the University of Southern Middle Florida in Kissimmee, a few miles from UCF.</p>

8

<p>I don’t even get why JD Alexander even cares about what happens to USF Poly. He’s a UF alum, whose grandfather is the person that UF’s football stadium (Ben Hill Griffin) is named after. Aside from living somewhat close to USF Poly, he would appear to really have no reason to even give a crap about what happened to that school. If he was doing something to benefit UF, that would make sense. But it’s USF Poly.</p>

9

<p>I’ve heard it said that this is about his legacy; he would be the Francis Eppes of Florida Polytechnic. Years from now, people will forget the fact that he forcibly carved it out of another school against their will.</p>

<p>Incidentally, there is a private school called “Florida Tech” (Florida Institute of Technology). I wonder if FIT might object to the new name, stating that having “Florida Tech” and a “Florida Polytechnic” is confusing. They are a private school, so they weren’t a party to this arrangement.</p>

10

<p>I don’t know if FIT (whose campus closely rivals FSU’s, in my opinion) really can do much. They’re really just the state’s big private engineering college. I think they’re pretty set in being the go-to private engineering school in the state (and apparently they have a decent draw of OOS students, based on the tour I took of the campus, since my group was nearly all OOS). Plus, they have the benefit of being one of the places that NASA uses as a sort of feeder school. </p>

<p>They also have the benefit of accreditation. Right now it’s looking like Florida Poly might not be accredited until 2016 at the earliest, which is pretty far off, and that’s if everything goes right.</p>

11

<p>So we’re being punished for being thrifty. Sweeheartcroc nailed it on the head. If we knew it was a use it or lose it situation, we could have used it towards improving the University. This is BS; has Dr. Barron made an official statement about the cuts yet?</p>

<p>Completely agree about USF Polytechnic as well; how one idiot has so much influence, I don’t understand. This is why I hate all politicians; none of them give a damn about the best interests of anyone but themselves.</p>

12

<p>Time to write and call your state senator, especially Senator Thrasher. Support Florida State!</p>

13

<p>Pretty sure the only way this thing is getting stopped is if Rick Scott vetoes it. Rick Scott supports fiscal responsibility, therefore he should be against punishing FSU for being smart with their money.</p>

<p>I want to be furious, write to my senators and/or governor, but Dr. Barron hasn’t said anything and the Advocate for Florida State site hasn’t been updated. I don’t want to do anything if Barron is okay with it.</p>

14

<p>We made the NYTimes:</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/07/education/florida-higher-education-may-face-big-budget-cuts.html[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/07/education/florida-higher-education-may-face-big-budget-cuts.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

15

<p>Sadly, my local representative (who I despise immensely) is getting millions in funds for his pet projects in my area (Pasco) so I highly doubt that anything short of offering him those millions anyway (and I can’t do that) would get him to change his mind. </p>

<p>I would be shocked to see Governor Scott veto this budget. So much that has been done lately seems to me (granted, haven’t been paying much attention) to go against his not wanting to increase education costs.</p>

<p>Here’s an interesting quote from the NYT article:
“A 5 percent tuition increase would be allowed at the state’s 28 colleges — once called community colleges. But the 11 universities, soon to be 12, would have to get approval for an increase from the State Board of Governors, which oversees the system.”</p>

<p>Am I understanding that right or is that suggesting that even the standard 15% increase that we’re used to is going to have to be approved?</p>

16

<p>Incoming House Speaker Will Weatherford from Pasco county is the son in law of FSU trustee Allan Bense who was also a Speaker of the House years ago. Will’s brother Drew quarterbacked FSU’s football team too a few years ago. Speaker designate Weatherford should be FSU friendly, or at least he better be if he wants to stay on good terms with his father in law and his brother Drew!</p>

17

<p>He would appear FSU friendly on the outside, but he’s more worried about his little pet projects for this county. I haven’t seen him do anything that would suggest he’s at all wanting to help FSU. </p>

<p>It doesn’t really matter though. In this area, it seems like all of the Republican politicians are in each other’s pockets (granted, the very few Democrat politicians pretty much are too) so far that as long as one of them is the state representative or something, they’re still getting their pet projects. </p>

<p>His big project this year was to get Pasco-Hernando Community College funding to build a new campus, that was removed at the last minute under the reasoning that they didn’t want to add anything to the budget this year that was turned down last year. It seems rather odd though that during a time period where the SUS is facing $300 million in cuts, the college system would be getting appropriated even more funds. Don’t get me wrong, the location of the new campus is much better than some other choices might have been (and the campus could probably use it), but considering that some of the PHCC board are linked to Weatherford politically- and in fact, one of the board of trustees for the college actually turned down Weatherford’s position back when Crist was governor, which is how Weatherford even got the job in the first place (long story as to how I know that)- it seems rather likely that he’s more focused on pleasing his home crowd than worrying about a campus well over 200 miles away. Which is sad, but hey, what are you going to do? People here love his family for some reason. </p>

<p>This whole area needs a huge political cleansing, but sadly everyone in office holds way too much power and it’s essentially going to take them all dying off and their family members not continuing in their footsteps for anything to change.</p>

18

<p>Yeah, Florida politics is a tangled web held together with money. Gov. Scott vetoed the PHCC Wesley Chapel campus last year while okaying $30 million for the USF Poly Lakeland campus–about the only project in the state university system which got state money last year. With the PHCC expansion veto, Scott demonstrated he will veto college earmarks. Hopefully this year Scott will do the right thing and veto the off the charts stupid Florida Folly 12th state university nonsense which makes no sound sense at all and which waters down money available for the existing 11 state universities.</p>

19

<p>Florida Polytechnic University is an idiotic expenditure. The legislators voting for it are idiots, and Gov. Scott is an idiot if he doesn’t veto it and redistribute the money to Florida’s present 11 state universities. </p>

<p>[In</a> Florida, Higher Education ‘Treated Disdainfully’|Florida Center for Investigative Reporting](<a href=“http://fcir.org/2012/03/08/in-florida-higher-education-treated-disdainfully/]In”>In Florida, Higher Education ‘Treated Disdainfully’ – Florida Center for Investigative Reporting)</p>

20

<p>If Rick Scott wants to be some renegade governor that wants to do what is right and doesn’t care what others think, he will veto this budget.</p>

<p>Florida Polytechnic is going to be a bigger joke than FGCU. The faculty don’t want it, the students don’t want it, and USF sure as hell doesn’t want the split. This is all about JD Alexander trying to build a legacy, but that school will never be respected. Who would seriously attend “Florida Polytechnic” when it doesn’t have the USF logo behind it? I’d rather get my diploma from FAMU.</p>

<p>FWIW, JD Alexander is a graduate of the University of Florida. This is why all “non-Gators” hate UF. It has nothing to do with jealousy and everything to do with them being a bunch of self-serving egomaniacs. </p>

<p>Using reserves to determine budget cuts means punishing those who have more due to being fiscally responsible. Seems very un-republican. This is Rick Scott’s chance to regain my favor. If he doesn’t veto this crap, there’s not a chance in hell I will vote for him in 2014.</p>