<p>the state government is doing a really bad job of funding state universities in this state. All i read about is how much budget cuts are coming to state schools, and it is an irresponsible use of our money. The Bright Futures program has worked wonders for a lot of students, but it has prevented the schools to increase tuition more reasonably, to at least make up some of the expenses that have gone way up in the last 5 years. The tuition increase coming to only 3 schools is a dumb idea. The schools that are not getting it can not better themselves to qualify for the increase so down they go...UCF,FIU,FAU etc etc they deserve to get more money and hire better professors, do more research etc etc..</p>
<p>The differential tuition is not based on political or local aspirations. It is based on the historical performance of the university measured against specific criteria written into the Florida differential law. The criteria include patents earned, PhDs graduated and so on - objective criteria that reflect a strong research infrastructure. </p>
<p>This is why FSU and UF receive the 40% differential - they are the most accomplished. USF comes in at 30% because it qualifies at a lower level. All other schools can qualify, but to date do not. Trying to create research universities, e.g. FSU and UF, out of other schools like FAU, FIU, UCF or wherever is extremely difficult and expensive. I doubt if Florida can afford to push so many universities at once. </p>
<p>The political push to create so many research schools is called the "trough" system, where local political pressures try and have "their" school compete with the oldest schools. The Pappas Report and other analyses have said trough systems tend to make the entire system mediocre rather than a "tier" system which tends to prioritize resources towards the flagship schools.</p>
<p>You'll get no argument from me that Florida needs to better fund its system of higher education.</p>
<p>2noles,</p>
<p>Let's hope Florida doesn't continue on your "prioritize resources toward the flagship schools" plan. Forget reports and troughs, let's look at a state who did just that and now has to re-trench the other way, the way Florida was before this tuition differential: Ohio. You know, the state that looked so down and out in the presidential primary. Ohio built many regional state universities in the '60s, delivering quality education through the Eighties. But then the drive to make OSU (The Flagship) so much better than the rest of the state schools ("Thee Ohio State University") started to hurt the other schools. You could see it in the primary. Columbus (OSU's location) was talked about as being the only city in the state economically growing. Youngstown (Youngstown State), Toledo (University of Toledo) Dayton (Wright State) Cleveland (Cleveland State) are all cities in decline. Now, Ohio is seeing the error in it's ways, hopefully, before it's too late:
<a href="http://universitysystem.ohio.gov/pdfs/strategicPlan/USOStrategicPlan_ExecSummary.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://universitysystem.ohio.gov/pdfs/strategicPlan/USOStrategicPlan_ExecSummary.pdf</a></p>
<p>At least OSU is in a large city. The two state flagships are relatively far away from Florida's population centers. It's not about pushing universities, it's about getting the education out to the people who need it and who pay the taxes. Staying in the #3 spot in the Florida University sweepstakes and ahead of Samford and the University of Buffalo shouldn't blind you to the need for all the universities in the state system needing more funds. The Florida differential law IS a law meaning it was crafted by politicians, ones with agendas. Plenty of political aspirations are involved, don't kid yourself.</p>
<p>Undoubtedly the process is political. The Florida Legislature has had its hand in higher education funding (or lack thereof) since the beginning. </p>
<p>When the institution that became FSU was established in 1851 it was hung up for several years because of a serious political battle between the cities of Marianna and Tallahassee for the privilege of having the school. Politics is all about the process of decision-making, which is to establish priorities, without, hopefully, going to physical war. Thus it will ever be, unless a system is adopted that minimizes such ebb and flow of resources. Florida has gone through much turmoil and is going through more now, as the Legislature is currently choking off the power of the university Board of Governors over the power to set tuition levels. The BOG could perhaps have limited some flux, but they don't seem to have enough clout to fend off the Legislature. The BOG itself became political as well, by giving two med schools, without Legislative support, to FIU and UCF within a few years of FSU receiving a very expensive med school. Both fledgling programs are now starving for money and the Legislature is currently refusing much support. FSU med students now reportedly receive more $$ per student than any other state med school which has resulted in complaints from the older schools, which will tend to starve off even more the FIU and UCF programs.</p>
<p>Personally, I favor the tier system as the best state university systems are tier systems, not trough systems. While trough systems may seem more "fair" (like schools in urban areas get more $$ as they simply have more people) mediocrity results. Oregon is one example of a trough system while California has a tier system. Everyone knows UC Berkeley and UCLA are good universities, few know anything about schools from Oregon.</p>
<p>I don't think what happened in Ohio parallels too closely what is happening in Florida as the states have very different sources of funding and population.</p>
<p>In Florida, the oldest schools (FSU and UF) are also the best academic schools. It takes decades to build up the structure necessary for excellence under most systems of funding. It would be wasteful to starve such established and operating systems simply because a city or town decides their school is now more important. Thus, in Florida, the differential law is fair and rewards the most accomplished while not precluding newer schools from competition.</p>
<p>As to location, while UF was established in Gainesville in 1906, FSU was in place in 1854 and has not moved an inch since. Both locations were considered the best locations in Florida at the time and each had the most support from the community that wanted the school. It was fashionable at the time to locate schools in more pristine locations (yes, this is debatable; e.g. Gainesville was also called Hog Town) as opposed to cities, which were regarded as less wholesome places to educate the young. It is also important to note than the Florida before air conditioning was north Florida, much less so the southern areas which were known for hook worm, mosquitos and unpleasant weather.</p>