State of the University address - 2012

Colleges and Universities A-Z Florida State University
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<p>By FSU President Barron:</p>

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[quote]

President Eric J. Barron compared Florida State University’s past few years of budget cuts and faculty departures to the geological stresses that result in the formation of brilliant gemstones such as garnet during the annual State of the University Address at the 2012 Fall Meeting of the General Faculty on Oct. 24.</p>

<p>“A gemstone is what epitomizes this university,” said Barron, who pointed to the fact that even though the university’s financial resources ranking has slipped from 204 to 212, its quality ranking among all universities is 97 and among public universities is 42.</p>

<p>“We are extraordinarily efficient,” he said.</p>

<p>About 100 current and emeritus faculty members, university administrators, trustees and guests attended the meeting at the August B. Turnbull III Florida State Conference Center. It also was webcast live.</p>

<p>Barron praised Florida State’s outstanding students who boast an incoming GPA of a just under 4.0, as well as myriad opportunities for students, such as in the “Big 8” areas of STEM — physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, computer science, engineering, environmental science and psychology.</p>

<p>“Florida State is the top in the state in external support in four of these areas,” Barron said. “We are Florida’s STEM university.”</p>

<p>Barron also claimed that no other Florida university can best Florida State in the arts or in the number of doctoral degrees awarded.</p>

<p>Along with the reference to garnet, Barron threw in a little gold by recognizing the extraordinary and ongoing accomplishments of Florida State’s emeritus faculty.</p>

<p>“I challenge you to name another career where you go back to work after you retire,” Barron said. “Emeritus faculty show us time and again that they are not here just for a paycheck but because they are deeply committed to their scholarship and in transmitting knowledge to others.”

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See: Barron</a> delivers annual 'State of the University' address / More FSU News - Florida State 24/7</p>

<p>Nice to hear!</p>

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A bit of an overstatement, I’d say. The engineering program still needs much improvement.</p>

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<p>“Barron also claimed that no other Florida university can best Florida State in the arts or in the number of doctoral degrees awarded.”</p>

<p>Not sure how he can say that they award the most doctoral degrees.</p>

<p>FSU(11-12): 444
[Degrees</a> Awarded](<a href=“http://www.ir.fsu.edu/degreesawarded/degreesawarded.htm]Degrees”>http://www.ir.fsu.edu/degreesawarded/degreesawarded.htm)</p>

<p>UF(10-11): 774
[University</a> of Florida - Common Data Set](<a href=“http://www.ir.ufl.edu/OIRAPPS/commondataset/b_enrollment_v1.aspx]University”>University of Florida - Common Data Set)</p>

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<p>From User Robbeh in [Post</a> #2](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/14975423-post2.html]Post”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/14975423-post2.html):</p>

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<p>Take a second look at Barron’s statement.</p>

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<p>From User Mfhettig in [Post</a> #3](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/14976718-post3.html]Post”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/14976718-post3.html):</p>

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<p>I am not clear on this either, but Barron is not given to making unfounded statements. </p>

<p>It could be Barron takes issue with the way UF counts their doctoral degrees.</p>

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<p>The Engineering school’s FAMU association continues to scare away potential applicants to UF and UCF, but it’s still a quality program. I believe it was recently ranked about 100 nationally. You would have no idea that the engineering school is ranked only a few places behind UCF given the widespread perception that UCF has a “great” engineering school. I wish President Barron would use Governor Scott’s STEM fixation to help us build our own facility, adjacent to the main campus.</p>

<p>I believe that FSU’s Computer Science department, which is not a part of the engineering school, is growing rapidly and is catching up with UF.</p>

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<p>Were it called the “FSU College of Engineering” the rankings would be substantially higher.</p>

<p>But the real point I see in Barron’s pronouncement is that FSU has excellent STEM programs as-is, even with the engineering association to Florida A&M.</p>

<p>WRT Computer Science: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/florida-state-university/1389016-fsu-only-dual-c-sait-certification-university-fl.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/florida-state-university/1389016-fsu-only-dual-c-sait-certification-university-fl.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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I agree, and that’s why I’m a part of it!</p>

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And I also agree with this. Would it really hurt to renew talks of a division?</p>

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<p>Personally, I think it should be explored in the form that the current CoE organization is inefficient and squanders the accumulated academic excellence of Florida State University, at a minimum. It really doesn’t matter that FAMU is part of the solution; I think they’d want to be involved as opposed to scraping by on their own. </p>

<p>There is no money to waste now on feel-good political constructions. I think that time has gone and we need to reorganize the College of Engineering towards maximizing academic productivity and excellence which would reward the entire State of Florida for the millions it pours into this public asset. Indeed, the only National Laboratory in Florida is a stone’s throw from the CoE. They should be joined in synergistic ways that stimulate graduate engineering research.</p>

<p>In return that high level of research tends to improve the undergraduate engineering experience.</p>

<p>This seems to me, as a layman, a solid way to go.</p>

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<p>Florida legislators, Florida’s Gov. Scott, and the Florida Board of Governors proved there is money available to waste on feel-good political constructions when they allowed the creation of Florida Polytechnic University earlier this year. The money appropriated for the new, unnecessary state university in Lakeland would have been better spent improving and helping existing STEM programs at already established public universities like FSU.</p>

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<p>Very good point!</p>

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<p>Splitting engineering should be one of Barron’s top priorities in my opinion. Getting FSU a dedicated engineering school would be a huge legacy and greatly benefit FSU in the future.</p>

<p>Also, speaking of computer science, I didn’t realize until recently that FSU’s CS program is ABET accredited and UF’s is not. This is a nice selling point for FSU. ABET accreditation is really only important in engineering fields, but it’s an added mark of quality. It’d be good if our IT program could obtain ABET accreditation as well.</p>

<p>I’d honestly recommend FSU’s CS department over UF’s now that I know about the ABET accreditation, UF nearly shuttered their department a few months ago, and last I checked, FSU’s CS department had the most research funding in the state.</p>