<p>University of Florida officials could use the recession as an opportunity to transform the university, reducing the number of undergraduates and shifting resources to graduate education and research.</p>
<p>UF's board of trustees considered that vision Friday at its retreat at Lake Wauburg. UF President Bernie Machen told trustees that the budget crisis provides a "once in a generation" chance for changes that have been difficult to accomplish in economically flush times.</p>
<p>He asked for, and received, the support of trustees for changes that he said would help UF achieve its goal of becoming one of the nation's top public universities.</p>
<p>Interesting, but graduate students require more resources than do undergrads. Not only do you not receive tuition from them, but most grad students are doing work on very expensive equipment. I’m just wondering where the money will come from.</p>
<p>^ This is great news. UF’s peer assessment score will be on the rise, and the total number of undergraduates will be reduced so that class-sizes will improve. </p>
<p>Let the other state universities or the expanded community colleges take the brunt for once. UF has been taking the brunt since 1853, and we should be expanded to take more graduate students.</p>
<p>Research grants are used for very specific purposes though. You write a detailed proposal, a budget, and then you may or may not get the money. Tuition can be used for anything. There is definitely a “sweet spot” of undergrad to grad ratio and UF isn’t at it, but tuition is essentially free money because it’s pretty easy to educate undergrads.</p>
<p>“Not only do you not receive tuition from them, but most grad students are doing work on very expensive equipment.”</p>
<p>What are you talking about? Graduate Tuition is at the very least double the cost for In-State Undgraduates. Professional Programs are like 5x the cost.</p>
<p>FYI: Graduate Stipends can be paid for by Federal/State Grants.</p>
<p>I think they won’t be able to decrease undergrad numbers as much as they would like. Which means there will be more internet classes, bigger gen ed classes, and more classes taught by grad students. Ultimately graduate education will improve at the expense of undergraduate education.</p>
<p>I agree that stuff like med/law school are cash cows, but adding more of those types of students will not make UF a better research university. The fact of the matter is every PhD student I know of in STEM fields gets funded. Departments fund stuff like teaching assistantships. Professors usually fund the research assistantships but this is not always the case, such as if the student has an alumni award.</p>