<p>BY JACK STRIPLING
Sun staff writer</p>
<p>If champagne bottles were uncorked at the University of Florida on Thursday, they remained well hidden. But there's little doubt that UF officials were grinning at the sight of the university's upward climb to No. 13 in the U.S. News & World Report 2007 rankings for public universities, which hits newsstands today.</p>
<p>After languishing at No. 16 for the past two years, UF outpaced all of the top-20 public universities this year by moving forward three spots into a five-way tie for 13th.</p>
<p>The ranking appears to be the highest UF has ever placed since U.S. News began ranking schools in 1987, UF officials said.</p>
<p>Among both public and private universities overall, UF moved up three slots to No. 47, tying with four other universities. UF was trailed in the overall rankings by the University of Miami, which came in at No. 54, and Florida State University, which came in at No. 110.</p>
<p>Universities are typically loathe to make too much of the rankings, which are criticized by many as a poor measure of an institution's stature. Indeed, UF doesn't intend to issue so much as a news release about this year's spot of good news. Nonetheless, the often-cited annual rankings have emerged as a powerful force in shaping public opinion, and UF President Bernie Machen concedes that they are important in that regard.</p>
<p>"What I hope is happening is that people are starting to take a look at us and say, 'You know, that's not just a Southeastern Conference athletic school, that's a great university,' " said Machen, who has made a move into the top-10 public universities the overarching goal of his presidency.</p>
<p>UF saw improvements this year in the area of "peer assessment," a category used by U.S. News to determine how other presidents, provosts and high-ranking university officials view their peers. On a five-point scale, UF moved up to 3.6 this year, which was an increase of 0.1 from last year.</p>
<p>"It's the most difficult variable to directly impact," Machen said of peer assessment. "I hope (the improvement) relates to the recognition we're getting as a serious institution around the country. . . . I hope that's what it means. Don't ask me to tell you how I can be sure about that, though."</p>
<p>The peer assessment category, which is subjective, accounts for 25 percent of a 100-point possible score in the rankings. To tally the total score, U.S. News also gauges graduation and retention rates, fundraising prowess and the strength of admittance requirements, among other areas. UF improved its total score by one point to 59.</p>
<p>UF continues to struggle when it comes to important areas of measurement, in large part due to its increasing class size and comparative lack of financial resources when compared with top-tier universities. As enrollment has increased, UF has been at pains to improve its faculty/student ratios. This year, UF had a ratio of 21/1, a larger ratio than any school in the coveted top-10 slot. That's an improvement, however, from last year's 23/1 ratio at UF.</p>
<p>Machen said improving the student ratios obviously boils down to keeping enrollment at bay while hiring more faculty. But that's not as easy as it may seem, Machen said. If more state money or tuition revenues don't come in to help hire and retain faculty, it will be difficult for UF to budge in this area, he said.</p>
<p>"We still have the same bugaboo for the financially related variables - faculty resources, faculty/student ratio," Machen said. "Those things are only going to be movable with more financial resources."</p>
<p>For in-state undergraduate tuition, which is controlled by the Legislature, Florida has the 49th lowest rate in the country, according to an annual tuition survey by the College Board, a nonprofit group that tracks higher education data.</p>
<p>Many of the financially related variables measured by U.S. News, such as faculty salaries and class sizes, fall into the category of "faculty resources. In this area, UF ranked among the lowest in the top-50 public and private universities. With a rank of 123, only Penn State fared worse with a rank of 144.</p>
<p>Manny Fernandez, chairman of UF's board of trustees, said that the university's improved rankings appear to show that UF's strategy for improved national recognition is beginning to bear fruit. The university has launched an extensive branding campaign, which promotes Gainesville as the "Foundation for the Gator Nation," and Fernandez says it appears to have helped improve the university's stock in the minds of the public.</p>
<p>He praised UF's No. 13 status, but he tempered his enthusiasm with full knowledge that the rankings are fluid. "I would not want to create expectations that you can have this kind of movement every year," he said. "Just because you've gotten there doesn't mean you stay there."</p>
<p>The California university system learned that lesson all too well this year, as the traditional powerhouse lost some ground in the rankings. The University of California at Berkeley remained No. 1 among public universities, but four of the six ranked California schools slipped. The University of California at Irvine had the biggest drop, sliding from No. 10 to No. 12.</p>
<p>"They had a large presence in the top rankings for a long time," Machen said of the California schools. "And I think what may be happening is that people are starting to recognize that there are a lot of other really good universities out there that didn't get the recognition that the Cal schools had over time."</p>