Half of Florida's 294,000 university students in 2007 took at least one class online, an increase of more than 300 percent during the past decade, and a number that is likely to grow higher as gas prices soar.
The numbers, which were released in a recent report exploring the role of distance learning at Florida's 11 universities, surprised some state officials and showed the increased demand for courses that differ from traditional classroom pedagogy and schedules.
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“To say it’s popular is an understatement,” said Frank Brogan, president of Florida Atlantic University and former lieutenant governor, who helped create the Bright Futures program while he was the commissioner of education in the mid-1990s.
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Hoping to boost morale and stem the exodus of top professors, Florida's largest public university will set aside more than $11-million in tuition revenue for faculty merit raises and staffer cost-of-living increases.
University of Florida president Bernie Machen called the merit plan, announced Friday, an "attempt to stem the brain drain" of professors who are leaving for jobs in states where the support for higher education is more stable.
Under the plan, UF's more than 8,300 staffers will get cost-of-living raises of 2 percent or $600, whichever is greater, starting with their Sept. 19 paychecks. The pool of money available for faculty merit raises will be expanded by 3 percent, and deans will decide how to dole out the money. That means some of UF's 5,285 faculty members could get raises of more than 3 percent, while others could get less.
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A year from now Florida Community College at Jacksonville might not be a community college.
It might not even have the same name.During this past legislative session, Florida lawmakers created a new system for higher education in the state. Community colleges will be able to apply to become "state colleges" and offer four-year degrees. Currently only a few community colleges can offer a limited number of bachelor's degrees.
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Departing House Speaker Marco Rubio stands to rake in $69,000 over the next nine months by teaching a couple of courses at Florida International University in his home turf of Miami.
FIU announced today that Rubio will teach a course in the fall titled "Florida Politics and the 2008 Election" alongside Dario Moreno, a political science professor.
Such projected tax savings, of course, makes Amendment 5 appealing to many. A Quinnipiac University poll conducted in late May found that 50 percent of Floridians favor the constitutional amendment. Unfortunately for proponents, state law requires that 60 percent voter approval for a constitutional amendment to become law.
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Students and families trying to pay for college are facing a complex financial puzzle that routinely requires a dizzying combination of grants, loans and money earmarked for retirement.
"It's crazy," said Trisha Brewton, a Tampa beautician who has been trying to find the money to send her daughter, Brialle, to Florida A&M University this fall.
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When the committee places a low priority on agriculture and historical programs, one has to wonder: "Y'all from around here?"
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