Trustees discuss soliciting more alumni donations, Independent Florida Alligator

By Jacquelyn Weiner
September 8, 2008

With future budget cuts looming for UF and the state alike, members of UF’s Board of Trustees were urged by a representative from the governor’s office Friday to set an example by donating money to the university.

The board’s quarterly meeting ended with a discussion of how to bring in more money to UF’s strained budget and a few announcements.

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Florida nursing schools cut budgets, Nurse.com

By Debra Anscome Wood
September 8, 2008

At the same time Florida faces a nursing shortage that could cripple the healthcare system in coming years, the flagging economy has resulted in decreased tax revenues, leading the state legislature to ask public universities to slash budgets. "It doesn't bode well," says Divina Grossman, RN, PhD, dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Florida International University in Miami. "This is a time when we should begin increasing our capacity."

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Stealth Amendments, Herald Tribune

September 8, 2008

When the Florida Taxation and Budget Reform Commission formally proposed Amendment 7 and Amendment 9, it was apparent that the panel strayed far from its mission.

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Midlands Tech board powerless on president's paycheck, The State (Columbia, S.C.)

By Wayne Washington
September 7, 2008

Marshall “Sonny” White became president of Midlands Technical College two years ago with a promise from the chairman of the school’s board: Do well and your below-market salary will be raised.

White, by all accounts, has done well, exceeding expectations, according to Robert Dozier, chairman of the board when White was hired. But White’s $141,096 salary is frozen and cannot be raised by trustees.

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"Special" treatment for star athletes, Indianapolis Star

By Mark Alesia
September 7, 2008

Former Indiana University football coach Gerry DiNardo doesn't recall any battles to get recruits into school, including the 42 percent of his first class that didn't meet IU's normal entrance requirements.

As at Louisiana State, where DiNardo also coached, he said if players met the NCAA's minimum academic standards, he could count on them being admitted.

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Lawmakers failing to save universities, Tampa Tribune

September 8, 2008

The average freshman entering the University of Florida this fall had a high school GPA of 4.18 and an SAT score of 1293. That's an admissions standard that likely would have excluded many of the lawmakers and governors who are responsible for it. But the increasing exclusivity of public universities is only one of the deleterious effects of their prolonged impoverishment, and legislative leaders are still offering neither a solution nor an apology.

The fiscal backdrop is chilling. On Friday, Gov. Charlie Crist took the first step toward plugging a $1.8-billion hole in this year's state budget, asking to tap reserves for $672-million. His request comes on top of the $6-billion the Legislature already had cut for this year and doesn't reflect the $3.5-billion shortfall now projected for next year. A state that continues to grow in population, which means more high school seniors looking for a university education, has now lost revenue three consecutive years.

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University admissions will get even tougher, Tampa Tribune

By Adam Emerson
September 6, 2008

TAMPA - Florida's public universities raised admission standards higher than ever last year, and area high school guidance counselors learned Friday that the bar for entry will go even higher.
Admissions officers warned 600 guidance counselors assembled at the University of South Florida that budget cuts would further erode recruitment efforts and increase competition for a limited number of freshmen seats.

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Seeking spines in capital, St. Petersburg Times

September 7, 2008

Every serious examination of Florida's tax system over the past two decades has found it to be antiquated, unfair and inadequate. But no one will fix it. The latest failure — from a constitutionally created commission established for precisely this type of tax reform — turns the spotlight back where it belongs. The state doesn't necessarily need a constitutional amendment to tackle tax reform. It only needs a governor and state legislators with a shared vision and strong spines.

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Task force charged with finding new college model, St. Petersburg Times

By Donna Winchester
September 5, 2008

Florida's colleges and universities must begin producing more graduates if the state is to stay on the economic cutting edge, the head of one of the state's most influential business groups told education leaders Thursday.

More important, those graduates must be properly prepared to hit the ground running.

"That degree or certificate has to mean something," said Barney Bishop, president and chief executive officer of Associated Industries of Florida. "If all you're going to do is teach kids to think inside the box, we've already lost the race with Asia."

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NSU workers rights, The Earth Times

September 3, 2008

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a complaint yesterday against Nova Southeastern University (NSU) alleging that the university violated cleaning workers' rights by coercing and threatening workers during a lawful SEIU organizing campaign in 2006. The NLRB has scheduled the date of the trail to begin on November 17, 2008.

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Court blocks Florida ballot measures intended to help school vouchers, NY Times

By Gary Fineout
September 3, 2008

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Two constitutional amendments intended to help Florida’s school voucher programs withstand legal challenges cannot appear on the November ballot, the State Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.

The ruling was a major blow for prominent Republican leaders, especially former Gov. Jeb Bush, who made vouchers the centerpiece of education changes he pushed through in 1999. The measures were placed on the ballot by the Florida Taxation and Budget Reform Commission, which meets every 20 years.

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High court to have a say on three amendments, Miami Herald

By Mary Ellen Klas
September 3, 2008

TALLAHASSEE -- The Florida Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday and likely issue a quick ruling this week on whether to remove from the November ballot three constitutional amendments that could dramatically alter Florida's future.

At issue are Amendments 7 and 9, which are designed to constitutionally protect state-paid tuition vouchers at private schools and to end the ban on state aid to religious groups, and Amendment 5, which would eliminate property taxes that pay for schools and force lawmakers to replace the money with sales and other taxes.

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