UT Trustees Approve Jimmy Cheek as New Knoxville Chancellor, The Chattanoogan.com

October 25, 2008

The University of Tennessee Board of Trustees has approved UT President John Petersen's recommendation of Jimmy Cheek as the new chancellor of UT Knoxville.

The board voted unanimously in favor of Dr. Cheek's appointment at its board meeting on Friday in Knoxville.

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Florida varsity to set up nanotech institute at Nadiad, The Times of India

October 25, 2008

University of Florida proposes to set up a high-quality nanotechnology institute in Nadiad which could propel the state in the field of science and technology research.Backed by state overnment, the Surface Science and Nanotechnology (CSSNT) institute will soon start functioning as a full-fledged body on Dharmasinh Desai University (DDU) campus. Dinesh Shah, professor emeritus at University of Florida and former director of Centre for Surface Science and Engineering at the university , who is here for setting up the institute, told TOI that the initial grant of Rs 3.50 crore from state government will help buy necessary equipment.

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Florida economists: More doom and gloom for state (Business Week)

By Bill Kaczor
October 24, 2008

State economists added more doom and gloom to their outlook for Florida's economy with an update that reflects the global financial meltdown and higher-than-previously-expected unemployment.

In July, the economists predicted Florida's slump would begin turning around by the start of 2010. Now, they say it'll be three months later.

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Budget cuts, brain drain, drown Florida universities, Medill Reports (Washington D.C.)

By Majorie Korn
October 23, 2008

WASHINGTON – When the economy was good there was nothing hotter than Florida—the real estate market reached record-highs, consumer spending was strong and public universities expanded. But like Icarus, the Sunshine State’s economy melted and the public universities that relied on state tax revenue have been forced to undergo significant budget cuts.

Florida is one of nine states that do not collect income taxes. It also posted the second highest home foreclosure rate in the country for September, according to RealtyTrac Inc. While property taxes do not directly fund public higher education, construction taxes do. Housing starts across the U.S. were down 6.3 percent in September from August and more than 31 percent from a year prior, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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FEA pushing tax hike to save schools, Capital News Service

By Whitney Ray
October 23, 2008

Florida teachers are asking the state for a temporary one cent sales tax increase to avoid further budget cuts. Lawmakers have cut three billion dollars from public education since 2006 to keep up with declining tax revenues. Florida Education Association Spokesman Mark Pudlow said schools can’t take much more.

“We’ve seen some changes. There’s fewer crossing guards, fewer school resource officers, there’s some classes that have been cut. In some places teachers have been laid off, and other staff have been laid off. It’s really going to accelerate the rest of this year. We face more budget cuts this year and a big budget cut next year. You’re going to see these kinds of thing accelerate tremendously,” said Pudlow.

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Florida education official speaks on tuition battle, Independent Florida Alligator

By Chelsea Keenan
October 23, 2008

The tug–of–war for tuition–setting power between the state Legislature and the Board of Governors has no end in sight, according to a former higher education official who spoke at UF on Wednesday.

Robin Gibson, UF alumnus and former chairman of the Florida Board of Regents, spoke about issues of tuition, capped enrollment and Bright Futures to about 35 people at Pugh Hall.

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"Extraordinary Times," Inside Higher Education

October 23, 2008

The University of Florida prides itself on disciplined endowment management, but officials there say it’s time to throw out the old playbook and take some greater risks.

Market downturns have taken a toll on Florida’s endowment, but university officials say they can’t afford to slow spending because state budget cuts have already been so crippling to the institution. By retaining current spending levels, the university is bucking a tried and true formula that is designed to preserve the principal of the university’s endowment, even during economic downturns.

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Study: State spending on higher education yeilds 220% return, Tampa Tribune.

By Adam Emerson
October 22, 2008

A noted economics group, partnering with education advocates based at the University of South Florida, says that by investing $1 billion more in higher education, Florida lawmakers will see a 220 percent return on investment.

The report from the Washington Economics Group states the money could result in 24,272 permanent jobs for Florida residents and yield $862 million in income.

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When nanotechology pays off, Independent Online (Cape Town, South Africa)

October 22, 2008

Tallahassee - It's called "buckypaper" and looks like ordinary carbon paper, but don't be fooled. It could revolutionise the way everything from airplanes to TVs are made.Buckypaper is 10 times lighter but potentially 500 times stronger than steel when sheets of it are pressed together to form a composite. Unlike conventional composite materials, though, it conducts electricity and disperses heat."All those things are what a lot of people in nanotechnology have been working toward," said Wade Adams, a scientist at Rice University.

That idea - that there is great future promise for buckypaper and other derivatives of the ultra-tiny cylinders known as carbon nanotubes - has been floated for years. But now researchers at Florida State University say they have made important progress that may soon turn hype into reality.

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Education degree program at USF-St. Petersburg passes review, Tampa Bay Business Journal

October 22, 2008

A Florida Department of Education review gave high marks and recommended approval for the master of arts program in elementary education/ESOL at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg.

State reviews are conducted of education programs that lead graduates to state licensure.

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Crist's economic plan is too little, Ocala.com

October 22, 2008


When Gov. Charlie Crist unveiled his economic stimulus initiative, Accelerate Florida, a couple months ago, it didn't attract much attention, let alone praise. And now that the governor is putting his plan into action, it still is receiving only a lukewarm response, largely because it is more show than substance.

The idea behind Accelerate Florida when it was unveiled in August was to take billions of dollars in public works projects — roads, bridges, school buildings and water projects — and fast-track them. The Crist administration projects that just the $1.4 billion roads and bridges portion he launched last Wednesday could create as many as 39,000 jobs. And with almost $30 billion in public works projects of all shapes and sizes already approved and funded by the Legislature, trying to get them going ahead of schedule makes sense, given the economic crisis the state is facing.

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Attorney for FGCU warned it would likely lose discrimination suit, News-Press (Ft. Myers)

By Dave Breitenstein
October 21, 2008

FGCU settled two federal lawsuits after its attorney warned that key witnesses weren’t credible and a jury would see through holes in the defense, according to transcripts released by Florida Gulf Coast University.

That attorney, Aaron Behar of Miami, was upfront in recommending FGCU settle gender equity lawsuits with two former coaches and a former general counsel.

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Florida lawmakers looking at more budget cuts, Bay News 9

October 21, 2008

TALLAHASSEE (Bay News 9) -- The sour economy isn't just taking a toll on the national economy.

Florida's state government has already been grappling with budget cuts and now there are rumblings about deeper reductions.

Governor Charlie Crist is ordering state agencies to plan for a 10 percent budget cut. While that reduction is not yet a sure thing, some further cuts are likely given the expected $3.5 billion deficit next year.

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Is Gainesville in a recession? Gainesville Sun

By Anthony Clark
October 19, 2008


Economic development leaders from Gainesville and Ocala joined forces earlier this month to give business relocation consultants from around the country a tour of the region, hoping their combined strengths will lure their major business clients to the area.

While the two communities may be on the same team in vying for jobs, the urgency to do so is a different matter.

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From state government down, we're about to feel the pain, Tallahassee Democrat

Bill Cotterell
October 20, 2008

Florida taxpayers are about to get a swift introduction to what state government does for them, and they're not going to enjoy it.

The Legislature probably won't really cut the budget by 10 percent in its 2009 session. Gov. Charlie Crist and state legislative leaders, having already held back 4 percent of this year's operating funds for each state agency, told all departments to submit budget requests contemplating a 10-percent reduction in their spending.

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Take a good look at the economy, governor, St. Petersburg Times

By Steve Bousquet
October 18, 2008

While Gov. Charlie Crist campaigned in Miami with John McCain on Friday, more bad economic news tumbled out of his administration.

Florida's unemployment rate remained at 6.6 percent in September for the second month in a row. That's half a percentage point above the national average and 2.4 points higher than a year ago.

That's not all: The budget Crist signed in May is dripping red ink, at least $900-million worth, and will have to be cut again or propped up with cash reserves.

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