Board of Governors to request $56.8 million for university pay raises, Independent Florida Alligator

By Katie Sanders
July 31, 2008

Enticing Florida universities’ faculty and staff with pay raises seems to be the method of choice for administrators anxious to solve the state’s intellectual “brain drain.”The Board of Governors, the State University System’s highest governing body, is set to ask for $56.8 million of the 2009–2010 state budget to be allocated for pay raises for faculty and staff of Florida’s 11 public universities.

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Colleges pay high price to win top football recruits, Florida Today (Melbourne)

By David Jones
July 29, 2008

GAINESVILLE — With dozens of top college football recruits sprinkled around the Southeastern Conference getting ready to arrive on campus, some marvel how the league continues to land the best of the best in athletics.

One of those reasons boils down to simple numbers — financial numbers. The Chronicle of Higher Education did a two-month study which reveals that 48 percent of NCAA Division I athletic departments at least doubled athletic recruiting budgets in the past 10 years. The Chronicle’s analysis, provided to FLORIDA TODAY, is based upon data reported to the U.S. Department of Education.

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Editorial: Florida schools should shun political hires, CBS News

Reprinted from the Independent Florida Alligator
July 29, 2008

As a result of the worst budget crisis in state history, Floridas colleges and universities have been forced to leave vacant positions unfilled, eliminate or incapacitate various degree programs and hand out pink slips to faculty members in order to cope with the state Legislatures refusal to fully fund higher education.

In the wake of crippling budget cuts and skyrocketing tuition and fee increases, were disappointed to see the administrators at Floridas institutions of higher education handing out lucrative and unmerited positions to current and former elected officials.

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UF named # 1 party school, Palm Beach Post

By Kimberly Miller
July 28, 2009


Two of Florida's public universities took No. 1 spots on the coveted Princeton Review list of the 386 top colleges in the nation, toiling for the past year to earn the titles of best "Party School" and most likely to be a "Dodgeball Target."

School officials aren't sure which reputation they'd rather carry- keg-stand king or nerd.

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Polk residents deserve access to affordable, quality higher education, The News Chief (Winter Haven)

By Dr. Eileen Holden
July 28, 2008

Polk Community College's core mission has always been to provide open access and affordable tuition to students wishing to complete the first two years of a bachelor's degree or to students seeking one- and two-year certificate and degree programs for immediate entry into a high-paying career. This mission will always remain at the heart of what we do.

As we know from this recent legislative session, higher education in Florida is changing. As our universities struggle with budget cuts, insufficient tuition revenue to support critical initiatives and increased pressures associated with Bright Futures and the Florida Pre-Paid program, lawmakers are looking to community colleges to offer cost-effective alternatives.

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Rep. Snyder anticipates special session for Florida law makers to make further budget cuts, Treasure Coast Palm

By Jim Turner
July 28, 2008

Further cuts to Florida’s $66.2 billion, 2008-2009 fiscal year budget may be coming, said state Rep. William Snyder, R-Stuart.

Speaking to members of the Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers Editorial Board last week, Snyder said he expects legislators will be asked back in the next three months to further reduce the state’s budget.

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Top 10 Biggest Party Schools, MSN

From The Princeton Review
July 28, 2008

Some colleges are famed for their academics, some for their location and some, well, are legends for their party scene. The Princeton Review's survey of 120,000 college students for "The Best 368 Colleges: 2009 Edition" revealed the top 10 party schools in the nation. Read excerpts from the students' responses to the survey below.

1. University of Florida (Gainesville, Fla.) "You can tell that students at UF like to have fun," undergrads here agree, and fortunately for them the opportunities abound.

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