A collection of news stories from around the state, focusing on the budget cuts and other news of interest to UF faculty, students, staff, and alums.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Interest in FAU rises along with reputation, Palm Beach Post

By Kimberly Miller
August 21, 2008


BOCA RATON — Florida Atlantic University is attracting more students than ever from other counties - a testament, officials said, to the school's rising profile among the state's 11 public universities.

Nearly 3,300 students from outside FAU's traditional recruitment zone of Broward and Palm Beach counties applied for fall admission to the school. That's a 43 percent increase over last year's applications from the same areas.

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FGCU president: Rapid growth at university is a positive, Naples Daily News

By Brad Kane
August 21, 2008

ESTERO — After growing from nothing to a bustling Southwest Florida university in 10 years, Florida Gulf Coast University enters its second decade of existence on Monday with more than 10,000 students for the first time ever.

FGCU President Wilson Bradshaw welcomed back staff and faculty with his State of the University address on Thursday as the university’s newest students moved into their new homes.

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UF's bid to rise in rankings stalls, Gainesville Sun

By Nathan Crabbe
August 21, 2008

The University of Florida’s quest to rise in the national rankings has stalled.
UF placed 49th among national universities and 17th among public universities in the U.S. News and World Report rankings released today. The university had identical rankings in last year’s edition of the coveted but controversial rankings.

UF President Bernie Machen said the rankings, based in part on the university’s

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Arriving Students Find Fewer Teachers, Capital News Service

August 20, 2008

College kids across the state are moving into their dorms this week but with the state’s 11 public universities losing 174 million dollars to budget cuts they can expect less. As Whitney Ray tells us, students moving into their new dorm rooms can expect fewer creature comforts and fewer study partners.

Hear it Here: Universities Drop Enrollment to Balance Budgets

Omar Butcher is moving back into the dorms at Florida State University for his senior year. Omar worries about budget cuts diminishing his quality of education.

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Machen and Meyer talk of rising above tough times, Gainesville Sun

By Nathan Crabbe
August 21, 2008


University of Florida President Bernie Machen on Wednesday renewed his call for the state to use rainy-day funds to forestall budget cuts.

Machen, speaking at the 38th annual UF Joint Civic Club luncheon, said the university has endured $100 million in cuts and more are likely this fiscal year.

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Budget cuts slash FSU's freshman class, Tampa Bay Channel 10

August 21, 2008

Tallahassee, Florida - Florida State University's incoming freshman class is unlike any in the school's history. Its members are smarter than any other freshman class and it's the smallest in at least a decade. But Malia Dreyer won't be a part of FSU's wave of incoming students, though she had a 3.6 grade point average at her college preparatory high school in Winter Park. She's among more than a thousand who didn't' get in because of budget cuts.

Officials at FSU had to further restrict admission because of state budget cuts. This year's incoming class is 5,053. That's down from about 6,326 who entered last fall. In the last two years, FSU officials have had to deal with about $41 million in cuts and more are looming.

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Florida State must stop stonewalling, Orlando Sentinel

By Mike Bianchi
August 20, 2008

Not much sunshine in Orlando this week because of Tropical Storm Fay.Not much Sunshine in Tallahassee either due to another tropical storm on the horizon -- a top-secret list of alleged NCAA violations.

The Sunshine we're talking about is the State of Florida's Sunshine Law, which Florida State is once again trying to finagle around amid an academic fraud scandal that has turned into a national embarrassment for the Seminoles and their athletic department.

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