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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