|
|
|
|
||
| Office of the President > State of the University 2000 | |
|
|
|
|
 |
|||
|
A Future We Would
Welcome - How We Measure Up |
|||
| VIII. | Obtain adequate public funding | Recommendation VIII | |
 Florida
is something of a tax haven, and we have always struggled to support public
services, but even between institutions there have been disparities.
On the state level, FSU has traditionally not done well in comparison with
other universities. |
|
||
| I’m
pleased to report, however, that the pattern
has changed in the past two years, and FSU has been very successful
in obtaining public funding. |
|||
| A
review of research awards from government
entities also shows great advances. FSU received over $116.9 million in
total awards this past year. In comparison, in 1998, when the Commission
report was released, our research awards totaled $88.8 million. We’ve increased
our awards from the State of Florida substantially. In 1998, our awards
totaled $13 million. Awards from the state this year total over $22 million—a
nearly 60 percent increase in just two years. |
|||
| As
we talk about state funding, I am sure you have all read about the proposals
to reduce state agency funding, and I should comment on this. The Board
of Regents has proposed a response to the Governor’s request, and I had
the opportunity to comment on that plan before it was submitted. On reflection,
I am concerned about this submission, principally because it calls for reductions
in access to higher education. |
|||
| Given
the surge of new students who will be
graduating from Florida high schools, the Board of Regents’ response to
Governor’s request is not likely to be accepted. We must educate our people. |
|||
| I
want to emphasize that my reading of the Governor’s request is that he is
not asking that we look narrowly at the cutting of budgets but, more important,
that we look at better ways to do our work. This certainly should not frighten
FSU, which retired the ranking of the most efficient university in the nation,
a ranking given to us by US News & World Report for two years before
being abandoned. |
|||
| FSU
has had a culture of efficiency, as evidenced by the many steps taken by
John Carnaghi and his team. The development of the FSU card, the negotiation
of better electric rates, the privatization of such services as the bookstore
and food service, the development of our campus waste disposal services
and many other projects have saved this university money and earned regular
recognition. |
|||
| The
Provost and I plan to present some other ideas for public debate, including
the concept of a “Degree in Three,” whereby students with college credits
earned during their high school days are encouraged to earn their degree
in three years. A related program, “Two in Four,” will encourage our very
bright students to come to FSU to earn a bachelor’s degree and a master’s
degree in four years. |
|||
| I
have asked the Provost and his team to aggressively pursue these programs,
including consideration of a plan to admit high school juniors into a program
that commits them to arriving at FSU with advance credits and a determination
to participate in our accelerated degree program. Again, we will call on
faculty to help implement these programs. |
|||
| If
we continue to provide new approaches to higher education, I believe we
will continue to prosper. |
|||
| These
are the major recommendations that the Commissions presented to us two years
ago. I think you’ll agree that we’ve made excellent progress, and that the
path is clear to more progress. |
|||
| Conclusion | back to VII | ||
|
 |
|
|
||
|
||
|
 |
|
|
||
