Copyright© 2007 by School Services of California, Inc.

                                      Volume 20                   For Publication Date: August 17, 2007             No. 18

Cutting Costs of Higher Education in Florida 

How the Florida Governor’s call for an across-the-board reduction in spending is being addressed by the higher education institutions in the state is the subject of a recent article that appeared in the Tallahassee Democrat, “Two Ways Out:  Colleges Cut Back Differently.” 

Because of state budget woes in recent years, Florida’s universities have not been funded for enrollment growth, so classroom space is tight and the funding for additional faculty isn’t there. The Board of Governors of the university system recently moved to increase tuition and cap enrollments at the university level. Even though access is important at the university level in order to remain globally competitive, the quality of programs and research centers took precedence in these recent moves by the system. 

The community colleges are responding in a different way by making access a priority, when the Governor called for at least a 4% reduction in all state spending this year. Tallahassee Community College, for example, has responded by not filling vacant positions, cutting travel and purchasing budgets, and delaying nonessential projects in order to save $2.9 million. This was done with no impact on the number of courses offered or on the sizes of classes.  

Similar challenges are being faced by colleges and universities in other states, and most certainly in California’s higher education institutions. The common theme here is that, in responding to financial challenges, each institution must keep an eye first and foremost on its primary mission in order to best meet the needs of its students, the work force, and the economy.

—Sheila G. Vickers