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Universities At A Crossroads In Deciding Quality Vs. Quantity

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 3, 2008

Florida has a reputation for providing higher education on the cheap.

We charge the nation's lowest tuition and give almost half our students a free ride. As a result, we also have the worst faculty-to-student ratio. And don't even mention the four-year graduation rate.

But last week, by boldly moving to cut enrollment and increase tuition, the Florida Board of Governors called the all-important question: Does Florida want quality or quantity to define its 11 universities?

The board decided to raise tuition 8 percent - or $186 a year - and cap enrollments at whatever level the Legislature funds. If the cut had applied this year, 6,000 students would have been turned away.

In effect, the board chose quality.

And we say, good for them.

At last, someone is focused on improving undergraduate education. While the crisis was brewing, university presidents were focused on economic development, not waiting lists for classes. At the University of South Florida in Tampa, for example, some classes are held in a movie theater because so many students need a seat.

Because of the crush, it increasingly takes six years to get a four-year college degree, a profound change for universities and taxpayers, families and students. Yet even on this six-year measure, Florida is stagnating - at about 63 percent.

State University System Chancellor Mark Rosenberg paints a distressing picture:

"Our funding per (full-time student) is so low that we are now seeing a departure of quality faculty. We are not able to recruit the faculty we need. We are able to enroll our students, not graduate them. We are seeing our first- and second-year retention rates - which are critical indicators of the propensity to graduate - decline.

"We are going to have to shrink (the system) in order to save it, to keep our commitment to the students we have admitted."

Yo-Yo Funding Hurts Forward Motion

Florida and its university system face a fork in the road.

We can continue down a path guided by the moment's most powerful politicians, some of whom, unfortunately, want simply to build something named for themselves at their alma mater or their hometown university.

Or we can build a shared sense of direction that encourages efficiency and personal responsibility, looks out for the disadvantaged and puts Florida's universities on a path toward better serving their communities and students, at all levels.

Such a course requires a reliable funding source that is purpose driven, not politically driven.

For evidence, look at last year's yo-yo financing.

First, Gov. Charlie Crist promised to veto any tuition increase, but after listening to students, university leaders and editorial boards, agreed to a 5 percent hike, with up to 15 percent at the University of Florida, Florida State and USF.

In return, university presidents promised to increase class offerings to help students graduate in four years.

But during the special legislative session, lawmakers, facing reduced revenues, cut $100 million from universities. So while students are paying higher tuition, they still find themselves in huge classes.

Universities are watering down the soup to feed more.

Board Finding Its Voice

While still relatively new, the Board of Governors is finding its footing, and that's a good thing for students and taxpayers.

The board has yet to prove itself capable of making tough choices, though. It has dodged the suggestion that Florida create a tiered structure of higher education, a strategy that would concentrate research resources at certain universities while enhancing the undergraduate experience at others.

The board's timidity is understandable, given that its predecessor, the Board of Regents, was abolished after standing in the way of a House speaker who wanted a medical school at Florida State. As you'd expect, FSU is naming a building for John Thrasher.

The Board of Governors was created by constitutional amendment five years ago, and today is party to a lawsuit that should settle whether politicians or the board can raise tuition, an important lever of power.

Changes Needed in Bright Futures

The board has earmarked 30 percent of the tuition increase for financial aid and 70 percent for more professors.

Florida needs 2,000 more professors to reach the U.S. average. It also must hire 700 professors every year - out of 10,000 systemwide - to keep up with turnover.

At the same time, the board seeks changes in the Bright Futures scholarship program, which gives free or nearly free tuition to high school graduates who earn at least a B average and score at least 970 on the SAT. A noted consultant says the scholarship - held by half the students on campus - stands to bankrupt Florida's university system. It also allows students to take less than a full load, hurting efficiency.

To ensure a quality higher-education system, lawmakers should consider reasonable changes to Bright Futures, including raising academic requirements.

Tough Choices Needed On Campus, Too

At the same time, universities could do more to show they're making tough choices. Some, including our own USF, still push for expensive expansion on a constellation of satellite campuses. Given that USF-Tampa is holding classes at the movie theater, you can forgive people for questioning the priorities.

We were surprised, frankly, to learn that USF only recently began requiring students to take classes on Fridays. And we never hear about efficiency-review committees finding better ways to do things.

Still, Florida universities can't cut their way to greatness.

It's time we all answered the question: What do we want? Quality or quantity?

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