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Layoffs 'Very, Very Likely' At USF

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By ADAM EMERSON, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 18, 2008

TAMPA - The University of South Florida plans to cut more than $52 million from its budget during the next two years, a grim prospect that likely will force layoffs and could further reduce the number of students accepted.

Half of that comes this year and includes $12.2 million USF has cut as a result of a $1 billion state budget shortfall. Every public service from education to law enforcement has felt the pinch.

That's just the start, however. State economists predict a $2 billion shortfall next fiscal year, a symptom of Florida's housing woes that are depleting tax collections. Anticipating those bad times, USF leaders will spend the next two weeks considering how to cut $26 million more out of next fiscal year's budget.

All public universities are feeling the pain. USF, for one, froze all hiring Thursday and halted the search under way for new faculty members. Today, Florida State University trustees will consider a plan to eliminate as many as 118 faculty and 100 other positions.

Layoffs are "very, very likely" at USF, Provost Ralph Wilcox said. The university also may consider reducing enrollment further, making it harder for prospective students to gain entry.

The state's university oversight board has ordered its schools to freeze future freshmen enrollments, but Wilcox told trustees Thursday that may not be enough to ensure quality instruction for students now enrolled.

"We will not compromise our academic standing," Wilcox said.

Even the governor's recommendations to infuse the university system with $5.4 billion did little to comfort USF leaders. Much of the proposed money is a one-time payment. USF and other universities must cut their budgets from a pot that recurs regularly.

Universities pay for new enrollment out of that recurring pot. Gov. Charlie Crist has recommended funding new student enrollment at universities with an extra $52 million.

But it's up to the Legislature to find the money, Wilcox said. And money is tight.
Housing Slump Cut Into Funds

Florida's housing slump was trouble for public universities this summer. State tax revenue was down, and economists predicted then that it would fall further. The state university system braced for a 10 percent reduction, which meant a loss of $232 million.

The Legislature, though, softened the blow to colleges and universities in October, and Crist signed off on a 5 percent tuition increase, a move that promised $9.5 million for the state's 11 public universities.

It wasn't enough to stop budget cuts, however. USF alone has cut $12.2 million this fiscal year.

State revenue collections have since dropped further. November and December tax collections were $100 million less than anticipated, economists say. That leaves USF with the prospect of cutting $13.7 million more this fiscal year, bringing the total cuts to about $26 million.

An additional cut of $26 million from next fiscal year's budget brings the planned reduction to $52 million, or 15 percent of the $350 million USF gets from the state.

"There is great pain out there," university system Chancellor Mark Rosenberg wrote to university presidents last week.

State House members will consider budget cuts as early as next month. Facing a further reduction in funding during the middle of the school year, USF leaders are bracing for the worst.

Admissions Will Be Tougher

Although USF hasn't proposed reducing summer class offerings yet, Wilcox said that everything is on the table. Prospective students with a B average in high school also may have a harder time seeking entry for next fall semester.

For years, USF has raised its admission standards to help manage its enrollment, which had grown by thousands during the past decade. Now, with class sizes at capacity, and no relief in sight, Wilcox said that although "the door to access is not going to be slammed shut, it is going to be barely ajar."

Nearly 3,800 freshmen enrolled at USF in the fall, and their average high school GPA was 3.71. Nearly 1 in 4 was ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school classes.

Even with those tighter standards, class sizes ballooned because of faculty vacancies the university froze at the start of the fall semester. With more layoffs and program cuts looming, class sizes will continue to grow, said Sherman Dorn, president of USF's faculty union.

"It is bleak," Dorn said. "Long-term permanent cuts will harm students, staff and faculty, and the community."

A committee of USF faculty members has been meeting to propose cuts that limit effects on instruction.

Also, Dorn and other faculty union leaders are fighting to preserve summer courses at USF by urging the administration to find alternative sources of funding. Universities throughout Florida are considering cuts to summer classes.

University of Florida President Bernie Machen had considered cutting summer courses, but he told faculty leaders Thursday that summer school would be preserved.

UF leaders, however, still are considering enrollment cuts to their freshman class. "We've got to look at everything," said Steve Orlando, the university's spokesman.

In addition to a hiring freeze, USF also will eliminate "nonessential" spending. USF President Judy Genshaft also told university employees Thursday that her vice presidents will examine "spending, business practices and programs" at the university's campuses in St. Petersburg, Lakeland and Sarasota.

Reporter Adam Emerson can be reached at (813) 259-8285 or aemerson@tampatrib.com.

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