Layoffs, enrollment cuts and less research for UF

TALLAHASSEE — Faced with a nearly $50-million loss in state dollars for the looming budget year, Florida's flagship public university will lay off 138 faculty and staff; cut undergraduate enrollment by 4,000 students; slash research spending; and eliminate some degree programs and academic departments.

For students, the changes will mean fewer multicultural programs, internships and study-abroad opportunities.

Maintenance and housekeeping hours in the dorms will shrink. Students will likely find longer waits for financial aid and career counseling.

And the enrollment reduction will make it harder than ever to get into what some people already call the "Harvard of Florida." University of Florida President Bernie Machen announced the dramatic cutbacks Monday, just a few days after lawmakers ended their annual session by passing an anemic $66.2-billion state budget.

See tomorrow's St. Petersburg Times or tampabay.com for the full story.

- Shannon Colavecchio-Van Sickler

Comments

Way to go FLGOP - make sure you deliver those irresponsible tax cuts in an election year.

[Buzzard]

Florida's flagship public university is faced with a $50 million loss in state dollars? Dang, they NEED to be cut.

Why is refocusig on priorities such a terrible thing for educators to grapple with? Taxpayers have to do it every day.

Why is refocusing on priorities such a terrible thing for educators to grapple with? Taxpayers have to do it every day.

Good thing they didn't hire that a_ssclown Haridopolous to the tune of 75k a year

Harvard of Florida? Really?

You would never guess they were hurting with all of that brick construction all over campus.

What happened to their threat of shutting down IFAS?

Remember kids; you've got to have a goal!

... and 50th in the Nation in Education is a goal!

[terminator]

Ironically, Machen didn't offer to cut his $600K salary or that of head football coach Urban Meyer, head basketball coach Billy Donovan, AD Jeremy Foley or any of the high ranking provosts and assistants to the President.
The changes will mean fewer "multicultural opportunities"? What a bunch of hogwash. Too bad we can't have an Al Qaeda house on campus anymore (a la Betty Castor and Sami Al Arian at USF).
Fewer "study abroad" programs? Tough titty, try studying closer to home. Don't think we need to be subsidizing some rich kid's semester at Oxford or galavanging around Spain.
Oh, I almost forgot. That powerful state senator Mikey Haridopolous (you know the one you bribed with the bogus lecturer's post) will get you the additional funding you need.
Guess butt kissing doesn't really pay off does it Mr. Machen? Bet you must be embarrassed walking around with all that brown stuff hanging off your nose!

Harvard of Florida? Wow. That's generous - and hardly the truth.

How about making college what it used to be instead of a guarantee for every student out there? Maybe if our standards were a little higher and the tuition reflected that, college might begin to be worth something again in this state. As it is, I can assure you, we have no 'Harvard of Florida'.

I thought "multicultural opportunities" was a brotha's code phrase for "Hey, white chics are in the club!"

Grow up 4:23. This isn't your after school posting club. And with the restrictions that are being placed on the colleges, it might actually require you to work a little harder to get into one now...

Edjemication!… we don’t need no stinkin Edjemication. We’ins gots dem millegal migrans to cuts our grass, and dem neegras to washum dem dishes… shoot fire; wit da wimmins a’cookin and a’humpin… all we’ins needs is a berrrr!

You just gots to luv Florimiduuuuh!

$600K isnt a big ticket for a great president of a great university, dumminator!

dont we pay a drunk $250 to lie to us daily on a national basis, start a war, waste $3 BILLION A MONTH and watch over 4,000 troops killed, among other things?

as far as salaries for coaches...THEY ARE PAID BY THE ATHLETIC ASSOIATION, YOU IDIOT, NOT THE TAX PAYERS!

please take some "not-as-stupid-as-a-box-of-rocks" pills before you post agian, jerk!!

we do thank you, however, for the outstanding example of "what-happens-when-morons-are-deluded-into-thinking-they-are-smarter-than-a-pile-of ka-ka!"
to show our kids so they will actually study and think and learn and not end up like you!!

awwwww what a shame--- will not be able to travel to Europe on my tax dollar to learn!

how does it feel having your money taken away and given to someone else? That's how I felt all these years having to pay for a University system that spends, spends, spends!

What is going on at these institutions of higher learning? Talk of sending kids to Europe to study. What are these young people doing, being prepared to become bureaucrats? Just what we need. If great nations were built on the backs of bureaucrats and illegal aliens social security, medicare and the national debt would not look like it does now. I say cut funding 10% and make them cut some more fat.

Oh don't worry about the university - Florida's #1 growth industry is "incarceration" otherwise known as PRIVATE PRISONS!!!

And besides which, Florida kids can't go to university - they attend the Florida public drop-out factory called K-12.

Goodness knows that our hard working PART-TIME LEGISLATORS had difficult priorities to consider - $450 million for a stadium, $110 for an airport for St. Joe Paper Company and $12 million for the private road from the St. Joe Paper Company to their new airport!!! Not to mention Jeb's failed this time attempt to get $700 million for CSX.

Nope, we need to be greatful - greatful that our PART-TIME public servants (otherwise known as pigs at a trough) were willing to give up 5% of their salaries (of which they earn more in their 60 days than the average state employee earns in an entire year) and they arranged for a poor family of four to pay $600 a month for a bare bones insurance policy (while they receive FREE HEALTH AND DENTAL INSURANCE - FAMILY PLAN). Our noble legislators suffered terribly while in Tallahassee (with their federal per diem rate 2X the state rate and their additional $4,000+ housing allowance and their 4-day work-week where they fly home on Friday early afternoon and return Monday afternoon).

Yep, Charlie is right - all is bright and sunny and we all should put on a happy face!

Remember in November.

They used to call themselves the "Harvard of the South", until North Carolina and Virginia put them in their place.

[BGS]

I'd rather be governed by the first 500 people who post at the Buzz, than the faculty of the UF Faculty Senate, to paraphrase the late great Buckley.

What took decades to build has taken one or two legislative sessions to wreck.

Pitiful.

I'll remember come November.

[Old Man]

The "flagship" of Florida? What the heck?

FSU is every bit the flagship as UF.

Get a grip.

[terminator]

5:03 (Mr. Machen)or is that you Mikey H?
my my what a hissy fit the university educrats throw when they're called on the carpet by the terminator.
$600K is excessive, how bout a 10% cut just to show good faith?
How bout giving up your free university housing?
Nah, didn't think so. Typical fatcat who wants to live large while taking it out on the professors and students.
Hey, dipstick, part of the coaches salaries are paid for by taxpayers otherwise they wouldn't be able to qualify for any state retirement benefits.
And if I had my way, more of that money from the athletic department would be siphoned off for academic programs rather than white elephants for the gladiators.
"Harvard of the South"? Sorry to burst your delusions of grandeur there bub.
Ivy league you'll never be. You can't even compete against UGA and other SE schools like NC, Duke and Wake Forest.
Now shut your trap before I get pi**ed off and come up there and b**ch slap you in front of your old lady!

old man- do you know what LOL means?

Sell the state universities. Private universities are inherently better. Put them back on the tax rolls. The tenure system can never be addressed so long as a bunch of goofy politicians and left wing professors control the universities. Let them compete.

Oh yes, sell those universities so only the rich can get a higher education - at least then Americans can provide some serious competition for the illegal fruit pickers!!!!!

[Repiglican]

Humm, maybe we can bring back "indentured servitude" too! Oh for the good ole' days when the lower classes new their place!

"knew their place"

And "greatful" would be GRATEFUL. Clearly a Florida educated student up there at 6:34 pm.....

dumminator...you DIDNT take your "dont-be-dumb-as-a-box-of-rocks" pills, did you?

[terminator]

9:44
you bureaucrats have a big bullseye on your back.
we've started our re-arranging this year and it will continue next year and the next until we get rid of all the dead weight (you and your fellow educrats).
your days bilking Florida taxpayers are numbered.
hasta la vista BABY!

What amazes me is that in many cases - Miami Dade CC for example - has negotiated the ability to include extraneous payments (not from general funds) into calculations for retirement benefits from the FRS. While appropriate payments are being paid into the fund, it just seems improper. If legislators wanted to, or DMS had the truck nut_z, they would address this in law or rule.

Clearly a poor typist! I'm sure you have never had a typo on the board. It must be nice to be perfect!

9:38

You cant be serious.