Money cuts and political uncertainty = SUS brain drain

Lawmakers said all session they're dedicated to a "world-class" university system. House Speaker Marco Rubio on opening day: "Our universities play a critical role in making us globally competitive. We can not have a vibrant economy, without vibrant universities."

Yet Florida's top research institutions - one vehicle for boosting the state's economy - are losing some of their best faculty this summer to other states where higher ed financing and politics is less uncertain. Charles Figley, internationally renowned traumatologist at FSU, is leaving for Tulane.

"I just didn't sense the universities were very high on the priority list with the current government, the governor as well as the Legislature." He's not alone. Read more here.

Comments

Marco Rubio: "Blah blah blah now that I've blathered my sound bye, let's pursue the GOP agenda, which happens to not include money for education."

Exactly what we heard from Bush and what we're hearing from McCain. Lip service to American values and then policies which achieve exactly the opposite.

Lying scum.

There is less uncertainty in politics in Louisiana than Florida?

[Chris W]

It makes a cynical kind of sense - a less-educated populace will be more willing to vote for Republican economic policies and not put up a fight for those bogus creationism "academic freedom" bills. So I can see why Republican legislators would starve the State University System (more compliant and more easily-fooled voters) and pretend to do tax reform (please their rich white guy base).

Rubio and the Republican Legislature couldn't care less about the K-12 schools - their kids go to private schools. They couldn't care less about the universities - they'll send their kids out of state!!!!!

Remember in November!!!!

raise tuition.

we have the lowest public state university tuitions in the country.

Our problem is we underfund k-12 and overfund universities .

Joe Six-pack is paying around $15,000 per year for every bright futures student attending a state university while the student pays nothing. Look at the highest quality public colleges in the country and you will see in-state tuition at or above $10,000. When you give it away, and then dont fund quality to give away, you end up with an exodus of huge proportions. This is only the beginning and what is worse is the inability to attract quality younger faculty to replace those who leave or retire when the boomer retirements hit. Shameful. We need strong higher education leadership in Florida and politicians who run on the value of education to the state economy. We function in a big-box, cheap environment and then expect to get high end results. Doesn't happen in commerce and surely will not happen in higher education. And now we have that state college bill to produce bachelors degrees at community colleges; going from the nations cheapest degree production to even cheaper. Go figure!