The Board of Governors on Thursday recognized Senate President Joe Negron, House Speaker Richard Corcoran, and House Majority Leader Ray Rodrigues as 2018 State University System Legislative Champions. [Read more…] about Board of Governors presents awards to State University System Legislative Champions
Florida board of governors
Performance funding gets more competitive as universities crowd near the top
Demonstrating the highest level of achievement since performance funding was implemented, the Board of Governors on Wednesday released its latest data. [Read more…] about Performance funding gets more competitive as universities crowd near the top
Items to watch for the upcoming Board of Governors’ meeting
Performance Funding: The Board of Governors will release the latest performance funding numbers for the State University System of Florida, including university progress on a variety of metrics, from four-year graduation rates to student success after graduation. The Governor and Legislature directed $560 million toward performance funding for the 2018-19 school year, to be disbursed based on university excellence or improvement. [Read more…] about Items to watch for the upcoming Board of Governors’ meeting
Florida dominates national affordability rankings, including for online education
Recognizing Florida’s commitment to higher education affordability, recent rankings by AffordableColleges.com place several Florida universities among the top in the country for both traditional and online degrees.
Seven State University System institutions were ranked in the “50 Most Affordable In-State Public Universities,” with the University of Florida, New College of Florida and the University of South Florida earning the top three slots. Further, the University of Florida earned the No. 1 ranking in the “50 Most Affordable Online Colleges” category, with the University of Central Florida, Florida International University, University of South Florida, and University of West Florida all garnering spots in the top 20.
[Read more…] about Florida dominates national affordability rankings, including for online education
Florida Board of Governors Confirms UNF’s Sixth President David Szymanski
The Florida Board of Governors confirmed the selection of Dr. David Szymanski as UNF’s sixth president today during its regular BOG meeting on campus. He will begin Thursday, May 31.
Szymanski is currently the dean of the Carl H. Lindner College of Business and professor of marketing at the University of Cincinnati, which has a campus of more than 44,000 students. Under his leadership as Lindner dean, enrollment in the business college has grown some 50 percent for undergraduate and nearly 200 percent for graduate students, with first-year retention rates as high as 93 percent and six-year graduation rates increasing 1,000 basis points to 71 percent.
During his eight years at UC, Szymanski has also led curriculum changes for undergraduate and graduate students, revising the MBA to be more flexible for the professional and time-constrained student. New masters and doctoral degrees in demand by students and businesses have been added in addition to new graduate certificate programs. Additionally, the College launched new online courses and degree programs.
Lindner’s MBA program has gone from being unranked to now being a Top 35 full-time and Top 25 part-time public program by Bloomberg Businessweek. In addition, the College now has Top 25 master’s programs in accounting, analytics, applied economics, finance, marketing and tax as well as Top 10 undergraduate programs in accounting, marketing and microeconomics.
With Szymanski’s guidance, Lindner is now the most profitable college at UC, generating 81 percent of the net operating profit on the academic side of the enterprise. He has helped raise more than $70M, and in fiscal year 2017, the College raised more than $20M, making it the first academic unit in the university’s history to break the $20M threshold.
Prior to joining UC, he was the director of the Center for Retailing Studies at Texas A&M University. Szymanski has served on a number of corporate and professional boards, including several NCAA boards/committees and currently sits on the board of directors of Office Depot. He earned his doctorate and MBA, both with a marketing emphasis, from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and his bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of North Carolina at Asheville.
Szymanski will succeed John A. Delaney, who has served as UNF president for the last 15 years. He retires as University president Thursday, May 31. In addition to Delaney, UNF has had four other permanent presidents, including founding president Dr. Thomas Carpenter (1969-1980), Dr. Curtis McCray (1982-1988), Dr. Adam Herbert (1989-1998) and Dr. Anne Hopkins (1999-2000).
Board of Governors appoints Dr. Jonathan Ellen as chair of USF consolidation task force
The Board of Governors on Monday appointed Dr. Jonathan Ellen, president and vice dean of Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, to lead the “University of South Florida Consolidation Planning, Study and Implementation Task Force,” which will develop recommendations to phase out the separate accreditations of the University of South Florida St. Petersburg and the University of South Florida Sarasota/Manatee.
“Dr. Ellen has an excellent track record of leadership at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital and is well regarded by those who have worked with him,” said Ned Lautenbach, chair of the Board of Governors. “He will play a critical role in ensuring that USF’s transition happens smoothly and efficiently and that it further improves service to students.”
Dr. Ellen is a visionary leader at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, transforming the facility from a regional referral center to a pediatric academic health system and national leader in research, teaching and patient care. Among other initiatives, he oversaw the launch of an innovative new pediatric residency program, continues to recruit world-class physicians and scientists, will soon open a $95 million research and education building dedicated to pediatrics in the heart of St. Petersburg’s innovation district, and worked with the leaders at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine to strengthen the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital-USF affiliation. His full biography is available here.
“Consolidated accreditation will increase educational opportunities for students across all the USF campuses by reducing barriers to collaboration among graduate and undergraduate programs, enriching the faculty, and improving strategies for recruitment and retention of students from all backgrounds,” Dr. Ellen said. “The result of the enhanced integration should elevate the innovative and scholarly impact of USF on the Tampa Bay region and country.”
The task force will submit recommendations to the University of South Florida Board of Trustees by February 15, 2019. Its responsibilities include identification of specific degrees in programs of strategic significance, including healthcare, science, technology, engineering and mathematics and other program priorities to be offered at the University of South Florida – St. Petersburg and the University of South Florida Sarasota/Manatee and the timeline for development and delivery of programs on each campus. Other task force goals include engaging faculty, developing the research capacity at each campus, and ensuring a seamless transition for students.
“Having Dr. Ellen, a well-regarded business and community leader in the Tampa Bay region, chair the consolidation task force is an important step in this process,” said USF Board of Trustees Chair Brian Lamb. “His commitment to ensuring a successful outcome for USF, our students, and faculty as set forth by the Florida Legislature is valuable to the entire region.”
Florida Board of Governors Gives FAMU Option to Forego National Presidential Search
The Florida State University System Board of Governors (BOG) voted to confirm the reappointment of Larry Robinson, Ph.D. as the interim president of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) and also opened the door for the University’s Board of Trustees to appoint him as permanent president.
During its regular meeting, the State University System’s governing body unanimously approved a waiver of its presidential search process in response to a request from FAMU’s BOT Chairman Kelvin Lawson and the board of trustees. The waiver was requested in August after FAMU trustees voted 11-0 in favor of the move.
Lawson said, “I look forward to a healthy discussion with FAMU’s trustees when we meet November 29-30 in Tallahassee. We will take the next step at our meeting and make a firm decision to either appoint Dr. Robinson as permanent president or conduct a national search.”
Lawson added, “We are appreciative of the support of the Board of Governors. Their vote speaks to the quality leadership team that we’ve assembled.”
Robinson has served as FAMU’s interim president since September 15, 2016 and also served in the capacity from July 2012 to April 2014 and in 2007.
FAMU’s National Alumni Association President Lt. Col. Gregory L. Clark and FAMU Foundation Vice Chair Hosetta Coleman appeared before the BOG to elaborate on their respective boards’ decisions to support Robinson for permanent president.
Coleman said, “Dr. Robinson has demonstrated through his leadership the ability to put action behind his vision to strengthen FAMU’s intellectual capacity by focusing on student success, enriching academic programs and enhancing efficiency and effectiveness, which is in line with the Board of Governors’ Performance Metrics.”
Clark said “The energy at Florida A&M University is high. We have a highly functioning Board of Trustees, an engaged Foundation Board and a committed National Alumni Association, which are all energized by Dr. Robinson’s leadership style.”
Governor Alan Levine was among board members who commended Robinson’s leadership and track record.
Levine said, “I think he’s brought a lot of vision to the campus.”
Tallahassee attorney and governor Tim Cerio is a new appointee to the board.
“I think he’s (Robinson) done amazing things in a short amount of time. I have a lot of confidence in Dr. Robinson and what he’s going to do in the future.”
The BOG also reappointed FAMU Trustee and Board Vice Chair Kimberly Moore to FAMU’s BOT. She has served on the board since 2013.
Board of Governors appoints university trustees
The Board of Governors today made the following appointments to boards of trustees across the State University System. Appointees were selected from a competitive field of applicants and are subject to attending a Board of Governors’ orientation, the Trustee Summit, and confirmation by the Florida Senate. All appointments are for five-year terms beginning Jan 6, 2018. The appointment term for Florida Polytechnic University begins November 9, 2017.
- Ms. Kimberly Moore was reappointed to the Florida A&M University Board of Trustees. She is the vice president for workforce innovation at Tallahassee Community College.
- Mr. Brent Burns was appointed to the Florida Atlantic University Board of Trustees. He is the president and chief operating officer of JM Family Enterprises, Inc.
- Mr. Richard Eide was appointed to the Florida Gulf Coast University Board of Trustees. He is the owner of Princess Palm Sales, LLC.
- Mr. Roger Tovar was appointed to the Florida International University Board of Trustees. He is the owner and CEO of Palmetto57 Auto Group, AMS Group, Chicagoland Restaurants, and Albany Auto Group.
- Dr. Louis Saco was appointed to the Florida Polytechnic University Board of Trustees. He is the CEO of Watson Clinic, LLP, chair of Watson Clinic Foundation Board of Directors, and medical director and member of Lakeland CEO and diagnostic center.
- Mr. Jim Henderson was appointed to the Florida State University Board of Trustees. He is past president and chief operating officer of Brown & Brown Insurance.
- Mr. George Skestos was reappointed to the New College of Florida Board of Trustees. He is founder of Homewood Corporation, Trinity Home Builders, and Franklin Bank.
- Ms. Beverly Seay was reappointed to the University of Central Florida Board of Trustees. She is executive director of the Nebraska Applied Research Institute.
- Dr. Anne Egan was appointed to the University of North Florida Board of Trustees. She is a pediatrician and partner at the Carithers Pediatric Group and section chief of pediatrics at St. Vincent’s Hospital.
- Ms. Suzanne Lewis was reappointed to the University of West Florida Board of Trustees. She is a management and leadership consultant and former superintendent of Yellowstone National Park.
Highlights: Board of Governors Meeting, November 8-9
Joined by U.S. Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta and three
new Board members, the Board of Governors this week took up
several important initiatives to advance the State University System.
The Board of Governors held its annual Trustee Summit this week and moved forward on several important proposals to push the State University System to the next level.
The Summit, an annual gathering of trustees from all 12 universities, included keynote speaker U.S. Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta, who spoke about student apprenticeships. Trustees and Board of Governors’ members also took part in discussions about improving student outcomes, enhancing engagement with the business community, and effective trusteeship.
The Board also selected Vice Chair Ned Lautenbach as its new chair and Governor Sydney Kitson as its vice chair for the term beginning January 1, 2018 and ending December 31, 2019. They will succeed Chair Thomas Kuntz, whose two-year tenure has resulted in great strides for the System, including in his key focus areas of aligning degrees with the state workforce, enhancing 2+2 articulation, and raising the State University System’s research profile. U.S. News & World Report also named Florida the 2017 Best State for Higher Education.
“The past two years have been extremely rewarding as we have seen many of our goals for the System come to fruition,” Chair Kuntz said. “Serving as chair has been a great honor, and I’m confident the Board’s new chair and vice chair will continue the System’s trajectory toward excellence.”
Additional meeting highlights include:
- The Board was joined by three new members. Governors Tim Cerio, Jay Patel, and Zach Zachariah were appointed recently by Governor Rick Scott.
- Board members appointed 10 new universities trustees, including Ms. Kimberly Moore, FAMU, Mr. Brent Burns, FAU, Mr. Richard Eide, FGCU, Mr. Roger Tovar, FIU, Dr. Louis Saco, Florida Poly, Mr. Jim Henderson, FSU, Mr. George Skestos, New College, Ms. Beverly Seay, UCF, Dr. Anne Egan, UNF, and Ms. Suzanne Lewis, UWF. Appointments are subject to attending Board of Governors’ orientation, the Trustee Summit, and confirmation by the Florida Senate.
- The Board approved a motion of support for FSU’s actions following last week’s student death, with the Board and universities reaffirming their commitment to work together and ensure that a campus culture of student safety and health is a top priority.
- Universities and colleges are successfully closing workforce gaps in high-demand areas through the Targeted Educational Grant Program, known as the TEAm Grant initiative. The four teams, made up of universities and colleges, have met their enrollment and graduation goals, demonstrating their commitment to being good stewards of taxpayer dollars and meeting the needs of the workforce. The program is funded through $15 million in competitive grants allocated by the Governor and Legislature to address the state’s job needs.
- The Board made updates to its performance funding model. The changes will take into account the cost for books when measuring average cost-to-the-student and changing the Board of Governors’ choice metric for UF, FSU and New College to the percentage of degrees awarded without excess credit hours.
- Universities shared their plans for increasing police officers and mental health services on campus as part of a systemwide effort to ensure student safety and make sure students have access to the resources they need.
- New College of Florida reported its progress on implementing its growth plan, which includes an enrollment increase to 1,200 students. The university received $5.4 million for the first installment of its plan during the 2016 legislative session.
- The Board heard a progress report on the implementation of the 2025 Strategic Plan for Online Education, which was initially approved in November of 2015.
- The Board approved its annual PECO list, with special priority on critical deferred maintenance.
- The Board confirmed the reappointment of Larry Robinson as Interim President of FAMU. Additionally, the Board granted FAMU’s request for a waiver from the Board of Governors’ guideline requiring a national presidential search.
For more information, consult the meeting’s official minutes at http://www.flbog.edu/. The Board’s next meeting is scheduled for January 24-25 at Florida State University in Tallahassee.
Florida universities move up in U.S. News & World Report rankings
University of Florida and Florida State University each vaulted five slots in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings, with UF earning the No. 9 spot and FSU landing at No. 33. The jumps in the rankings mark significant achievements for both institutions, with UF meeting its long-standing goal of breaking into the prestigious list of Top 10 public universities and FSU making remarkable progress toward its goal of landing in the Top 25. University of South Florida, University of Central Florida and Florida International University also moved up in the rankings, landing at No. 68, No. 90, and No. 122, respectively.
The rankings appear in the “Best Colleges 2018” guidebook by U.S. News & World Report and are based on widely accepted indicators of excellence, including undergraduate academic reputation, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, and alumni giving.
“Over the past several years, the State University System has made a real push to align its degrees with the state workforce, increase its prominence in research, and improve the quality of our universities,” said Tom Kuntz, chair of the Board of Governors. “After U.S. News & World Report recently named Florida the top state for higher education in the country, it’s good to also see our individual institutions recognized.”
Florida has aggressively sought to improve the quality of its universities, with the Governor and Legislature implementing an initiative known as “Preeminence,” which strengthens the national reputation of Florida’s universities by providing resources for world-class faculty, improved student-faculty ratios, and more. Additionally, the Board of Governors incentivizes improvement through its nationally recognized performance funding model, which directs money to the universities based on student outcomes. In the past five years, the System’s graduation rate improved by 5.3 percent, the retention rate improved by 3.4 percent, and the number of students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) increased by 31 percent.
“The Board of Governors, through performance funding and other initiatives, has helped define what it means to be a Florida university,” said Marshall Criser III, State University System chancellor. “Above all, it means a focus on outcomes and an absolute commitment to student success.”
Even while enhancing its national reputation, Florida has maintained its status as one of the most affordable states in the country to achieve an education, with the average cost of earning a bachelor’s degree less than $15,000 after financial aid is included. Furthermore, University Work Plans, in which institutions lay out their future financial goals, indicate that universities are expected to decrease their prices further in the coming years, cutting the student cost per degree from $14,820 to 14,090 by the 2019-2020 school year.
