During an exhaustive two-day long meeting of Florida’s 11 universities and its governing board in June, one of the most controversial topics was a proposed regulation to force better coordination of new programs in order to avoid university turf wars.
Many universities chafed at the idea of a regulation that might prevent them from expanding into new areas, but the system wants to avoid competition between universities, such as when Florida State University proposed a Digital Domain film program in the backyard of Florida Atlantic University, which also offers film and digital animation.
Largely neglected was one of the reasons behind the proposal: the state university system wants to expand.
State University System Chancellor Frank Brogan is developing a plan for how the university system might add a 12th university in order to meet increased demand for bachelor’s degrees.
The system is groaning under the weight of an ever-growing number of students, with increases in freshman admissions, and transfers from colleges or other universities.
Currently, there are about 320,000 students attending a Florida university, up from 251,984 students ten years ago.
“Especially in the area of baccalaureate degree production, Florida is still behind the curve in terms of our population and how many (students) we should be turning out over time,” Brogan said in an interview with the News Service of Florida. “With our current capacity, we know we are not going to be able to get to where our state needs to be without taking a serious look at how we are organized.”
State University System Board of Governors Chairwoman Ava Parker directed Brogan and the system staff at the June meeting to develop a plan for expanding the system.
“There has been some interest and some discussion in expanding to an additional university,” Parker said.
Adding another university would require legislative lobbying and eventual approval. Brogan said discussions about a 12th university could happen next year, if the system approves some of the controversial new regulations.
The university system cannot expand without first sorting out how the existing universities can work together better without stepping on each other’s toes, Brogan said. “We cannot do these things without the appropriate regulatory framework in place,” Brogan said. “You cannot look at a reorganization of the state university system unless you have a process to do that. Otherwise, you are literally shooting in the dark.”
But the draft regulations are so controversial that the State University System convened a special work group to revisit the issue in mid-August before a September meeting in which the board could vote on it. The regulations could be revised, and if a vote doesn’t happen in September, it will likely happen by the end of the year.
The proposals the board is set to vote on this fall are considered an update to regulations the system had in place under the old board of regents system, and before there were 11 universities.
The proposal divides the state into economic development regions as defined by Enterprise Florida. When a state university wants a “substantial physical presence” in another university’s region, they would be required to notify university presidents in that area. It also requires universities to notify the chancellor when pondering program expansions and makes the chancellor and board the final arbiter of disagreements between universities.
The system wants to develop the new regulation after several instances in which universities wanted to offer programs in other regions of the state, leaving universities competing against one another.
Besides Florida State University’s proposed Digital Domain film program in West Palm Beach, a public-private partnership with an animation studio, several other universities are offering duplicating programs.
The University of Florida wandered into Florida International University’s territory when UF decided to partner with Miami-Dade College for a project.
Florida A&M University has a conflict with the University of West Florida after the Legislature gave FAMU $11 million to establish a PhD program in pharmacy and other health programs not far from Pensacola.
Florida State University declined to comment on the regulation. But during the June Board of Governors meeting, the University of Florida in particular objected to the new regulations, asking for more discussion before a vote.
In documents obtained by the News Service of Florida, several universities offer sharp criticism of the new regulations prior to the June meeting, even going so far as to ask that it not be brought up.
The draft regulation eliminates “the recognition that Florida State University has a statewide educational, research and economic development mission,” wrote FSU interim provost Robert Bradley. “This seems a mistake and would damage our reputation and impair the services provided across the state. We disagree with the change.”
Bradley wanted to completely eliminate the idea of separating the state into regions.
The University of Florida said in an email it has “strong objections” to the new regulations. UF Provost Joe Glover asked the board to remove the item from its agenda, which it did not. It also asked that UF, FSU and FAMU be exempted from some of the new requirements, which system officials objected to.
Some of the new regulations might impede UF’s ability to offer distance education, Glover said.
Brogan insists that the new regulations won’t prohibit any university from offering a new program. “What this doesn’t do is keep any university within any particular geographic boundary,” Brogan said.
He said how universities plan and coordinate future growth is part of a “regulatory road map,” that must be in place before the system can consider taking on a 12th university. “We currently do not have regulations regarding how our system looks at itself for growth, expansion and development,” Brogan said.
The last university that was added to the system was New College, which became a full, independent member of the university system in 2001. Brogan said what this new university might look like is up for discussion, whether it will be a new free-standing institution or a state college that is promoted to a university. “What we end up looking like will be determined,” Brogan said.
By Lilly Rockwell
Am a direct descendant of the O’Carrolls of Leap Castle. One of the many Charles Carrolls came to the USA to Annapolis Maryland in the 1600s. The “O” was dropped and they subsequently became the Carrolls. He came here from the ancient town of Litterluna. Several generations back, my grandmother was Mary Clare Carroll, sister of Charles Carroll the Barrister of Annapolis and Baltimore. We traveled to Ireland first in 1985 and saw the castle when it was in total wrack and ruin. Nice to know it’s been updated. Would love to return when we travel to Dublin next Sept for the Notre Dame-Navy football game. Can’t wait!