It’s not always cheaper by the dozen

Lourdes Ginart/Contributing Writer

Home to 11 public universities, Florida will now open its arms and empty its pockets to welcome a 12th, Florida Polytechnic University.

Originally known as the University of South Florida Polytechnic in Lakeland, Florida, Governor Rick Scott and the Board of Governors decided that the USF Lakeland campus should become a stand-alone university. Senator J.D. Alexander, chairman of the Florida Budget Committee, who is in his last year in office, brought the idea forward. Senator Alexander has pushed for the independence of USF Polytechnic, a move Pam Iorio, former Tampa mayor, calls a “legacy project.”

FPU has drawn some negative attention for several reasons, but most criticism is directed toward FPU’s expenses, which are now $14 million over budget, according to the Miami Herald. The extra expenses come from taking the accreditation and enrollment process off of its original five-year plan and pushing for a 2013 deadline.

Aside from rushing the accreditation of FPU, the decision to give one man, Senator Alexander, enough power to push for and create a university in a matter of months seems to be a poor choice on the state’s behalf.

USF, the very institution that has to pay FPU’s bills for an indefinite amount of time, will be losing 58 percent of its financing during the 2012-2013 school year. FPU will also be undergoing a teach-out program through USF in order to properly transition students and faculty throughout the next year.

Furthermore, FPU will be under the guidance of the University of Florida as it tries to get its own accreditation, according to an article in USF’s newspaper, The Oracle.

However, it’s the air of hypocrisy that has left many students, professors and officials upset and confused.

Scott has supported and signed off on the separation of USF Polytechnic in order to increase the amount of students enrolled in science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs. However, UF’s Department of Computer and Information Science and Engineering was nearly eliminated, if not for the students and field professionals who protested against its elimination. Now, UF faces the possibility of closing several libraries, laying off non-tenure faculty and cutting back on the engineering department in order to deal with a $38 million budget cut, after already dipping into reserves the previous year.

All 11 universities are due for a total of $300 million in cuts for the 2012-13 budget plan, including money set aside for FPU’s growth. Although UF, USF and Florida State University may be taking the largest cuts, the University does not go unaffected.

In a town hall meeting, President Mark Rosenberg addressed the University’s $24 million budget cut, the largest cut in the University’s history. Despite the considerable budget cuts, Rosenberg seemed confident about the University’s future. Although the University’s “World’s Ahead” program may face some difficulties, Rosenberg boasted about the University’s new classrooms, residence halls and the 110 new faculty hires.

In order to cope with the budget cut while managing campus growth, the University will dip into its reserve funds and possibly hike up tuition, if allowed by state legislature.

Amusingly enough, Scott does not believe in tuition hikes. Instead of raising tuition costs for schools to balance a budget, Scott would rather have the schools face department closures, loss of faculty and halt their growth.

Tuition hikes are never a fan favorite, but speaking as a student, I would prefer an increase in tuition than losing a college that houses my major. Though tuition hikes are not something to anticipate, I would much rather pay up.

Eduardo Padron, Miami Dade College, President said it best: “At a time when institutions are growing and trying to serve a lot of students…the state continues to disinvest in education. There should be no question that, at this point in America today, investment in higher education is paramount.”