These are lofty goals and will be very challenging for each university to meet. However, they are important goals that will bring vast benefits to the state and local communities, as universities are massive economic engines unto themselves. Going from good to great is never an easy endeavor, but Florida’s universities have faced massive headwinds in the last few decades and now face a new potential challenge to their success.
The first headwind arrived in the early 2000’s when Florida’s legislature reneged on its commitment to fund matching gifts to the Alec Courtelis Facilities Enhancement Grant Program. One can only imagine the quality of the facilities that would exist on Florida’s campuses had this program endured. The state then created a redundant and convoluted governance system for higher education that remains wasteful, confusing and illogical. Then, Florida’s Governor imposed a rigid mandate against tuition increases on the universities, despite Florida schools already having nearly the lowest tuition in the country, all while keeping uniform pricing across the entire system, further devaluing the education at our best schools.