Sen. Evelyn Lynn’s SB 2442 is beginning to look more and more like the old tier plan introduced by former State University System Chancellor Adam W. Herbert.Lynn’s bill began as an effort to designate the University of Florida as the state’s de facto “flagship” institution. Now, following a public outcry, Lynn has stricken all “flagship” language from proposal and modified it to create a two-tier system that would also give Florida State and South Florida a privileged status.
Herbert’s three tier proposal placed UF, FSU, and USF into a “top tier.” Florida Atlantic, Florida International, and Central Florida were in the “middle tier.” FAMU, West Florida, North Florida were in the “bottom tier.”
In its revised form, SB 2442 creates a two-tier system which uses the classifications established by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching to determine which public universities receive special treatment.
The bill now reads: “A nationally recognized and ranked university that has a global perspective and impact shall be afforded the freedom to pursue an agenda on the global stage in fair competition with other institutions of other states in the highest Carnegie classification.”
FSU President Eric Barron, who lobbied against the original version of the bill, supports the changes. “Florida State University is a Research University (Very High Research Activity), as are the University of Florida and the University of South Florida,” Barron wrote in an email to FSU supporters. “All three would qualify for the operational flexibility and benefits contained in SB 2442.”
Carnegie classifies FAMU as a “Doctoral Research University,” the third highest category. The second highest category is “Research University (High Research Activity).”
The privileged status for “first tier” universities would place a negative mark on all “bottom tier” institutions and make it more difficult for them to compete for state funding, federal research dollars, and new academic programs.
At this time, there is no Florida House companion for SB 2442. Rattlers should call their state representatives and senators and ask them to vote “no” on this proposal.
This red neck helfer needs her ass kicked. Racists are never satisfied unless they can group people to make themselves feel relevant or superior. This will not fly and I call on students from all of the colleges that were left out to demonstrate like hell.
ReplyDeleteThe fact is with all the foolishness that we have to address everyday from within, the forces from the outside are reving up
ReplyDeleteI don't know what is worse, being a racist, or being a person that refers to others as "red neck helfers in need of an ass kicking"
ReplyDelete