Last Wednesday, Gov. Charlie Crist signed HB 7237 into law. It creates a two-tier university system which uses the classifications established by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching to determine which Florida public universities receive special treatment.The bill originated as an attempt to designate the University of Florida as the state’s de facto “flagship” institution. Following a public outcry, Sen. Evelyn Lynn struck all the “flagship” language from proposal and watered it down to create a two-tier system that would also give Florida State and South Florida a privileged status.
The senate version of the bill died but its contents were placed in HB 7237.
The new law 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.”
The top Carnegie classification is Research University (Very High Research Activity). The second highest category is “Research University (High Research Activity).” Carnegie classifies FAMU as a “Doctoral Research University,” the third highest category.
The revised version of the bill did not attract resistance from the Florida Conference of Black State Legislators. It passed the House with a unanimous vote and passed the Senate 37 to 1.
It is still possible for FAMU to reach the top Carnegie classification. As part of the State University System’s 1999-2003 Strategic Plan, Florida’s Board of Regents approved a Center of Excellence in Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology (or COESMET) at FAMU. The program’s purpose: increase black Ph.D. recipients in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
Specifically, the center was to add ten Ph.D. programs in two phases from 2001 to 2010. Phase I consisted of: Physics, 2001; Computer Science, 2002; Chemistry, 2003; Biology, 2004; and Computer Engineering, 2005. Phase II included Ph.Ds in Mathematics, Agricultural Sciences, Environmental Engineering and Biological and Agricultural Systems Engineering between 2006 and 2010.
So far, FAMU has only launched the Physics Ph.D. The remaining Ph.D. programs have not been funded by the legislature. If FAMU receives enough money to finish adding all the COESMET Ph.D. programs, it will grant enough doctorates to qualify for a higher Carnegie classification.
However, the new tiering system will not help FAMU’s efforts to become a bigger research university. The privileged status for “first tier” universities places a negative mark on all the rest of the State University System institutions and could make it more difficult for them to compete for state funding, federal research dollars, and new academic programs.
The new law also directs the Board of Governors to “align the missions of each constituent university with the academic success of its students; the national reputation of its faculty and its academic and research programs; the quantity of externally generated research, patents, and licenses; and the strategic and accountability plans.”
FAMUans must now watch the BOG closely and fight any “mission alignment” that would restrict the university’s ability to continue expanding its doctoral programs.
As an alum of the University, I don't have a problem with these "tier" systems just as long as we and other institutions have every opportunity to ascend in status and ranking. Hopefully, this new system will encourage faculty and administrators to propose new and innovative graduate programs in all disciplines.
ReplyDeleteAlso, these "tier" systems are designed to award universities that support faculty and student research, sometime at the undergraduate level, but definitely at the graduate level. Hence, we at some point have to make a hard but necessary decision: encourage some of our underprepared students to attend a community college before coming to FAMU. That way, the university can direct more resources to achieving our goals.
Just a few thoughts!
That's pretty much the only way.
ReplyDeleteFAMU cannot make it as a big doctoral research school AND allow so many underprepared students in the school. We've got to set up a couple of coalitions with some CCs and JUCOs in the Gulf Coast area to send these students to the minors and come directly to FAMU after they get their stuff together.
I agree. When I came to FAMU in 1998 as a 27 yr old, I was amazed at how academically advanced I was compared to the average 18 yr old who just graduated from high school in May or June of 1998, especially when you consider I graduated from high school in 1988.
ReplyDeleteI respectfully disagree. These plans limit the ability for FAMU to decide its own destiny. Your respective points to continue the emphasis on undergraduate education is important and should never be ignored, but there are times when doctoral programs enhance university profile and undergraduate education. These tier systems limit FAMUs ability to start appropriate graduate programs and steer valuable resources to institutions that already have the lions share.
ReplyDeletejust my 2cents
After reading the bill linked in this article, it's clear to me that this isn't a "tier bill" at all. Only two lines make reference to "mission alignment" and then it gives the BOG the authority to develop its own rules on how that will look.
ReplyDeleteBut like everyone else said, FAMU needs partnerships with community colleges to get a transfer network to get students in at the "upper" level.
It's foolish to talk about physics when they don't have hardly any students. Further, they aren't inclined to recruit any either.
These STEM Ph.D. programs being discussed would all be in CAS. CAS produces about 52% of the student FTEs at FAMU but gets less than 20% of the money. The CAS academic departments have no operating budget, much less a recruiting budget. FAMU needs a total realignment of its resource allocation--it is profoundly out-of-whack.
ReplyDeleteThis is bad, really bad. Unfortunately most of us don't know enough to see it. If this was associated with sports people would have more of an issue, except it already is in place in sports. Florida's tier/caste/aparthied is revived once more. You'd think that Florida could get ALL of its Universities to be top notch without starving one for another. And with this economic climate, building new programs (FAU law) and universities(Lakeland/"usf" pharmacy) make little to NO sense. Unless, this cold really be Mississippi with a little money. This, by the way has nothing to do with CCs or transfers. Its money, some of it is the same money you don't get if you lose the "underprepared".
ReplyDelete10:14 PM,
ReplyDeleteI understand why you might be suspicious, but I raised the community college angle to highlight the fact that these other universities recognize that the topic dollars come with upper-division enrollment and graduate school research. Our mission has to evolve with the times. Community colleges now are designed to fill the mission that FAMU has historically tried to fill. When you think about it, FAMU has had the infrastructure to really be the best research Florida university in the medical and science fields, but it's hard for any institution to excel in those areas when it also is trying to give 2nd, 3rd, and in some cases 4th chances to a sizeable population (not the majority) of students who now would be better served attending a CC and then attending FAMU, especially given the limited amount of financial resources.
And so that we are all clear, most states have some type of tier system. We shouldn't be afraid of the competition such systems encourage provided we are given a fair chance to compete with the other schools and determine our own destiny with a clear vision
Again, respectfully,
10:29 AM 10/17