Non-sports: USF Call to All

[jlcolvin]

Think I found the answer I was looking for:

Timeline of Proposed Changes to the Preeminence Program and Data Availability

• January 11, 2017 – Senate files Excellence in Higher Education Act (SB 2) proposing to change the metric used to measure preeminence from a 6-year graduation rate of 70% or greater to a 4-year graduation rate of 50% or higher. The bill also proposed to lower the amount that each “emerging preeminent institution” received in the statutory distribution formula from “one-half” of each preeminent institution’s allotted amount to “one-quarter” of said amount. SB 2 passes all three Senate Committees of reference over the next two months with no amendment to this preeminence graduation rate proposal (remained at 4-year/50%+).

   

• January 27, 2017 – House files companion bill to SB 2 (HB 3) with identical proposed change to the graduation rate metric for preeminence (4-year/50%+).

   

• March 9, 2017 – Full Senate passes SB 2 by a vote of 35-1 with no amendment to new 4-year/50%+ proposed preeminence threshold.

   

• March 21, 2017 – House amends HB 3 in the Post-Secondary Education Subcommittee but leaves existing recommended change to the preeminence metric in place (4-year/50%+).

   

• March 30, 2017 – Board of Governors meets and approves State University System’s Annual Accountability Report certifying all of the most current data for each state university as accurate and up-to-date.

   

• April 12, 2017 – Senate amends the entirety of SB 2 into SB 374 for purposes of entering the bill’s language into the “budget conference” as one large higher-education package. SB 2’s proposed language regarding changing the preeminence metric from a 6-year/70%+ to a 4-year/50%+ threshold remains identical after being added into SB 374. SB 374 passes the full Senate by a vote of 36-2.

   

• April 20, 2017 – USF Board of Trustees Chairman Brian Lamb writes letter to Chancellor Criser requesting an updated certification of USF’s performance data on the preeminence metrics. The request is based on the most recent data now publicly available and changes being proposed by both houses of the Legislature (without amendment since filing) to the preeminence graduation rate metric, which USF believes it meets with the most up-to-date data approved by the BOG. Copies of this letter were provided to the Governor, leadership in both Houses of the Legislature and the full Board of Governors.

   

• April 26, 2017 – Board of Governors staff provides certification back to USF and to legislative appropriations committee staff that USF Tampa now meets 10 of the 12 preeminence metrics, and will meet 11 of the 12 preeminence metrics – the threshold required to meet “full” preeminence – if the change proposed since January to the preeminence graduation rate metric (4-year, 50%+) takes effect as expected on July 1, 2017.

   

• April 27, 2017 – Senate Higher Education Appropriations budget conference leaders make their initial offer on preeminence/emerging preeminence funding for FY 2017-18, increasing their initial Senate funding plan providing $40 million to preeminent institutions ($20m each) and $10 million to emerging preeminence institutions ($5m each). The Senate now proposes to provide $48 million to preeminent institutions ($16m each split equally per the statutory distribution formula between three preeminent institutions as of July 1, 2017, UF, FSU & USF) and $4 million – one-quarter of the $16m provided to each preeminent institution – to the lone remaining emerging preeminent institution, UCF. Over the next two days the House and Senate Higher Education Budget Conference agree to this as the final funding amount for each program.

   

• May 5, 2017 at 4:15 pm – In the final public meeting held by the Legislature covering the budget for FY 2017-18 and its “conforming” legislation, the Senate proposes to make a change to their preeminence program graduation metric that has been publicly proposed since January 11, 2017.

   

  • The new change provides that rather than needing to meet a 50% or greater threshold in the institution’s 4-year graduation rate, institutions must now meet a 60% or greater threshold in order to be preeminent. Moreover, the change provides that irrespective of most recent performance levels, “for the Board of Governors’ 2017 determination of preeminence status and the related distribution of 2017-2018 appropriation funding associated with preeminence and emerging preeminence, the metric and benchmark remains at a 6-year graduation rate of 70 percent or higher…”

     

  • According to the BOG’s now publicly available Annual Accountability Report, only the two existing full preeminent institutions have 4-year graduation rates in excess of 60% and although USF Tampa’s most recent 4-year graduation rate meets the original 50%+ threshold –as certified by the BOG – it does not quite meet the 70%+ 6-year threshold.

     

  • This new change in the legislation is not available for amendment on the floor of either Chamber of the Legislature as it is treated as a budget conference report conforming bill, which are only allowed a straight “Yes” or “No” floor vote.

     

  • USF Tampa’s publicly available Annual Work Plan, approved by the BOG each year, lists that USF Tampa’s 6-year graduation rate will meet the original 70%+ threshold required for achieving full preeminence in the 2017 Spring/Summer graduating class allowing for a full preeminence designation no later than July 1, 2018.  However, the same report discloses that USF Tampa’s 4-year graduation rate is unlikely to meet the new 60%+ threshold, which will be the law if this bill passes – until at least 2020.

[Gismo]

Names of reps proposing changes to exclude USF

[Azmodi]

21 minutes ago, Gismo said:

Names of reps proposing changes to exclude USF

Yes get their names and do them a favor in kind. Vote them out!

[bullsfan27]

Not one representative from Tampa voted no to the budget. id vote every single one out.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/a-real-hornets-nest-as-usf-scrambles-for-lost-millions-tampa-bay-lawmakers/2323145

[Sellular1]

I wonder if the B12 had anything to do with this???  Mulder, Scully... Where are you

[Fold FB Invest in BB]

3 hours ago, Gismo said:

Names of reps proposing changes to exclude USF

Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education (AHE)

Subcommittee Committee

• Contact

• Members

  Chair:

  Senator Bill Galvano (R)

  Vice Chair:

  Senator David Simmons (R)

  • Senator Rob Bradley (R)
  • Senator Jeff Clemens (D)
  • Senator Gary Farmer (D)
  • Senator Tom Lee (R)

  Minus Tom Lee, I would say those are the master minds.

[Gismo]

And still tom lee voted yes.

[Bull Matrix]

heard that this is not over yet 

[Gismo]

This is so dishonest:

"Negron and House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O'Lakes, signed off on a 292-page higher education policy bill Friday. They invited public testimony, but nobody came forward....."

 

They introduced the changes at 4:15 pm on Friday May 5.... so yes, there was ample opportunity for public testimony, NOT! 

Introducing a change the eve before the vote should cause a delay of the vote. Same unethical nonsense happens at the federal level. 

 

Edited May 9, 2017 by Gismo

[thatBULL]

I love politicians, especially the ones that have never succeeded in life prior to running for office.  I don't live in FL, but the only way to make things change and for USF to be taken seriously is to show them the power of our voting block.  Otherwise there is no reprecussion for voting like an assclown.