USF Under Attack from Politician

[bullsbucsfan426]

I cannot understate how numb I am.

we knew this was going to happen. It doesn't surprise me. But it's all I can do to not drive to tally iight now and rip alexander a new one.

[Grateful Dad]

Unfortunately, the voice of the common person means nothing anymore. This is an in-your-face punitive, vindictive move by a person who cares little for those he "represents". In reality, he has a constituency of one.

Politics disgusts me.

[outrunner]

USF needs to rally support not only from USF, but the Tampa Bay community and other state-universities.

This bill would not only hurt USF but the Tampa Bay area would be dealt a huge economic blow and will lose jobs over this.

Schools like UCF, FIU, FAU, FGCU, and UNF need to fight this now. If they let this go figuring its not them, they'll be the ones next. If all these schools stand together, and in one voice tell Alexander and the UF & FSU alumni that we will not bow to them abusing their power to further their political agendas and personal afiliations.

[Ricky the Bull]

Signed... also linked in Facebook.

[tbulls]

SIgned and wrote to my congressman.

[Oldsmobull]

If this caption from the below linked Tampa Bay Times editorial isn't enough to motivate you to email the state senators on the Budget Committee by tomorrow morning, I don;t know what it would take:

"Here's another way to look at this indignity. In the Senate's proposed budget, USF calculates the state would spend $4,741 per student at the University of Florida and $5,470 per student at Florida State. A USF student would be worth half as much, $2,401. That's a fine way to treat a top-tier research university with more than 40,000 students."

Email legislators simple note with 2 requests: 1.) Fund USF equitably with more money now; 2.) No 12th state university now

http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/usf-in-crosshairs-of-vendetta/1215292

[Skingraft]

just wrote the ***** Alexander....

[Skingraft]

Feb. 13, 2012

To: The USF Community and Alumni

From: Judy Genshaft, President, USF System

Dear Friends, 

The Florida Senate is proposing a total cut of $128 million to the University of South Florida, including a 60 percent cut to our appropriation for academic affairs. If passed, the cuts would be immediate and devastating to USF’s students, its research and its contribution to the economic recovery.

 

This cut is much greater than any other university is being asked to absorb. We have not seen any rationale of how these percentages were allocated in the Senate budget process.

 

We need your help right now. These cuts would injure our students immediately, and they will strike a blow against economic recovery in the Tampa Bay region and the state.

 

Please contact your elected legislators, and the governor, and let them know USF needs their help:

- don’t enact these massive cuts to higher education. The cost to our students and our economy is too great;

- don’t single out USF for extraordinary cuts.

 

For updated information, we have created a web page at http://www.usf.edu/ to track the impact of the budget proposal.

 

To contact your legislator, look here: http://www.capwiz.com/usfalumni/issues/alert/?alertid=60994916&type=ML

 

There are several steps that must occur before this Senate proposal could be mandated. USF has great friends in the Florida Legislature, and we will rely on them to ensure that state allocations are equitable to this university, and that higher education is recognized for its role in galvanizing Florida's economy.

 

Everyone who cares about the future of USF and the future economic development of the Tampa Bay region should be concerned.

 

During the last four years of the recession, USF has worked carefully to reduce the impact on our students. We have maintained our academic majors. We have retained and recruited our great faculty members. In every way, we have dedicated the university to the success of our students and our region. That success is now threatened. For a cut this enormous to come after four years of cuts will threaten what we can offer students.

 

I urge you to express your concern, and I hope you will thank our elected officials who are fighting on our behalf.

 

Thank you again for your support, your encouragement and your commitment to USF.

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

University of South Florida  4202 E. Fowler Ave. ADM 241 Tampa, FL 33620

(813) 974-2791

[Ricky the Bull]

Here's a letter from the USF Poly Faculty Senate:

http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/gradebook/sites/tampabay.com.blogs.gradebook/files/fslettertolynnsigned1_0.pdf

[Ricky the Bull]

My letter:

Senator Lynn,

I was shocked and dismayed by your introduction of language to S7100 which goes against the reasoned and thoughtful benchmarks set by the Board of Governors and forces USF Polytechnic’s independence by a particular date simply because, apparently, it is not happening fast enough to suit certain members of the senate. I have not read where this has been requested by the University administration, students or even by your constituents and does not seem to take into account any study regarding economic impact or even if a 12th state university is even needed at all. Forcing this independence could actually delay or prevent, rather than foster, USF Polytechnic’s move to being solid, independent university in the future.

In addition, it also appears that cuts will be made to USF’s budget that is wildly disproportionate with the other universities. To us taxpayers, this seems to be a retaliatory due to the fact the USF Polytechnic did not get immediate independence at the referenced Board of Governor’s meeting. This huge and unfair cut is devastating to USF and to the economic recovery of this region. USF will lose $128 million by July 1, 2012.

The cuts directly threaten the students. USF will have to reduce academic programs and classes, close summer sessions, start-ups for key hires in marine science and health, and specific instructional needs of academic departments.

A massive cut to USF threatens the economic recovery of the Tampa Bay region. USF is being treated unfairly in the Senate budget in total and percentage amounts, including the costs of absorbing USF Polytechnic and loss of funding for the College of Pharmacy.

Faculty and students at USF Polytechnic, according to several published articles and documents, are very much against this heavy-handed measure and it seems that the majority of the state’s newspapers, magazines and internet publications question the reasoning and motive behind this modification and inequity.

I respectfully ask that you remove this language from S7100 and restore equitable funding to Florida’s universities before needless harm is done to the economy and economic recovery of the Tampa Bay region. Let the USF Polytechnic faculty, administrators and students move forward to meet the benchmarks set by the Board of Governors as a fully accredited and supported institution.