Public university leaders, through thousands of pages of answers that include backup academic studies and appendixes, have replied to Gov. Rick Scott’s request to outline what the schools are doing to ensure graduates meet the need of Florida employers.
The presidents of the state’s 11 public universities were given until last week to respond to Scott’s Oct. 13 email sent to each school. And as diverse as each campus is, the schools replied using a variety of formats, from secured online pages to discs and pages of bound volumes.
“We are continuously strengthening the exchange of information between higher education and industry, and your work with Enterprise Florida and through the Florida (Department of Economic Opportunity) can be an avenue of deeper conversation,” Chancellor Frank Brogan, speaking for all university presidents, stated in his response to Scott.
Scott has targeted higher education reform for the 2012 session, from professor tenure to a focus on courses in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, the STEM core desired for a high-tech future.
The governor’s Office of Policy and Budget is compiling the responses.
“We will let you know what the next steps are once all the information supplied from the universities has been reviewed,” said Jackie Schutz, deputy press secretary.
Most of the university presidents highlighted the efforts of their schools to focus on the STEM majors.
“With its overall economic impact of $8.76 billion annually, the 106,000 jobs provided directly and indirectly through University operations, its research operations and the spin-off companies created based on the new intellectual property, UF is an important driver of the Florida economy,” the University of Florida concluded in its 752-page response.
“In the midst of this large-scale activity, however, UF does not forget the needs of individual citizens. The University provides exemplary educational opportunities on its main campus in Gainesville and around the state at all levels: bachelor, master, doctoral and professional.”
Wilson Bradshaw, Florida Gulf Coast University president, pointed to a U.S. News story that reported the school’s STEM graduates have increased 1,000 percent in the past decade.
“Likewise, the number of FGCU students majoring in STEM disciplines has grown from 1,875 just two years ago to 2,286 this year,” Bradshaw stated.
James Ammons, Florida A&M University president, highlighted that Florida has epitomized creative and innovative programs as well as science and technology through the economic engines of Walt Disney and NASA.
“Florida A&M University has been a part of the innovative, STEM-driven economy,” Ammons stated in a letter to Scott.
Scott, using Agency for Workforce Innovation numbers, has estimated that Florida will need at least 120,000 workers in the science and math fields through 2018.
Judy Genshaft, University of South Florida president, echoed the sentiments expressed by most presidents in their responses.
“USF wholeheartedly supports your efforts to create high-paying jobs for Floridians and we see ourselves as a key ally of yours in that fight,” she stated.
Scott’s questions seek: what the universities have done in the last three years to ensure graduates are meeting the needs of employers; information stating whether graduates are able to find jobs in Florida; whether there are ways to measure student success after graduation; goals for the highest-paid employees for the past three years; and how schools measure program costs and revenue.
“I believe we responded to each question you posed as thoughtfully and deliberately as possible,” wrote Judith Bense, University of West Florida president. “The process helped us further identify areas of strengths and weaknesses. For instance, like many other universities in the nation, UWF struggles with the best way to track graduates after they leave our institution.”
The New College of Florida response stated that the school tracks results from the Job Outlook survey conducted annually by the National Association of Colleges and Employers and the employers’ survey commissioned by Association for American Colleges and Universities.
Read the university responses below.
–Jim Turner, Sunshine State News
Kip Durocher says
I really hope that the State of Florida and human decency can survive the attack of this man. He is a criminal of the richard nixon class ~ world class scum.
He has a bunch of friends waiting in the wings to attack the public education coffers with their on-line K-12 schools. They are actually selling kindergarden thru computer lessons. Complete schooling with never attending a normal school. They want to drain billions into their, and Scott+wife, pockets.
http://www.thenation.com/article/164651/how-online-learning-companies-bought-americas-schools
Kip Durocher says
Here is a quick list of supporter of the privatization of public schools:
David Koch
Dick DeVos
Heritage Foundation
Mackinac Center
Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation
Phillip Anshultz (who has been described as “a reactionary who makes the fascist friendly Koch Brothers look moderate in comparison)
American Enterprise Institute
Americans for Tax Reform
Cato Institute
Center for the study of Popular Cultures
Eagle Forum
Focus on the Family~their man of the year “family guy” was 1 year behind in his child support payments
Manhattan Institute
Hoover Foundation.~ of the hoovervilles school of thought ~ let them eat nothing
What do all these names have in common? They are the movers of the Conservative Movement–financiers, think tanks dedicated to the Koch Philosphy–using legislation written by ALEC.
They can co-opt education and spin the truth as they see it. These people are long-term players. This has been a goal for a very long time.
In 1971, Lewis F. Powell, then a corporate lawyer and member of the boards of 11 corporations, wrote a memo to his friend Eugene Sydnor, Jr., the Director of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The memorandum was dated August 23, 1971, two months prior to Powell’s nomination by President Nixon to the U.S. Supreme Court.
http://reclaimdemocracy.org/corporate_accountability/powell_memo_lewis.html
Doug Chozianin says
Dear Kip:
Add my name to the “I want to privatize public schools” list.
p.s. If you think Governor Rick Scott is a criminal, why don’t you go to Tallahassee and carry out a citizen’s arrest. (Plan on returning home in 3 to 5 years.)
DDC
Layla says
For goodness sakes, Kip…..is this how you react to a public inquiry by the Governor to the state university system?
It seems a reasonable request to me as a taxpayer and supporters of these institutions of higher learning.
Mike says
One year down. 3 left. Repeat after me: One…term…governor.
Doug Chozianin says
Dear Public University Administrator/Educator Mike:
Why are public university educators and administrators so afraid of performance scrutiny? Because half of them would have great difficulty justifying their jobs. Not so with private industry.
Did you know… China is initiating a policy that will cut university degree programs that do not yield employable graduates. Byebye liberal arts.
DDC
Kip Durocher says
@Doug Chozianian
Why is your Hatian Children’s Fund, Inc. not registered with the State of Florida?
http://www.haitianchildren.org/
Do you have a Palm Coast license for the business?
Why does Morgan of the real Hatian Children’s Fund tell me they have no employee by your name
and have never operated in Florida?
Are you illegally collecting charitable donations?
What were the four other corporations you had at:
CHOZIANIN, DOUGLAS D
11611 PALMETTO WAY
COOPER CITY FL 33026 all shut down by the state?
Do you live in a glass house?
Thanks in advance for your prompt response to my query.
Kip Durocher
Mike says
Thanks for the assist Kip. I believe at least one person named Doug has lost all of his credibility, probably never to be heard from again.
Doug Chozianin says
Hear from me now…
I did my volunteer work for the Haitian Childrens Fund and visited Haiti three times at my own expense. I am no longer associated with it. I spent over $2,000 of my own money plus personal time supporting it. I never earned a dime! What charaties have you actively supported???
With respect to other corporations, I let them expire like most people do when there is no interest in continuing them.
I chuckle at the hysterical ad hominem arguments of the looney left. It’s their usual recourse when they can’t handle an intellectual argument.
Keep Googling.
Kip Durocher says
You assume I am looney left ~ wrong again.
“I let them expire” does not answer what one non-profit and 3 for profits were for.
All shut down by The State of Florida for not providing paperwork?
Hell, you never even got an EIN for any of them.
Just buy business cards did you?
Are you what is know as a “conservative, family values, guy?”
I chuckle at the hysterical ad hominem arguments of the rabid right. It’s their usual recourse when they can’t handle a criminal charge.
I did not google I went to the IRS and the Florida Department of Corporations web sites.
I do not like google.
Let me know how long it is before you hear from them ~ I like input on the efficiency of the government.
“I did my volunteer work for the Haitian Children’s Fund”
Why does Morgan (haitipro@bellsouth.net) of the real Haitian Children’s Fund tell me they have no employee by your name and have never operated in Florida?
“I am no longer associated with it.”
“We are upgrading our website, and should be functioning at full speed by the beginning of February.”
“CHRISTMAS IS COMING and we need…….”
http://www.haitianchildren.org/ ~~ for anyone who is for a second believing this person.
I, Kip, am thru with you, doug.
Doug Chozianin says
Kip Durocher :
I am a fan of Google. I thought you might like to be reminded of one of your vituperative comments that Matt Welch of Reason.com recently published as “Hate Mail”
The Google search term I used was: Kip Durocher Hate.
http://reason.com/blog/2011/09/22/did-you-ever-study-writing-in“Did you ever study writing in the English language?”
Matt Welch | September 22, 2011
I’m normally not in the business of reprinting hate mail, but this reaction, by Kip Durocher, to my CNN.com government-waste column of this morning, was too delicious not to share:
“The last thing we need is incessant prattle from a ?pundit? like you. Did you finish middle school? When I taught grade 7 decades ago I would have given your CNN piece an F. Did you ever study writing in the English language?
We do not need foaming mouth do nothing know all fools like you. Do the world a favor and eliminate your carbon foot print today.”
Are baseless HYSTERICAL and HYPERBOLIC AD HOMINUMS your style Kip?
Bye the way…If you think I’m a criminal, have me arrested along with Gov. Rick Scott who you also accused of being a criminal. I’d love to meet him.
FlaglerLive says
Gentlemen–Doug and Kip–while the debate on your mutual back-stories and off-site quotables has been enjoyable and, all told, relatively civil (fair questions were raised and fairly answered), it’s time to put an end to this round and focus on more immediate matters at hand, as both of you are doing quite interestingly in the unemployment story. Thanks.
Doug Chozianin says
Agreed.