By Angeline J. Taylor
Florida’s Board of Governors unanimously approved the State University System’s $3.836-billion legislative budget request on Thursday, a financial recommendation BOG will present to the Legislature.
Discussing budget details and the decreasing federal stimulus dollars was one of the popular agenda items for BOG, which oversees Florida’s 11 public universities. Board members were informed by university administrators that when the federal stimulus dollars run out — at the end of the academic year — classrooms will have to be enlarged.
That’s not all. Some courses will be deleted. Jobs may have to be cut.
All have been recommended to keep up with the demands of not having as much as $145 million in federal stimulus dollars, which was the amount that was doled out to the SUS this year.
“We realize it is a pretty difficult financial year,” budget committee chairman Tico Perez said in presenting his group’s recommendation to approve the legislative budget request.
Florida State University officials informed BOG that they “will need to find alternative funds to support 40,500” class hours.
Florida A&M University officials reported that they have used technology to “complete functions previously handled by employees.”
Perhaps most telling is the amount of money the Board of Governors’ office needs to keep about 20 of the 53 staffers employed.
“This issue continues to be critical for all of us,” SUS Chancellor Frank Brogan said.
Kelly Layman, BOG spokeswoman, said the office used to have more than 150 employees about 10 years ago. BOG is requesting $6.20 million of the $3.836 billion to keep the 53 staffers employed.