The Florida House has unanimously passed a bill to create an online-only institute at an existing Florida university. “Florida is leading the charge on the digital revolution in higher education,” said House Speaker Will Weatherford. “We are taking the necessary steps to ensure our students will be ready to compete in the global marketplace.” Weatherford had [...]
The Florida Board of Governors has approved a plan to add online learning options in the State University System. The board’s strategic planning committee has been taking testimony and working with those with a stake in the decision for more than a year on how Florida should expand online learning. The plan doesn’t include a [...]
The percentage of Floridians earning college degrees is not increasing fast enough to keep pace with the job market, according to the head of a foundation working to boost higher education graduates. That’s what Jamie Merisotis, president and CEO of the Lumina Foundation, told the Economic Club of Florida last week. “It’s an urgent need,” Merisotis [...]
Students who transfer to the University of South Florida can still earn a degree at their former school. USF and four Tampa Bay colleges signed a “reverse transfer” agreement Monday. That means when a student completes a class a USF, the credits can count toward an associate’s degree at Hillsborough Community College, Pasco-Hernando Community College, [...]
A mom desperate for better security at her daughter’s elementary school is paying a deputy to patrol the school in Flagler Beach for at least the next two months. School safety and security is at the top of the priority list for Florida lawmakers during the legislative session that begins in March. Lawmakers are already [...]
Florida Board of Governors Chairman Dean Colson had much to brag about in his State of the System address this morning. He told the people who govern the State University System that Florida’s universities are affordable, a good value, and excelling in graduation rates. But Colson said, “If you want our system truly to serve [...]
The Florida Board of Governors (BOG) is in Gainesville for a two-day meeting. Five members of the 17-member panel are new. Gov. Rick Scott announced the appointments last week. All can begin serving right away, although they need Senate confirmation. BOG committees overseeing the state university system will talk about budget requests, expansion of online [...]
The Florida Board of Governors will enter 2013 with a priority of expanding higher education online. Members will meet in mid-January to talk about their options, including the creation of a public university that is online only. “There could be no doubt that Florida is already a major contributor to the world of online learning,” [...]
In a rare show of unanimity, Florida’s university presidents say they won’t pursue a tuition increase this year if the state will give them more funding. The presidents came together at the Capitol Wednesday to announce the Aim Higher Campaign. “Fundamentally, the system is underfunded…compared to the rest of the country,” University of North Florida [...]
The push for more STEM-related degrees in Florida may be paying off. In a survey, more than half of Florida’s 2011 Sunshine State Scholars said they plan to pursue higher education degrees in-state, rejecting the opportunity to attend Ivy League schools. Gov. Rick Scott has said Florida needs more graduates in Science, Technology, Engineering and [...]
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