Commentary: Building on success in state’s universities
As I settle into my new role as chairman of the State University System Board of Governors, it is my desire to build upon the strong foundation we have achieved.
Through the hard work of previous board chairs, the universities and our elected leaders, Florida was named the best state for higher education in 2017 by U.S. News & World Report. We have achieved a great deal. But there is more work to be done.
In my recent State of the System address, I stressed that the overarching goal in every decision we make should be student success. What can we do to increase that success? We must focus on keeping the costs of a degree low, from tuition to textbooks. We must strive to improve our four-year graduation rate. We must continue to be a leader in online education. We must amplify academic excellence at every university.
A top priority is to keep our universities affordable for students and their families. According to the College Board, Florida is the second lowest in the country for the 2017-18 resident undergraduate tuition rate for public colleges and universities. Thanks to Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Legislature, we have not seen a tuition increase since 2013.
But there are other components that factor into the cost equation. Textbooks and time to degree are also cost drivers. During the next two years, we will continue to look at ways to increase affordability for our students.
Hand in hand with affordability is improving our four-year first-time-in-college (FTIC) graduation rate. The board’s 2025 Strategic Plan calls for a 50 percent four-year FTIC graduation rate and a 70 percent six-year graduation rate. At 66.4 percent, which is second in the country, the universities are doing a good job graduating students in six years and we’re on track to meet the 70 percent goal. At 45 percent, we’re also on track to meet the 50 percent goal for four-year graduation rates. While these are the goals in our strategic plan, I think we can do better.
Over the last two years, Florida has positioned itself at the forefront of expanding access to quality postsecondary courses through an online platform. We’re the first system to develop a strategic plan for online education, and implementation of the strategies included in the plan is in full swing.
Increasing the availability of open educational resources and e-textbooks will make education more affordable for students; sharing online services and resources will help institutions avoid costs that will, in turn, keep costs down for students, and increasing the availability and quality of online courses will help improve graduation rates.
Finally, we want each university to have an academic program they excel at – programs that are recognized on a national or regional basis for their excellence. For example, Florida State University’s School of Dance is ranked second in the nation, and Florida Gulf Coast University has a top-notch PGA Golf Management Program. These are the types of programs of distinction that should be developed at each university so Florida becomes the destination state for students seeking a truly world-class educational experience. And I’m confident that by working collaboratively with the universities, we can get there.
The Board of Governors spends a great deal of time and effort to make our universities great. Most importantly, for our students to succeed. This is why we are here.
Lautenbach is from the Naples area.
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