Colleges could turn away 60,000

Click link to read St. Pete Times article online:
http://www.sptimes.com/2008/02/05/State/Colleges_could_turn_a.shtml


Colleges could turn away 60,000, report says


Doors to higher education are being closed to all, says a group that focuses on minorities.

By SHANNON COLAVECCHIO-VAN SICKLER, Times Staff Writer
Published February 5, 2008
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TAMPA - Between 40,000 and 60,000 students - many of them minorities - could be denied an education in one of Florida's 11 public universities, thanks to years of insufficient funding and complicated political factors that have college presidents preparing to slash enrollment for the first time in decades.

So concludes ENLACE Florida, a grant-funded group that promotes college access and readiness for minorities, in a report sent today to lawmakers and education officials across the state.
"When this is happening, we can't really talk about the value of diversifying the student population, because the doors are being closed to everyone," said Paul Dosal, executive director of ENLACE Florida.

ENLACE officials conclude their report, "Florida's Higher Education on the Brink," by urging lawmakers and college educators to convene a summit that produces bold solutions. State university leaders have recently discussed the need for such a forum.

"The problems in higher education here are so complicated that they're not likely to be solved in a regular legislative session," Dosal said. "So we felt like the best recommendation was to say, 'Listen guys, sit down and figure this out.' We just feel like we're either in crisis or on the brink of a serious one, and something needs to be done."

Dosal's group is particularly concerned with enrollment cuts' effect on minorities. Hispanics are the fastest-growing minority group in the university system, going from less than 14 percent in 1997 to 17.3 percent last year.

"With enrollment freezes and cuts, the competition will intensify, so the minimum test scores and GPAs grade point averages will go up," Dosal said. "And that will make it harder for some of our underrepresented student groups, who tend to score lower."

ENLACE's conclusions are no surprise to university leaders, who have wrestled with the consequences of freezing and cutting enrollment.

"For me, this has caused countless hours of concern," said Carolyn Roberts, chairwoman of the board that oversees Florida's public institutions. "But we're saying that, with this budget, for us to be able to educate our students and give them a competitive degree, we have to limit the institutions to the size they are today."

The Board of Governors, faced with $147-million in cuts to the system this year and up to $171-million next year, last month gave college presidents the green light to cut enrollment, lay off faculty members and take other cost-cutting measures. The move marked a dramatic shift in policy, ending a decade in which universities expanded enrollment at a rate of roughly 3 percent a year. Today, the system enrolls 300,000. The four largest state institutions, including the University of South Florida, are among the nation's largest, with more than 40,000 students each. But that kind of continued growth is unlikely now, as budgets shrink and the Board of Governors fights the Legislature for control over tuition.

"By just growing class size, and having a poorer faculty-student ratio, you are just filling more seats," Roberts said. "You are not educating them better." (Emphasis added)

For the ENLACE report, Dosal used data in the university system over the past decade, coupled with growth projections, to determine the potential "college access gap." He concluded that if universities simply freeze enrollment through 2012, there will be 340,000 students trying to get into a system that holds 300,000. If universities cut enrollment, there would be 340,000 students trying to get into a system that has room for less than 280,000. That estimate is based on a hypothetical enrollment cut of 1.5 percent a year for the next five years. Universities have not yet set an enrollment target.

"It was arbitrary, but we tried to come up with a reasonable number in between," Dosal said.

If all of those turned away go to a community college instead, the already crowded two-year institutions would be taxed even more, ENLACE warns. Enrollment could grow from about 385,000 today to 445,000. And unlike in past years, universities might not have seats for students when they finish their two-year degrees.


Shannon Colavecchio-Van Sickler can be reached at svansickler@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3403.

NEW BENEFIT FOR PJCFA MEMBERS

AFT Advantage is the latest benefit available to our members on the AFT members-only Web site at www.aft.org/members.

Members who have activated their new AFT membership cards have full access to the AFT Advantage—discount shopping online from top retailers. Members can shop for electronics, jewelry, women's clothes and accessories, children's clothes, wine and travel (just to name a few products) at discounted prices.

Other online benefits include:

AFT Member Account Information—Correct member data is vital to the success of the union. Members can make sure the AFT has their latest contact information.
AFT + Member Benefits—Discover all the discounts, services, insurance, financial and travel programs available to AFT members as a benefit of membership.
AFT Voices—Members are invited to speak out on a variety of topics, from workplace safety to early childhood education.

Reminder: Members in the AFT-NEA merged states of Florida, Minnesota, Montana and New York have membership cards from their state federations(FEA for PJCFA members); these members also can log in at www.aft.org/members for exclusive member benefits.

Read a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding the new AFT membership cards.

The Family Medical Leave Act Expanded for Military Families

President Bush has signed into law legislation that expands Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) coverage for family members of employees called for military service. The expansion, included in a broader Department of Defense spendingmeasure, requires employers to offer up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to employees when a spouse, child or parent is on active duty or is called up for active duty. Leave could be for any “exigency” as defined by regulations to be drafted by the U.S. Labor Department.

Additionally, the new law allows employees who are the spouses, children, parents or next of kin of a service member to take up to 26 weeks of leave under the FMLA to care for the service member who incurred an injury during military service when that injury results in the service member being unable to perform his or her duties. The expansion is the first for the 1993 law, which requires employers to allow employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave after the birth or adoption of a child, to care for a sick child, parent or spouse or when an employee has a serious illness. The new provisions are effective immediately.

Other Regulations Proposed
On January 24, the Department of Labor sent proposed changes to the FMLA regulations to the White House's Office of Management and Budget. The text of the changes has not been released, but it is reported that employees would need to notify their employer in advance of the need for leave, and would no longer have one or two business days after missing work as currently provided in the regs.

Instead the proposed regulations would:
(1) require employees to give employers notice before talking leave, with exceptions for extenuating circumstances, and
(2) allow employers to require an employee to provide an annual recertification from a doctor that the employee has a “serious health condition.”
DOL declined, however, to narrow the definition of a serious health condition, as some employer groups had hoped.

The proposed regulations could be published in the Federal Register in February, 2008. The DOL anticipates that the regs will be finalized before the end of the year.

The text of the FMLA, with the changes in bold italics, can be reviewed: http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/fmla/fmlaAmended.htm

The DOL FMLA page can be viewed at : http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/fmla/

The FEA Legal Services Department will provide an update on the FMLA regulations upon dissemination along with the other proposed changes to the FMLA regulations.

AMENDMENT ONE

Tom Auxter, president of UFF, has asked that this message be shared with PJCFA members:


Dear Colleague:
I am writing to urge you to vote against Amendment One on January 29.

To explain why United Faculty of Florida makes this recommendation, it is necessary to outline the deepening budget crisis in Florida higher education and how Amendment One will add to the damage.

The news on funding for higher education in Florida is grim. We already lost 80% of recurring funds in two rounds of cuts this budget year. A continuing decline in tax revenue will bring at least another 4% in cuts, bringing the total to 12% in the next budget year.

If the Amendment One property tax cut passes, counties will not be able to cover all the expenses for schools, fire, and police. Because the Governor has already pledged to cover out of the State budget the loss of property tax revenue for schools, higher education will again be targeted for cuts when the State covers these new expenses for schools.

With the economy worsening and with Amendment One passing, we could face a total of as much as a 15% cut from our budgets next fiscal year.

Campus administrators around the state are now talking about faculty lay-offs, eliminating programs, and cancelling summer sessions as possibilities. Students face a dramatic reduction in classes offered and increased difficulty in graduating on time.

This comes at a time that Florida is already at the bottom (49th) in national rankings of faculty/student ratio. (Only Louisiana- - after Katrina- - is worse.) For a decade Florida has been at the bottom in rankings of per capita funding for higher education.

Join us in efforts to save higher education from the worst possible effects of what is now on the horizon. Join us in sending messages to legislators this spring when the calls go out. And join us in defeating Amendment One on January 29!

Sincerely,
Tom Auxter
President, United Faculty of Florida

MEET PJCFA'S UFF LIASION

Candi Churchill, UFF, will be on the Pensacola campus tomorrow, January 24th. If you'd like to meet Ms. Churchill, please get in touch with me at 484-2007 or csweeney@pjc.edu to schedule a meeting time.

She will be meeting with the Executive Board and Negotiating Team tomorrow from 12:30-2:00 in the PJCFA Office and all PJCFA members are welcome to attend that meeting.

LAST NIGHT'S BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING

Last night's Board of Trustee's meeting was business as usual.

During the recognition part of the agenda, Mrs. Dona Usry was very generous in her praise of Bill Clover, Visual Arts, who was a tremendous help to Manna Food Pantry and their recent fund raisers "Throw a Bowl for Manna' and "Fill a Bowl for Manna." More than 400 bowls were purchased and the event raised about $15,000.

Dr. Delaino announced that enrollment was up by 6.1%. Because PJC had planned for 0% increase in enrollment, PJC's budget will not be as severely hurt in the next anticipated round of state budget cuts. Of course, the greater concern is for the 2008-2009 budget which the Legislature will be approving during the next regular session beginning in March.

Mr. O'Connor reported to the Board on the Presidential Screening Committee's meeting with Dr. Hockaday. (See previous posting.) I cannot begin to say how impressed I am with the seriousness that the BOT is showing in regard to the hiring of PJC's next president. The Board was very concerned that they have every opportunity to get as much input from the Screening Committee as possible. They also wanted sufficient time to review the applications of those recommended by the Screening Committee before they meet to determine which of the applicants will be asked to PJC for interviews. Kudos to all Board members and particulary Ms. Usry, Ms. Young, Ms. Norris, Mr. Moore and Mr. O'Connor.

The Board will hold a special meeting on February 29 to hear the report from the February 28 Screening Committee and to meet with Dr. Hockaday. The BOT will then be given the applications and other relevant materials for each of the 4-8 candidates recommended by the Screening Committee. On March 11 the Board will meet to determine which of the candidates will be asked on campus for interviews.

The Board has already submitted possible interview questions to Dr. Brigham for consideration.

LATEST ON PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH

Thanks to all of you who posted during the holiday break. I've taken the time to read your posts and appreciate your willingness to comment.

Last Thursday, January 10th, the Presidential Screening Committee met with Dr. Jeff Hockaday who will be assisting the Committee and the PJC Board of Trustees as we continue the search for the next president of PJC.

My impression of Dr. Hockaday was a favorable one. This is either his 100th or 101st presidential search so he definitely has the experience. He seemed willing to ask questions of the committee and listen to our responses.

Dr. Hockaday had reviewed the applications of the 13 candidates whose names had been to given to the Board of Trustees by the Screening Committe on December 3rd. He felt as though there were 2 or 3 good candidates and 1 very good candidate. Obviously, at this point he did not name names.

PJC has also received 18 new applications that the Screening Committee has not yet reviewed. The position has been readvertised in major national and local journals and newspapers with a closing date of January 31st. There is an expectation that there may be an additional 12 or so applications submitted because of the readvertisement.

Dr. Hockaday will be "head hunting" among sitting community college presidents and other high level college administrators and will bring another 8 (minimum) applications to the pool.

From this group (the 18 applications which have already been received, the expected 12 more applications, the 8 that Dr. Hockaday is to locate as well as 12 of the 13 original applicants who made the short list*), Dr. Hockaday will review applications and then send a list of 10-12 to the committee by February 15.

From February 15 - February 27, the committee will review the 10-12 applications for the applicants Dr. Hockaday recommends. If a committee member feels strongly in favor of a candidate that has not been recommended by Dr. Hockaday, the committee member has until February 25th to contact Dr. Hockaday about placing that candidate on the consideration list.

On February 28th, the Screening Committee will meet with Dr. Hockaday to discuss the knowledge, skills, and abilities of each applicant. At the conclusion of that meeting, the Screening Committee will submit a list of 4-8 candidates for consideration by the Board of Trustees.

As has been the policy all along, the Screening Committee and any interested parties may review any or all of the applications at any time. The applications are kept on file in the Office of Institutional Advancement or in Human Resources.

*Dr. Cantor has withdrawn his application.