From the latest performance funding scores to a comprehensive new study on the outcomes of Florida’s recent graduates, the State University System Board of Governors took up a number of important initiatives this week during its meeting at University of South Florida.
TAMPA — The Board of Governors pushed forward on several initiatives including the release of the latest performance funding scores during the recent meeting.
The System continued its focus on graduation and retention rates to degrees in programs of strategic emphasis (including science, technology, engineering and math). University of Florida, University of South Florida, and University of West Florida earned the highest scores on excellence or improvement, with UWF making a remarkable jump from a bottom to a top institution in only one year.
Consortium member institution, USF secured its spot in the top three by gaining on several metrics, including retention rates, cost to the student, bachelor and graduate degrees in areas of strategic emphasis, the number of students employed one year after graduation, and the number of bachelor’s degrees without excess hours. The achievements are a result of the university’s focus on better preparing students for the workplace through a rigorous and relevant curriculum and strengthened career preparedness initiatives, including the expansion of required experiential learning and internship opportunities.
Additionally, the Board of Governors released its annual Baccalaureate Follow-Up Study, which looks at outcomes for recent State University System graduates. The study showed that 92 percent of Florida graduates are likely to be employed within a year of graduating and that the overall median wage for recent graduates is up $2,800 from $36,300 to $39,100 between 2014 and 2015.
“This study hones in on the questions that are at the core of our mission: Essentially, how successful are we are preparing our students for after they graduate,” said Ned Lautenbach, Board of Governors Vice Chair. “What we’ve found is that our students are getting jobs, they’re attending school, and they’re often doing both at the same time.”
Additional meeting highlights included:
Universities presented their annual Work Plans, outlining each institution’s strategic direction and top priorities. Among other highlights, institutions widely anticipated increased affordability, forecasting that the cost to a student for a bachelor’s degree would decrease from $15,110 to $14,090 by 2020.
For more information, review the meeting’s official minutes at http://www.flbog.edu.
The Board’s next meeting is scheduled for August 30-31 at the University of Florida in Gainesville.