Welcome to our newly formatted newsletter concept. Throughout the Fall of 2020 and the Spring of 2021, we spent a lot of time working with a consulting firm called Equal Measure. Many of you shared your thoughts and feelings about the Florida Consortium, its impact, and what you would like to see us do. As a strategic partner and member university, you asked for more communication and information on higher education issues and Florida Consortium projects and how both impact you as a member university. This newsletter is an effort to increase that engagement.
Beginning with this newsletter, we will be providing a bi-weekly newsletter focused on one area of interest. This week is the Legislative Session lawmakers recently wrapped up in late April. With the assistance of the Governmental Affairs offices at FIU, UCF, and USF, I have provided a short summation of the legislative activities that will impact our work in the near term. We have slated future newsletters to report on our Equal Measure evaluation, the Transfer Success Network, our commitment to Social Mobility, and effective practices in Collaboration in Remote Learning. We will try to limit the newsletter to less than 1,000 words to make it a Friday afternoon or a lunchtime read. We feel this consistent messaging will help us continue our collaborative efforts and facilitate engagement. So, without further ado…
State of Florida Legislative Recap
Lawmakers wrapped up the 2021 Legislative Session on April 30 by approving a $101.5-billion state budget. This budget includes several billion in Federal aid in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the federal dollars and a robust Florida economy, the state coffers were not as depleted as expected. As a matter of fact, according to a Moody’s Analytics study, Florida was one of only five states to have reached their pre-pandemic economic output as of June 1, and our economy has grown since March 2020. This is good news for the future of the Florida budget and higher education.
As you can remember, a year ago, our state universities were asked to prepare for an up to 8.5% budget cut, and the state held back 6% in legislative-approved funding in preparation for that chance. Well, this budget essentially erased those cuts, and state leaders returned the money to the universities. After all the work in Tallahassee, legislators landed on a budget that includes just one system-wide reduction of $18.5 million tied to a new faculty salary cap. Far less than the $570-million reduction we feared. Performance-based funding and preeminence funding rates will remain the same as prior years.
In terms of individual budget issues, Bright Futures was essentially untouched, with one exception. The $623-million program did end the $300 per semester book allowance for students that had been in place since 1997-1998. However, there are several new programs to help fund students. The first is what is called the “grandparents bill (SB 1728/HB 1273).” The bill allows high-performing, out-of-state students with grandparents who live in Florida to attend a SUS university at in-state rates. There are also incentives for veterans and students who enroll in degree programs linked to in-demand professions.
Employability was a clear priority for the legislature. Many of the provisions focused on higher education referenced employability or high-demand jobs as a core feature. The legislature is sending a clear signal that workforce needs are a priority for higher education to follow. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the requirement the Board of Governors development of a dashboard featuring information on median salaries, average student loan debt, and debt-to-income ratios for several majors and types of careers. The state requires universities to connect students to career planning in their first year in college. If they do not, the university will place a hold on course registration access.
As would be expected, COVID-19 influenced many of the decisions made in Tallahassee this spring. And universities were part of the protections handed down. Legislators agreed to protect universities from lawsuits that seek tuition or fee rebates when a natural disaster or other unforeseen event requires the universities to move to online learning. There was also a provision in the Emergency Management Bill that prohibits universities from setting vaccine mandates for students nor allowing universities to request proof of a COVID-19 vaccination.
Finally, lawmakers passed House Bill 233 to ensure Intellectual Freedom and Viewpoint Diversity on campus. The bill requires the Board of Governors to survey students and their experiences with intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity. The results will be published each September. The bill also allows for classroom-based recording by students without the permission of the instructor. The bill allows Student Government members removed from office a chance to appeal to a senior university official if they have been disciplined or removed from office.
While the news was generally good, there is still a long way to go before our universities operate at pre-pandemic levels. There is uncertainty surrounding recurring revenues, and enrollment needs to remain steady for some time. If you have any questions on the legislative session, please contact your member university Governmental Affairs office for university-specific inquiries. The next Legislative session convenes in January 2022, with a deadline for filing bills on Jan. 11.