University budget cuts loom and the Legislature is divided over talk of tuition increases.

But Dean Colson, chairman of the State University System’s Board of Governors, said Thursday that lawmakers’ criticism overlooks the level of belt-tightening Florida’s 11 public universities have already endured.

“I understand the need to push us to make cuts to get rid of fat,” Colson said, after testifying before the House Education Committee.  “But the last four years, we’ve gotten rid of $500 million worth of fat, so I’m not sure there’s that much fat left.”

The Senate budget committee approved a state spending plan Wednesday that reduces state support for universities by $400 million, including a $47 million cut for Florida Atlantic University. The FAU reduction amounts to about one-third of the school’s operating budget.

The Senate plan also doesn’t include a tuition increase, although budget chief J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales, acknowledges that universities can seek up to 15 percent tuition hikes from Colson’s board. Alexander said universities should first draw down the more than $800 million in reserves they hold.

Colson, though, isn’t so sure about how easy it’ll be to tap the cash.

“There’s an explanation for most of that money,” Colson said, adding, “but if some have hoarded that extra money, it’s okay to squeeze them for it.”

Gov. Rick Scott has rejected the pitch for tuition increases. And Colson also distanced himself from another level of Scott criticism: That universities should work on reducing the robust salaries drawn by many of the school’s top admininstrators.

“The president of the university of Florida is running a $4 billion, $5 billion operation. What should he get paid? You can’t pay him $200,000-a-year,” Colson said.

Indeed, UF President Bernie Machen earned almost $524,000 in 2009-10, according to the most recent review of presidential pay, compiled by the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Colson said that whether Scott or the Legislature endorse a tuition increase, he expects universities will come to the Board of Governors to seek approval for as much as a 15 percent hike next year. But he conceded that less certain is how the board will rule on those requests. 

Tags: Dean Colson, State University System Board of Governors, tuition

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 16th, 2012 at 1:25 pm and is filed under Economy, education, Palm Beach County, Rick Scott, state budget, State House, State Senate. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.