More Florida faculty still looking to leave the state, survey shows
Florida professors are still eyeing jobs in other states, and those who remain say it’s getting harder to fill vacant positions at their universities, according to a recent survey of faculty in Southern states. Of the Florida faculty who responded, more than 39% said they have applied for jobs in other states since 2022. Forty-four percent — a number that includes some who have already applied elsewhere — said they planned to look outside Florida in the next academic year. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
State considering tighter oversight of university presidential searches
With three campuses kicking off presidential searches, the Board of Governors of the State University System of Florida will plan to expand its oversight over the selection of university presidents. Under existing procedure, university search committees are responsible for recommending a list of final applicants for campus visits and presenting the finalists to the university’s board of trustees. [Source: Florida Phoenix]
DeSantis says there's no need to issue a statewide school security mandate: 'It's an interruption'
After a deadly school shooting in Georgia, many districts across Florida have implemented stricter security measures—including the use of metal detectors and gun-sniffing K-9s. The changes come while many schools are also seeing an increase in reports about potential school violence. But Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said on Monday that he does not see a need to issue a statewide mandate requiring that all schools adhere to a specific safety protocol. [Source: Central Florida Public Media]
Refunds available for families invested in prepaid college program
More than $130 million in refunds remain for Florida Prepaid College Plan families following years of unchanged in-state higher education tuition, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Monday. According to DeSantis, the government has issued $850 million in refunds, and more than $130 million remain unclaimed. More from the Florida Phoenix and WUSF.
Florida districts big and small ask voters to boost taxes for teacher pay
As Florida school districts work to fill their teaching vacancies, improving salaries remain a key goal. Many of them are asking voters to approve or renew local-option property taxes to generate revenue beyond what the state funding system provides. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Why universities are fighting for these 7 acres in southern Florida
In the booming South Florida city of Palm Beach, downtown real estate represents an asset of increasingly rising value. But one stretch of unused land—a seven-acre plot set to be the future home of a satellite campus of Vanderbilt University—might just be one of the most valuable of all. The private university’s effort to build a graduate school at a nexus point on South Florida’s current property and business boom offers a lesson in the real estate value of education, and the branding opportunities available to higher ed.
› While FIU struggles to stay afloat with NIL, Florida Atlantic shows promise
With Name, Image and Likeness changing the landscape of college football, teams across the nation have scrambled to raise enough money to make sure their collectives are well-stocked, aiming to entice recruits and transfers to enroll at their university. The current system has exposed the stratification inherent in college sports, with most Power 4 programs being able to raise substantially more money than their Group of 5 counterparts.
› Florida Board of Governors to discuss FAMU's major gift investigation results at meeting
Now that Florida A&M University’s major gift investigation report is out – which found the controversial and problematic donation to be fraudulent – it’s time for the Florida Board of Governors to say its piece on the results. The purported donation, announced by Texas hemp farmer Gregory Gerami at FAMU’s summer commencement ceremony, was hailed as a “transformative” gift and the largest in history among historically black colleges and universities as it captured national headlines.
› Pinellas school start time debate hinges on choice, bus rides
Florida lawmakers gave school districts until 2026 to revamp their schedules so middle and high schools students can get more sleep before classes. But changing start times to meet the state law won’t be as easy as just flipping schools’ schedules around, Pinellas County district officials said during a Tuesday workshop.