<p>I found this article in the Tallahassee Democrat newspaper which has no definitive answers.</p>
<p>Article published Jan 11, 2008
Universities brace for bad news
By Angeline J. Taylor
DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER</p>
<p>Faculty and administrators at Florida State University are concerned that anticipated budget cuts will negatively impact the quality of education at their institution, and they’re not alone.</p>
<p>Administrators at Tallahassee Community College and Florida A&M University are also concerned.</p>
<p>“Nobody’s sure we’re seeing the bottom of the revenue shortfalls,” Bill Law, president of TCC, said. “People are getting very nervous about what’s happening next year.”</p>
<p>State university Chancellor Mark Rosenberg sent out the early warnings about the universities’ budgets in December at the Board of Governors meeting. University administrators already cut their budgets in the fall resulting in a $65 million reduction to the state’s 11 public colleges and universities.</p>
<p>However, Rosenberg forewarned stakeholders of the anticipated cuts. Now, more than a month later, the news of the second wave of budget cuts is beginning to trickle down to faculty.</p>
<p>FSU English department chairman Ralph Berry said in 22 years of working at the university, he’s never seen the financial climate in this bad a shape.</p>
<p>“We’re not talking about a one-time budget cut,” Berry said in speculation of what is to come. “This is a cut in recurring funds — like salaries.”</p>
<p>Berry admitted he didn’t know what administrators at FSU had planned. He had been given permission earlier in the school year to hire at least one professor. Now, he can’t.</p>
<p>“Nobody is confident that the future of FSU and future of education in this state is something they can count on,” Berry said. Robert Bradley, FSU’s vice president of academic affairs, said university administrators don’t have much fat to trim in the budget.</p>
<p>“This time we really don’t have anything in the way of reserves,” he said. “These are the worst cuts that we’ve seen since the early '70s.”</p>
<p>Rosenberg was travelling to Miami Thursday and could not be reached for comment. Bill Edmonds, spokesman for the state university system, said specific percentages or numbers haven’t been requested yet.</p>
<p>“The state revenues are not keeping up,” Edmonds said.</p>
<p>Now, higher education officials are just waiting to see what the impact will be. FSU stripped nearly $8.9 million from its budgets by October. FAMU cut about $2.9 million. Administrators are anticipating that similar cuts will be requested.</p>
<p>“It’s really going to be devastating to FAMU,” said Teresa Hardee, vice president of finance and fiscal affairs for the university.</p>
<p>Administrators at neither university had worked out the specifics on how they would make ends meet. But, in the meantime, Berry said, professors are being courted by other universities outside of the state. These universities offer merit or cost of living increases.</p>
<p>“I’m deeply worried about the direct effect this has on the quality of education,” Berry said.</p>
<p>Erin Blue, from FSU’s English department, is worried. She said her concerns began after hearing about additional cuts on Monday.</p>
<p>“We went through all these years of Jeb Bush — and the tree was already cut to the stump,” she said. “From what we hear, it’s a done deal, We don’t know what to do.”</p>