Florida's shrinking university budgets create brain drain

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What began as a trickle of departures from Florida's state university system is accelerating into a steady stream. Nationally renowned professors and researchers who boost the reputation of institutions like the University of Florida are leaving the Sunshine State.

College officials call it the brain drain. They say it's the unfortunate result of upheaval and uncertainty within this state's higher-education system, where universities' budgets are shrinking and governance is an ongoing political tussle.

And once they leave, universities here are finding it harder than ever to replace them.

"My wife and I don't want to leave, but this is the worst it's ever been," said Charles Figley, 62, an FSU trauma expert who is leaving his post after nearly two decades.

Notable because: A Fulbright Fellow and international stress disorder expert, he founded FSU's nationally renowned Traumatology Institute. He also helped establish the worldwide humanitarian organization Green Cross after the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing to provide mental counseling and help to victims of such incidents.

Notable because: An international expert in education and public finance, he serves as a research associate for New York's National Bureau of Economic Research. Figlio is frequently quoted in national publications for his research and economic
outlooks.

Notable because: An award-winning surgery professor, he helped found USF's fledgling Center of Excellence for biotechnology research. He is considered a pioneer for his work in the area of drug and gene delivery using pulsed electric fields.

Notable because: Cavanaugh has led UWF since 2002. During his tenure, enrollment and research activity grew, along with alumni giving. Cavanaugh stressed he is leaving for the chance to more broadly shape higher-education policy and to be closer to his family.

Notable because: A longtime researcher in the field of dementia and speech pathology, she has become a national expert in her field, in particular for her Alzheimer's research. She is using a $1.4-million grant from the National Institutes of Aging to train nursing home caregivers to use memory books to better interact with residents suffering dementia.

Also leaving
or gone:

Board of Governors chief of staff Bob Donley, to be executive director of the Iowa Board of Regents.

Mark Hoyt, UF's interim chief information technology, to be vice chancellor of information technology at North Carolina State.

Larry Conrad, FSU's chief information officer, to the University of North Carolina.

Chris Slobogin, UF College of Law faculty and national expert on mental health and evidence law, to Vanderbilt.

Comments on this article

by Dave	Jun 12, 2008 2:47 PM
Hehe Insurance, Taxes, Education, Florida is in a nose dive... and I'm loving every moment of it. As soon as you can, I would get out! See ya Florida, it's been nice!

by Rose	Jun 9, 2008 6:45 PM
Thanks to idiots who believed Republicans once again when they lied that Santa Claus will pay your bills. Here's your STUPID "one florida" in action. Crist flunks bar exam twice -- yet you vote for him? Vote stealer JEB's clone. His boyz get rich.

by joe tampa	Jun 8, 2008 9:07 AM
When you say 'shrinking' don't forget to mention 'exploding' for the past years of record budget increases, with no apparent improvements; indeed, the quality of our education is worse than ever.

by Tina	Jun 8, 2008 9:07 AM
If these people had the decency to stand with the thousands of their hard-working peers consigned to poverty wages as temps so they can command big bucks, they'd find work satisfaction anywhere. Cry me a river. Will the SPT ever see its elitism?

by Jose	Jun 8, 2008 9:06 AM
I see the GOP/Jeb plan to destroy Public Education is working as planned.

by Link	Jun 8, 2008 9:04 AM
Here's what the other U's are offering: stability, better pay, shared governance, realistic strategic plans, smaller courses, domestic partner benefits, a citizenry that values education, and competent presidents, provosts, and deans.

by Kim	Jun 8, 2008 9:04 AM
Make way for a younger, more optimistic group of academic leaders.

by Frank	Jun 8, 2008 9:03 AM
Yes, but look at what we had to do to get Al-Arian and his cronies to leave! I don't see any Arabic-American names on the list. Looks like Florida is still attractive to terrorist "brains".

by Tom	Jun 8, 2008 8:28 AM
Teresa said, "What out of state Universities are offering...?" More, a lot more. I could get 25%+ more if I moved to most any other state, EVEN MISSISSIPPI! but my wife wants to stay close to her family and we can't sell our house.

by Mat	Jun 7, 2008 8:17 AM
This is why my son is going to University of Tampa. It's so worth the money.

by john	Jun 7, 2008 8:15 AM
Congrats FLA, you are getting exactly what you paid for. Now you will have more money for nursing homes. Corporations, you are next. The skilled workers are leaving for much greener pastures.

by Earl	Jun 7, 2008 8:13 AM
Teresa, here's one: Assistant prof at USF in his 6th year gets offer at school with a similar reputation. Gets offer $20,000 above current salary and $10,000 more than professors who've been here 25 years. You'd leave too.

by Timmy!	Jun 7, 2008 8:10 AM
Is this the market-place working as it should?

by kitty	Jun 6, 2008 8:52 PM
Eric, we do need to have the 2nd cheapest universities in the country because we're at the bottom of the pay scale. Locals need to be able to afford tuition too.

by Eric	Jun 6, 2008 8:16 PM
Why don't we just allow the schools to raise their tuition? This would allow them to make realistic budget. We don't need to have the 2nd cheapest universities in the country.

by DP	Jun 6, 2008 7:14 PM
mmmm... I sure am enjoying this ammendment 1 tax cut. Who knew taxes actually paid for things? Maybe someday Floridians will learn that votes actually have consequences too.

by Alex	Jun 6, 2008 7:13 PM
David, this year was the tipping point. Cuts and zero-increases have been handed down for several years. But this year, it became clear that there was no hope for the future.

by Joe	Jun 6, 2008 1:32 PM
add Jannick Rolland to the departure list (Optics Expert, going from UCF to Univ of Rochester).

by David	Jun 6, 2008 1:32 PM
These are only a few of many examples. What surprised me is how fast it's happening. I thought it would take two or three years to become an exit stream.

by Teresa	Jun 6, 2008 1:32 PM
The article does not indicate what out of state Univerities are offering and what makes them more attractive than Florida.