The tough economic times can make people do pretty crazy things.
Gainesville businesses are closing up shop. UF can't afford to pay its electric bill. Untenured faculty are getting the boot in round after round of layoffs.
Even the Editorial Board has considered switching to an all-Easy-Mac diet to conserve our ever-dwindling money stash.
Understandably, UF's administration is looking for new ways to save cash.
The newest stop on their budget-cut train is to allow incoming students to bring in 45 hours of Advanced Placement and dual enrollment credit from high school. Previously, the cap was set at 30 credits.
We can understand their reasoning. Students will probably graduate quicker and take up fewer seats in classes like Freshman Comp. Fewer warm bodies equates to fewer class sections, so UF won't have to spend as much money to pay faculty and keep those pesky lights on.
Also, accepting more outside credit will be mutually beneficial - UF can pad its statistics and high-school overachievers can pad their transcripts. But, may we ask, why must this change be blamed on budget cuts?
If increasing the cap will be so beneficial to students and university alike, why didn't UF always allow students to bring more credits in with them?
It seems now more than ever a lack of funding is becoming the scapegoat for unpopular or otherwise unsavory decisions. A small liberal arts program is taking up valuable research money? Cut it. Tenured faculty can enjoy the job security while adjunct lecturers toil in basement offices.
We understand things need to be cut and changed, after all, the university is a living and breathing thing. But we just wish the UF would stop blaming their unpopular decisions on funding.
