UF administrators and student leaders spoke about preserving quality in the midst of sweeping budget cuts Tuesday.
The symposium, "University in Crisis," highlighted the effects of the economic downturn on UF. About 70 people attended the five-speaker panel.
The presenters included UF Provost Joe Glover, UF professor and economist David Denslow, Student Body President-elect Jordan Johnson, along with Alligator editor in chief Nicole Safker and managing editor Kristin Bjornsen.
Glover, who spoke first, said UF had to cut $69 million from its budget last year, adding UF administrators predict budget cuts to fall between $30 million and $90 million for the next academic year, depending on a compromise that must be forged between the Florida Senate and House, Glover said.
While the Senate has been willing to include various revenue increases such as the new cigarette tax, the House has been more reluctant, and both are looking at Obama's stimulus money differently. All of the university's individual college's budget proposals will be released Thursday in a compilation that will be made accessible on UF President Bernie Machen's Web site.
When asked about Machen's involvement in the Capitol, Glover said the president often visits during the spring legislative session.
Glover attributed the overwhelming size of the undergraduate body as a main stress to UF's budget woes.
"We do not have a large budget for the size of the student body," Glover said. Each faculty position costs about $100,000, including salary and benefits.
UF's tuition is well below the national average, he said, adding solutions could include lowering the number of undergraduates.
When asked about FSU's example of hiring freezes, Glover said UF will not be following suit.
"We don't believe the university can afford to just stop," Glover said. "We would lose ground and traction."
Denslow, professor and research economist, provided insight on the complexity of the university's current crisis, and said quality undergraduate education must first be defined before it can be preserved.
While some look to SAT scores of incoming frsehmen or graduate wages as a reflection of quality education, Denslow said quality starts in the classroom.
Reducing UF's student-faculty ratio of 22-to-1 to 20-to-1, he said, could help students in the long run.
"My guess is that the ones in a 25-student class learn about 75 percent more," he said.
Student Body President-elect Jordan Johnson said student involvement is essential to protect programs from being cut, because he relays student feedback to administrators.
When an audience member mentioned using part of Student Government's $14 million budget as a possible source for university revenue, Johnson said it would be hypocritical for SG to exclude itself from proposed cuts.
"Student Government is definitely going to have to be ready to make concessions," Johnson said.
Alligator editors Safker and Bjornsen spoke about the issues raised in letters to the editor and columns featured in the Opinions section. The newspaper has seen firsthand how students are reacting, but to generate budget-cut solutions, managing editor Kristin Bjornsen said more discussion is needed.
"I don't think we're being creative enough," she said.
While students wandered about munching on free pizza after the event ended, many said they stopped by just to voice their concerns.
For Jasmine Betz, a political science junior, the relationship between the university and the state legislature was reason for concern.
"It's extremely frustrating to watch the future of our university be decided by our state Legislature," she said."This is going to have catastrophic, exponential repercussions."
