A spending deal approved by the Florida state legislature, is headed to the desk of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, that eliminates extra funding for the state’s “preeminent” public universities, The Miami Herald reports. That’s especially bad news for the University of Central Florida (UCF), which is expected to qualify for the designation for the first time this year.

The Preeminence Program emerged in 2013 as an elite designation system to encourage the state’s universities to climb nationwide rankings by meeting a certain number of statistical benchmarks. To achieve this status, institutions must meet or exceed 11 of 12 strict benchmark metrics, including graduation rates, student retention, research expenditures, and patents.  The University of Florida, Florida State University, the University of South Florida, and Florida International University currently have the distinction and last year split $40 million in extra state funding.

If the Preeminence Program is eliminated, it would show a disdain for quality at the Florida state universities.  I feel sorry for colleagues at UCF and the other state universities.

Tony