Florida’s Public Colleges Worry About Building Projects as Budget Deadline Looms

The Tallahassee Democrat reports that leaders of Florida colleges are worried that Gov. Charlie Crist will strike money for their building projects out of the state budget. The governor, a Republican, wants to direct more money to transportation projects. He must sign the budget by Saturday.

“This governor has been incredibly supportive of higher education, but everyone gets nervous during the veto portion of the process for these projects,” said Frank T. Brogan, chancellor of the Board of Governors, which oversees the colleges. “It is our hope that he will see his way clear to support as many of these projects as he possibly can.”

The paper mentions two institutions in particular: Florida State University and Florida A&M University. Florida A&M is planning to construct a $23-million College of Pharmacy building; the university’s president, James H. Ammons, met with the governor’s chief of staff to emphasize how much the college needs the money.

Florida State has been designated to get $22-million in capital funds, $12-million of which would go toward renovation of a law school.

Both colleges want money for a joint College of Engineering facility. Currently, the program is housed in old school-classroom trailers. “You wonder how in the world we can attract the kind of talent we need in both faculty and students with 14 worn-out trailers,” Mr. Ammons told the newspaper.