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Power struggle still not settled

Some lawmakers are irked this year with what they view as too much university autonomy, which must mean all is well in academia. More than two years after voters created a separate Board of Governors to prevent political meddling in higher education, that board is beginning to behave as though it were actually in charge. So, like clockwork, the Legislature is trying to pull rank.

The rub is tuition. A House bill sponsored by Rep. Dudley Goodlette, R-Naples, would proclaim that universities play no role in setting their own tuitions and fees. The state Constitution establishes that the new board "shall operate, regulate, control, and be fully responsible for the management of the whole university system." But tuition, according to Goodlette, is about money, and money is the province of lawmakers.

To date, senators have shown less stomach for a showdown with the new board and for good reason. It was created after lawmakers abolished the old Board of Regents for refusing to support a new medical school at Florida State University, and a group of higher education advocates already has asked the courts to force the state to abide by the amendment.

Board chairwoman Carolyn Roberts, who has been evenhanded in her approach with lawmakers, thinks the courts ultimately may have to referee this fight. "I don't think this will be settled quickly," Roberts said Wednesday. "I think it will take several years before people are comfortable with where we are."

Roberts is probably right, which makes the House bill this year seem a little precipitous. Both tuition and state tax money go toward running public universities, and one can't be changed without impacting the other. That's why cooperation, at least in the financial arena, will be as critical as the hard and fast lines establishing authority.

Goodlette has said he merely is seeking to "harmonize" legislative and university responsibilities, but he can't ignore the history here. When lawmakers get involved in higher education, they far too often are seeking mischief.

[Last modified March 27, 2005, 00:33:11]