The Southern

Issue date: 3/27/09 Section: Opinion

Dear Students,

I write to update you on recent decisions by the College's administration and Board of Trustees to ensure the quality of your educational experience while providing for the institution's continued financial strength during this time of national and state economic uncertainty.

 Despite the state of the economy, Florida Southern College is in solid financial shape.

We have been fortunate to benefit from strong financial leadership, which has resulted in spending policies and strategies that have positioned the institution well for the economic challenges we face.

We know that our country is experiencing tough economic times and that schools across the nation-and more importantly, students and their families-are not exempt from these financial realities.

President Kerr proposed that the Board of Trustees not increase tuition, room, and board for current students as our first financial priority, and the Board made the unprecedented decision to freeze these costs for all current full-time undergraduates for the 2009-2010 academic year.

Very few colleges in the nation can make this claim. Indeed, many are in the position of having to make drastic cuts in faculty positions, and in other key areas.

As Dr. Kerr says repeatedly, "Helping FSC students and their families afford to continue their studies in order to earn their degrees must drive all other decisions."

Consequently, we made the difficult decision to delay filling some vacant positions and not to renew a few faculty positions.   However, the majority of faculty positions were renewed for the upcoming year.

I reiterate that our first and foremost concern is for students, and I assure you that students in all majors are assured of having the courses they need to complete both their core curriculum and degree program requirements.  

Some students have questioned the College's construction and landscaping expenses.

All of the new buildings and garden spaces throughout campus have been funded entirely through personal gifts from trustees, alumni and friends of the College.

These individuals are being extraordinarily generous to FSC through their contributions for not only the physical improvements that will support learning and improved campus life, but also for scholarships, faculty positions, laboratory equipment, upgraded technology, campus ministries and other campus life programs.

Ninety percent of FSC students receive some form of scholarship assistance, much of which has been donated.

Florida Southern's outstanding success in recent years is in large part based on the generosity of these donors who choose to invest in program and facility enhancements for current students, which is an endorsement of the quality of our College.

Florida Southern College is experiencing incredible momentum.  I know that you will appreciate the need for financial prudence as we work to sustain and strengthen educational excellence.

I wish each of you a successful conclusion to the year.

 

Sincerely,

Russell Warren

Provost

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