The University of South Florida is one of many state schools that has cut faculty. (Photo via USF.edu)
By Steve Miller
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
Administrative ranks and part-time faculty at public universities in Florida, as in most states, swelled between 2004 and 2012 as full-time faculty dipped, an analysis of recently released numbers shows.
Among the state’s 12 four-year public universities, nine have seen cuts to full-time positions. Four of those schools increased part-time faculty, while five of them increased full-time management staff.
The University of South Florida saw its full-time faculty cut 32 percent per 1,000 students and its part-time faculty grow 102 percent. Management staff also declined 11 percent.
The University of Central Florida cut both its full-time teaching staff (15 percent) and its part-time faculty (30 percent) while increasing its management team by 14 percent.
The University of Florida showed increases at both classroom and the executive levels, although full-time teachers increased by 21 percent while administrative staffing increased 48 percent.
Florida State University, with the state’s most expensive in-state tuition last year, decreased its administrative staffing by 49 percent while increasing both its part time and full time teaching, by 11 and 12 percent respectively.
The data was compiled by the Delta Cost Project at the American Institutes for Research based on U.S. Department of Education figures. See the database for all states here.
The hike in non-instructional staffing has not been dominantly by the big-buck positions most people believe, but rather in supporting staff, said researcher Donna Desrochers, lead author of the report.
“It’s mid-level professionals, and there are other things, like career guidance, disciplinary procedures and greater administrative requirements that have driven this growth,” Desrochers said. “Fund raising, IT staff, there’s more support all the way around.”
Among the state’s 26 four-year private universities, 15 have increased management levels while 17 have increased full-time teaching ranks, with several doing both.
Rollins College, Nova Southeastern University, and the University of Miami all propped up both full time teaching numbers as well as full time administrative staff.
In-state tuition at state universities increased 59 percent between 2009 and 2013, while rising 17 percent at four-year private schools, according to figures from the Florida Department of Education.