Florida Board of Governors

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Florida Board of Governors
TypeGoverning board
Established2003
ChancellorRay Rodrigues
Students349,921 (2022)
Location
Tallahassee
,
Florida
,
U.S.
Websiteflbog.edu

The Florida Board of Governors is a 17-member board serving as the constitutional governing body for the State University System of Florida, which includes all public universities of the state of Florida.

The Florida Legislature abolished the Florida Board of Regents, the predecessor of the Florida Board of Governors, in July 2001, with governor Jeb Bush signing the act into law. Former governor of Florida and then United States senator Bob Graham (D-FL) opposed the decision and led a ballot initiative to restore the statewide higher education body. In 2002, voters approved a Florida constitutional amendment championed by Graham. The Board of Governors was established in 2003 as a result. The establishment of the Board of Governors is part of the Constitution of Florida and can only be abolished through another constitutional amendment.

The Florida Board of Education, also appointed by the governor, oversees K–20 education and community colleges.

During the 2022–2023 academic year, the State University System enrolled 349,921 total students, and it is the second largest state university system in the United States, after the California State University system.[1]

Universities under the board

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Universities
University Location Established Enrollment (Fall 2024)[2]
Florida A&M University Tallahassee, Florida 1887 8,972
Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, Florida 1961 30,246
Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, Florida 1991 15,962
Florida International University Miami, Florida 1965 48,696
Florida Polytechnic University Lakeland, Florida 2012 1,766
Florida State University Tallahassee, Florida 1851 42,945
New College of Florida Sarasota, Florida 1960 872
University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida 1963 69,067
University of Florida Gainesville, Florida 1853 58,933
University of North Florida Jacksonville, Florida 1969 15,732
University of South Florida Tampa, Florida 1956 47,906
University of West Florida Pensacola, Florida 1963 13,851

Current members of the board

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The Florida Board of Governors has seventeen members, including fourteen voting members appointed by the governor, as well as the Florida commissioner of education, the chair of the Advisory Council of Faculty Senates, and the chair of the Florida Student Association. The board appoints a chancellor, who serves as the system's chief executive.

Governors[3]
Name Profession Education Term start Term end
Appointed by Governor
Ashley Bell Barnett former teacher, donor[4] BA (Florida Southern), MPA (USF) November 27, 2023 January 6, 2026
Tim Cerio attorney BA, JD (UF) October 27, 2017 January 6, 2031
Aubrey Edge President & CEO, First Coast Energy February 3, 2020 January 6, 2027
Patricia Frost retired school principal BA (Colby), MA (Columbia) October 27, 2017 January 6, 2024
Carson Good real estate (FSU), MBA (Rollins College) May 8, 2024 January 6, 2031
Edward Haddock lawyer & businessman BA (Ohio Wesleyan), JD (UVA) November 20, 2020 January 6, 2027
Ken Jones lawyer & businessman BA (FSU), JD (UF) November 20, 2020 January 6, 2027
Brian Lamb, Chair business executive BA, MBA (USF) March 29, 2019 January 6, 2026
Alan M. Levine, Vice-Chair President & CEO, Mountain States Health Alliance BSc, MBA, MSc (UF) June 22, 2017 January 6, 2031
Charles H. Lydecker insurance executive BA (American) June 14, 2019 January 6, 2027
Craig Mateer businessman BA (FSU) March 11, 2022 January 6, 2027
Jose Oliva politician, businessman January 4, 2023 January 6, 2026
Paul Renner politician, lawyer BA (Davidson College), JD UF April 14, 2025 January 6, 2013
Eric Silagy President & CEO, Florida Power & Light BA (UT Austin), JD (Georgetown) March 29, 2019 January 6, 2026
Remaining Members
Anastasios Kamoutsas Commissioner of Education BA (FIU), JD (Regent University) July 14, 2025
Kimberly Dunn Chair, Advisory Council of Faculty Senates PhD June 1, 2025 May 31, 2026
Carson Dale Chair, Florida Student Association BA (FSU, in progress) June 1, 2025 May 31, 2026

Initiatives

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2016 Think Florida

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In January 2016, the State University System launched a statewide communications and marketing campaign to build and bolster the state's entrepreneurial climate - Think Florida: A Higher Degree for Business. The campaign's focus is a strong connection between the system's universities and Florida's businesses, with an emphasis on collaboration in the areas of talent, research and partnerships.[5][6]

2014 Performance-based funding

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The Board of Governors unveiled a performance-based funding model in 2014 to incentivize universities to improve on key metrics, from graduation rates to post-graduation success.

The model has four guiding principles:

  1. use metrics that align with SUS Strategic Plan goals,
  2. reward excellence or improvement,
  3. have a few clear, simple metrics, and
  4. acknowledge the unique mission of the different institutions.

Key components of the model:

  • Institutions will be evaluated on either excellence or Improvement for each metric.
  • Data is based on one-year data.
  • The benchmarks for excellence were based on the Board of Governors 2025 System Strategic Plan goals and analysis of relevant data trends, whereas the benchmarks for Improvement were determined after reviewing data trends for each metric.
  • The Florida Legislature and governor determine the amount of new state funding and a proportional amount of institutional funding that would come from each university's recurring state base appropriation.[7]

2010 Preeminent State Research Universities

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In 2010, the Florida Legislature created the Preeminent State Research University program and set 12 benchmarks to define these schools, which are awarded more state funding for research. 11 of the 12 benchmarks must be met for a school to be classified as Preeminent by the Board of Governors. The benchmarks are:[8]

  • An average weighted grade point average of 4.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale and an average SAT score of 1200 or higher on a 1600-point scale or an average ACT score of 25 or higher on a 36 score scale, using the latest published national concordance table developed jointly by the College Board and ACT, Inc., for fall semester incoming freshmen, as reported annually.
  • A top-50 ranking on at least two well-known and highly respected national public university rankings, including, but not limited to, the U.S. News & World Report rankings, reflecting national preeminence, using most recent rankings.
  • A freshman retention rate of 90 percent or higher for full-time, first-time-in-college students.
  • A 4-year graduation rate of 60 percent or higher for full-time, first-time-in-college students.
  • Six or more faculty members at the state university who are members of a national academy.
  • Total annual research expenditures, including federal research expenditures, of $200 million or more.
  • Total annual research expenditures in diversified nonmedical sciences of $150 million or more.
  • A top-100 university national ranking for research expenditures in five or more science, technology, engineering, or mathematics fields of study.
  • One hundred or more total patents awarded by the United States Patent and Trademark Office for the most recent 3-year period.
  • Four hundred or more doctoral degrees awarded annually, including professional doctoral degrees awarded in medical and health care disciplines.
  • Two hundred or more postdoctoral appointees annually.
  • An endowment of $500 million or more.

Currently, three universities are classified as preeminent: the University of Florida, Florida State University, and the University of South Florida. All three have exceeded each of the 12 benchmarks.

Former members of the board

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Name Profession Education Term start Projected term end
H. Wayne Huizenga Jr. businessman January 10, 2013 January 6, 2027
Darlene L. Jordan former attorney BA (Fordham), JD (Suffolk) June 22, 2017 January 6, 2024
Sydney Kitson, Chair real estate developer June 22, 2017 January 6, 2024
Kent Stermon COO, Total Military Management March 29, 2019 December 8, 2022[9]
Richard Corcoran attorney BA (St Leo), JD (Regent) May 26, 2022 January 6, 2024
Steven M. Scott physician and entrepreneur MD (Indiana) March 29, 2019 January 6, 2026

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "System Accountability Report" (PDF).
  2. ^ "Headcount Enrollment by Student Type". State University System of Florida. Retrieved 2025-04-15.
  3. ^ "State University System of Florida | Board of Governors". Flbog.edu. Retrieved 2021-02-23.
  4. ^ Scheckner, Jesse (November 28, 2023). "Gov. DeSantis appoints campaign donor, lawmaker's daughter to University System Board of Governors". Florida Politics. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  5. ^ "State University System of Florida | Board of Governors : Press Room". flbog.edu. Archived from the original on 2016-03-10. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  6. ^ "Think Florida – The State University System of Florida leverages its distinctive strengths for the benefit of all the state's citizens and business enterprises". www.think-florida.org. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  7. ^ "Board of Governors Performance Model Overview" (PDF). Florida Board of Governors. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2016. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  8. ^ "Statutes & Constitution :View Statutes : Online Sunshine". www.leg.state.fl.us. Retrieved 2021-10-06.
  9. ^ Glenn, Sarah; Schindler, Anne. "Criminal investigation preceded suicide of high-powered GOP insider". First Coast News. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
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Preceded by Governing Body for the
State University System of Florida
2003–present 		Succeeded by
NA