Legislators discuss what a college degree is worth as state details underperforming disciplines

A top state education official made the case to state lawmakers that a Florida university degree is an “extraordinary investment,” with a significant return for students and the state at large.

The House Careers & Workforce Subcommittee heard about the true value of graduating college and how the university system strives to maximize that further. 

Emily Sikes, the Vice Chancellor of Academic & Student Affairs for the State University System (SUS) of Florida, noted that 80% of undergrads at state institutions graduate without federal loans, with Florida boasting the fourth-lowest tuition in the country.

Sikes said policymakers are making smart decisions to maximize value further, including culling programs that aren’t producing many graduates.

More than 2/3 of those “on the low productivity list” are Master’s programs in the following disciplines: area, ethnic, cultural, gender and group studies; education; foreign languages, literature and linguistics; philosophy and religious studies; physical sciences; social sciences; and visual and performing arts.

Many of the programs will continue, as they are tied to doctorate programs. But while 150 will remain, 30 will be consolidated, creating efficiency and protecting resources, while 18 will be terminated and eight suspended at the discretion of the individual universities.

These resources are redirected for societal benefit, Sikes said.

Programs of strategic emphasis are intended to marshal resources toward programs targeted to employer needs with potential high-wage returns on investment. This focus has helped the employability of students in health care, science, engineering and accounting, among other fields. 

At last count, nearly 75% of recent graduates were making at least $40,000 annually due to this focus in part, with 64% graduating in four years, which means the system is more efficient as a whole than it used to be. 

“Ten years ago, we’re talking about a six-year graduation rate. And I think you still have other states that are talking about a six-year graduation rate. And in Florida, we’ve been committed to talking about a four-year graduation rate and a lot of that has to do with performance based funding as well,” Sikes said.

“Having that metric in performance-based funding has, I think, influenced a lot of this behavior that you’re seeing on the accountability side, holding universities accountable for students that are coming in, ensuring that they graduate on time is a larger part of our performance based funding, and our investment that we’ve made into that.”

Nursing, biology, and elementary education are among the programs with the best ROI, Sikes said.

But does Florida retain the talent it trains?

Most nursing students stay in Florida, she affirmed, as indicated by National Council Licensure Examination data. But in other disciplines, labor market data is a less reliable indicator.

Asked to identify where the SUS can improve, Sikes said the state needs to continue communicating the state’s successes.

“I think it’s an opportunity more than a challenge,” she said.