At the end of 2012, U.S. News & World Report released a new set of rankings that focus on the level of efficiency in colleges and universities. Florida State University achieved the distinction of being the most efficient national university according to the ranking.
U.S. News‘ methodology combines the ranking system they use to determine the quality of education a school offers and each school’s financial resources for the 2011 fiscal year. Schools that spend less but continue to have a high quality ranking were pushed to the top of this new efficiency list.
Florida State President Eric Barron spoke of two motivations that pushed him and his administration to make big changes toward more efficient operations. On the one hand, budget cuts from the state propelled them into a position in which change was necessary. On the other hand, Barron chose to see the budget cuts as an opportunity that could benefit both the school and the students.
The Florida State University Board of Trustees created a committee of business leaders who looked into ways they could cut back in certain areas of the budget and use any additional funds to invest in academic programs. Rather than using phrases like “budget cuts” and concentrating on what FSU has had to lose, Barron speaks in terms of investments in students and the budget lines that are going to increase the quality of the education and improve college completion rates.
As an example, FSU has made cuts to their operations budget and worked to save on energy costs. They also continue to invest in advisers and mentors for students. They recently invested in an academic map that lets professors know what major students have selected and see if students are making decisions that will slow down their progress to graduation. Barron emphasizes that he wants to make a “direct investment in what we know will impact retention and graduation rates.”
When asked about the new ranking, Barron didn’t hide that he’s pleased to be at the top of the list. “I looked at things and decided myself that we were efficient. I had been saying that out loud for two years to everyone who would listen. We felt validated that someone outside the university put us on that list,” he says.
