An error in the Board of Governor’s (BOG) calculations for performance-based university funding means UNF may be eligible for a portion of the $100 million performance fund.

The BOG is responsible for oversight of Florida’s 12 public universities and approved the performance funding plan on March 19. According to the plan, UNF ranked in the state’s bottom three universities which effectively exempts it from performance-based funding. UNF President John Delaney said in an email that it didn’t make sense that UNF was calculated to be one of the lowest performing schools in the state.

“The BOG’s calculations of the performance metrics weren’t adding up for us, since we rank so highly when it comes to students getting jobs after graduation and our access rate,” Delaney said. “We’ve also made huge improvements in our graduation rates, so when the BOG came out with their final scores last week, it didn’t make sense”

The Board of Governors admitted that a mistake was made when UNF’s Office of Institutional Research found an error in the performance calculations. After corrections were made, it was found that UNF’s performance score is tied with FSU’s, removing UNF’s label as a poorly performing university.

It has yet to be determined whether both UNF and FSU will receive a share of the funding or if UNF’s new score will also absolve FSU’s funding. Both universities are awaiting a decision, as it is now in the hands of the state’s Legislature.

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