ICUF Report
May, 2003
The newsletter of the Independent Colleges & Universities of Florida
By John C. Van Gieson, (850) 681-6505, johnvghsd@earthlink.net
FRAG on line at special session – Funding for the Florida Resident Access Grant is a crucial issue for
ICUF institutions in the Legislature’s 16-day special session on the budget. Gov. Bush called the
session after legislators failed to agree on a budget during the regular session. Going into the special
session on Monday, the outlook for increased FRAG funding was not bright. The Senate is starting
with a budget that would cut funding by $6 million, which would reduce the grants, currently $2,686,
by more than $400. The House starting point is continuing to fund the program at the current level,
$70.8 million, but that would also reduce the grants because more students will be participating in the
program. ICUF projects that nearly 3,000 new students will enroll in the program in the fall, raising
the total to 32,660. Our top priority during the special session is to fight for a $7.9 million funding
increase to cover the cost of growth, and we are urging students, parents, staffers and supporters to
help by contacting their legislators. For more information on how you can help, please visit the
website www.saveourfrag.org.
ICUF and FICF offers scholarships to new teachers – ICUF is offering to help former students who
graduated from our institutions in 2002 and 2003 find jobs as teachers. The program is open to all
graduates, not just education majors. As part of a state-run program to increase the supply of teachers
in Florida, the Florida Independent College Fund (FICF) will help up to 700 recent graduates find
jobs as teachers in Florida public schools in the fall. Participants will receive on-line training over the
summer to help prepare for a job as a teacher. They will then receive scholarships allowing them to
participate in professional teacher certification programs at an ICUF institution over the next three
years. For more information on this exciting opportunity to break into the teaching profession, recent
graduates should email yesteach@ficf.org. Please tell any recent graduates you know who are looking
for a job about this program.
Two more presidents announce retirements – Sister Jeanne O’Laughlin, president of Barry
University, and Dr. Thomas L. Reuschling, president of Florida Southern College, have announced
plans to retire at the end of the 2003-04 academic year. Sister Jeanne and Dr. Reuschling are
dynamic presidents who have done much to improve their institutions and have been leaders in the
ICUF organization. They will be missed. Sister Jeanne has served as Barry’s president for 22 years,
one of the longest tenures of any college president in the country. Under her leadership, the university
has grown from 1,750 to more than 8,500 students and added a law school and a public television and
radio station. A legendary fund-raiser, Sister Jeanne has raised more than $170 million for Barry.
She is a member of the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame. When Dr. Reuschling leaves next year, he
will have served 10 years as president of Florida Southern. His achievements include a $60 million
capital campaign, increasing enrollment from 1,400 to 1,800, enhancing diversity on campus,
extending the town-gown relationship, and preserving the strong values component of a Florida
Southern education. Dr. Rita Bornstein previously announced that she would retire as president of
Rollins College at the end of the 2003-04 academic year.
Sister Jeanne O’Laughlin
Dr. Thomas L. Reuschling
Senate honors George Kirkpatrick -- Senators paused during the regular legislative session to pay
their respects to the late George G. Kirkpatrick, Jr., the former ICUF executive director who served
as a senator for 20 years. The Senate passed a resolution commemorating Kirkpatrick’s many
accomplishments during a long, productive legislative career. He was singled out for his sponsorship
of and commitments to the Solid Waste Management Act of 1988, the Sadowski Affordable Housing
Act, Preservation 2000 and the preservation of the Rodman Reservoir. The resolution also
acknowledged Kirkpatrick’s enormous contribution to higher education as ICUF executive director.
A bill that passed this year’s Legislature would name the entire Rodman Recreation Area after
Kirkpatrick, but Gov. Jeb Bush has threatened to veto it. Kirkpatrick’s son and daughter, Catherine
and Grier Kirkpatrick, have asked his friends to urge the governor to allow the bill to become law as
a tribute to the former senator.
The buzz on ICUF schools – The college sports world is abuzz with reports that the University of
Miami may leave the Big East Conference to join the Atlantic Coast Conference. UM officials have
expressed interest in the move, which would increase their athletic department’s income. The move
would put Miami and Florida State University, two of college football’s traditional powers, in the
same conference. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has partnered with the International Space
University (ISU) in France. This opportunity will expand curricula, guarantee admission to at least
five ERAU students to ISU for summer sessions and masters degree program, provide overseas
sabbaticals to faculty and promote collaboration on workshops, seminars, forums and other programs.
Florida Memorial College is proud to announce that its Education program has been granted
accreditation by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The program
has previously been recognized for producing one of the highest percentages of minority teachers in
the nation and will expand in Fall 2003 to include a master’s degree in Education. Rollins College has
dedicated the Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Building, which will house the offices of Admission and
Student Financial Aid, and the Marshall E. Rinker, Jr. room, which will serve as a central gathering
room. The building was designed in the same Spanish-Mediterranean style as the rest of campus.
Saint Leo University has partnered with the Community College of the Air Force to offer students a
fully accredited quality degree through their Distance Learning Program, which currently serves over
10,000 students. Saint Leo is the sixth largest higher education provider to the military and has also
partnered with the Army and Navy through the eArmyU and Navy College Program for Afloat College
Education programs. Barry University’s Andreas School of Business has received full accreditation
from The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, which makes the University the
only AACSB-accredited university in South Florida and Catholic university in the southeast, east of
New Orleans. The program boasts small class sizes, no teaching assistants, seven majors and the
MBA. Rollins College has won both the men's women's divisions of the Sunshine State Conference
Mayor's Cup for all-sports competition in the 2002-2003 academic year. It was the first outright award
for both Rollins men’s and women’s teams in SSC competition.
Students gain recognition for their schools -- Bart Piniaz, sophomore at Flagler College, was
named Businessman of the Year by the Business Advisory Council of the National Republican
Congressional Committee, and was recognized in the February 19th issue of the Wall Street Journal.
Piniaz received the award for his company, BP Mold Remediation, which reduces indoor exposure to
mold. Rollins College students Sharon Ainsley, 29-year-old mother of three and computer science
major, and Cherie Ramirez, 16-year-old biochemistry & molecular biology and classical studies
major, have received prestigious Goldwater Scholarships. The national scholars were selected based
on nominations from their universities and colleges faculties. The Society for Advancement of
Management (SAM) chapter at Flagler College cleaned house at this year’s national conference in
Orlando. They took their fifth national student management case competition championship title, also
holding the record for most championships. Team members included Logan Abrams, William S.
Graves, III, Darrell P. Salvia, and Peter M. Troup.
Barry University  Bethune-Cookman College  Clearwater Christian College  Eckerd College  Edward
Waters College  Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University  Flagler College  Florida College  Florida
Hospital College of Health Sciences  Florida Institute of Technology  Florida Memorial College  Florida
Southern College  International College  Jacksonville University Lynn University  Nova Southeastern
University  Palm Beach Atlantic University  Ringling School of Art and Design  Rollins College  Saint
Leo University  Saint Thomas University  Southeastern College  Stetson University  University of Miami
 University of Tampa  Warner Southern College  Webber International University
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