Post by bigpuya2 on Oct 31, 2007 7:43:56 GMT -5
MIAMI, FL (Oct. 30, 2007) – The Florida Legislature has approved $5.4 million for the Florida International University College of Medicine and spared the medical school from budget cuts.
The Legislature’s commitment to full funding for the medical school, endorsed by Gov. Charlie Crist, keeps the College of Medicine on track for its preliminary accreditation site visit in mid-November.
The College of Medicine is expected to enroll its first class in 2009.
Other budget decisions made by the Legislature and signed by Crist last week will have a positive impact on FIU as well. The Legislature approved a five percent tuition increase for all state universities for spring 2008. For the average student this means an increase of about $44 per semester. About 30 percent of that increase will go toward student financial aid. Also, a technology fee of up to five percent was approved to take effect in 2009.
“We view these measures as a step in the right direction for higher education in Florida,” said FIU President Modesto A. Maidique. “FIU has been under-funded for years and we can no longer continue to deliver quality education without raising tuition.”
Dean of the College of Medicine John Rock said that he is very pleased with the news that the nascent college will be spared from cuts this year.
“The College of Medicine is at a critical point in its development,” said Dean Rock, who has already hired several nationally recognized doctors to key positions in the college. “We need these resources to put all the pieces in place that will result in a medical school that will serve as model for the next century.”
Among the innovative elements of the FIU College of Medicine is a program that will send medical students along with their counterparts in social work, nursing and public health, into the community from the onset of their academic programs.
The College of Medicine is expected to have a billion-dollar economic impact on Miami-Dade County, bringing 8,000 to 11,000 new jobs to the area. The school also will bring $78 million to state coffers every year. The cost to the state will be approximately $27 million a year to run once it is fully operational.
For more information about the FIU College of Medicine visit medicine.fiu.edu/
The Legislature’s commitment to full funding for the medical school, endorsed by Gov. Charlie Crist, keeps the College of Medicine on track for its preliminary accreditation site visit in mid-November.
The College of Medicine is expected to enroll its first class in 2009.
Other budget decisions made by the Legislature and signed by Crist last week will have a positive impact on FIU as well. The Legislature approved a five percent tuition increase for all state universities for spring 2008. For the average student this means an increase of about $44 per semester. About 30 percent of that increase will go toward student financial aid. Also, a technology fee of up to five percent was approved to take effect in 2009.
“We view these measures as a step in the right direction for higher education in Florida,” said FIU President Modesto A. Maidique. “FIU has been under-funded for years and we can no longer continue to deliver quality education without raising tuition.”
Dean of the College of Medicine John Rock said that he is very pleased with the news that the nascent college will be spared from cuts this year.
“The College of Medicine is at a critical point in its development,” said Dean Rock, who has already hired several nationally recognized doctors to key positions in the college. “We need these resources to put all the pieces in place that will result in a medical school that will serve as model for the next century.”
Among the innovative elements of the FIU College of Medicine is a program that will send medical students along with their counterparts in social work, nursing and public health, into the community from the onset of their academic programs.
The College of Medicine is expected to have a billion-dollar economic impact on Miami-Dade County, bringing 8,000 to 11,000 new jobs to the area. The school also will bring $78 million to state coffers every year. The cost to the state will be approximately $27 million a year to run once it is fully operational.
For more information about the FIU College of Medicine visit medicine.fiu.edu/
