Chances are that, if you follow Florida State athletics, you graduated from the school. Even if you didn't, however, you should probably be just as invested in the quality of their academic reputation as the success of their athletic programs. The two don't always need to go hand-in-hand, but the higher the academic reputation, the more likely it is that you produce smart, successful alumni. And of course, smart, successful alumni hopefully become wealthy-enough alumni such that they give back to the school or directly to the Boosters.
By now, you have probably heard about the contentious and wildly complex issue of separating the FSU-FAMU College of Engineering into two schools. Senator John Thrasher sparked a raging fire when he first proposed an amendment to split the two engineering schools. Trasher, in his mind, is looking out for the future of his school. He's creating quite a bit of political baggage and collateral in the process, however.
In fact, you could probably call FSU, it's administration, and its supporters "blood thirsty." They are committed to FSU becoming a top 25 school. As a fan, you should be elated. And if you're looking at quick ways to improve FSU's standing, well, look no further than the success (or lack thereof) of its engineering school. Currently, the FSU-FAMU College of Engineering isn't ranked in the top 100 engineering programs in the country.
For a school attempting to gain a top-notch reputation, that's not good enough. A top 100 engineering school simply isn't good enough. We all agree with that sentiment, but now the question becomes "how?" Instead of jumping to create a new school, we need more transparency. Since the majority of the students in the College of Engineering are from Florida State, my question would be whether those students are performing at a high level. Or, is it that the College of Engineering isn't attracting enough high-quality professors because of a lack of funding? On it's face, to an FSU graduate, this move seems fine. But, like most things at FSU, there is a fundamental lack of transparency. Show everyone how splitting the schools will improve FSU's rankings while holding FAMU harmless... don't just tell us.
Comments? Questions? Kudos?