The State University System of Florida’s Board of Governors has finally put to rest a long-running feud with the state’s Legislature over which body should oversee the state’s 11 public universities.
The board signed a memorandum of understanding with the governor and legislative leaders on Wednesday that gives the system authority over regulations and policies, and management of the university system’s information-technology needs.
The agreement also formalizes the board’s decision to end its participation in a 2007 lawsuit filed by former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham, who sought to strip tuition-setting authority from state legislators. Mr. Graham, a former governor and a Democrat, was a driving force behind the constitutional amendment that created the board in 2002.
Frank T. Brogan, the system’s chancellor, who is a former lieutenant governor and a Republican, said signing the agreement was a defining moment for the state’s universities and the most important action taken by the Board of Governors since it was established.
While the memorandum lists authority over tuition, the Legislature actually granted institutions more power over setting those costs last year. Under a law proposed by Gov. Charlie Crist, a Republican, the Legislature sets a base rate of tuition, and institutions can raise tuition above that as long as the combined increase is no more than 15 percent.
The other items in the memorandum will require some statutory changes, Mr. Brogan said. He said he was confident that the laws would fare well in the Legislature because of the backing of both current and future leaders of both chambers.
