For the second consecutive year, Florida State University has been named the nation’s most efficient university, according to a new list released by U.S. News & World Report.
The list, based on U.S. News’ Best Colleges ranking, highlights universities that are able to deliver a best-quality higher educational experience while maximizing efficiencies and effectiveness.
“This ranking continues to validate the fact that this university knows how to spend financial resources wisely,” said President Eric J. Barron. “Our national ranking in efficiency should continue to enhance confidence that we take the dollars and resources we receive and focus on providing our students with a high-quality education.”
In addition to being named the nation’s most efficient university, the Florida Legislature designated Florida State as one of the state’s two “pre-eminent” universities. That designation, based on the institution’s ability to meet a broad set of benchmarks, qualifies Florida State to build toward additional state funding. This additional funding will help the university continue to advance in other national rankings without diminishing its efficiency standing.
“Pre-eminence funding is a significant opportunity that will allow us to hire additional faculty, improve teacher/student interaction with smaller instructional settings, broaden the scope of our research, and spend more money on scholarships, retention and graduation,” Barron said. “My prediction is that we will continue to go up in the rankings and we will remain an incredibly efficient university that delivers quality.”
In 2013, Florida State established several collaborative initiatives to enhance efficiencies to impact the student educational experience. An Efficiency Committee, established by the university’s Board of Trustees, focuses on strategies for streamlining operations, reducing costs and optimizing processes and policies.
The university also established a separate Efficiency and Effectiveness Committee. This committee, comprised of faculty, staff and students, is charged with soliciting suggestions for cost and time reductions, which are forwarded on to the trustee committee for consideration.