DeSantis orders FHP protection for UWF Trustees meeting

Today, the University of West Florida Board of Trustees has its first on-campus meeting for its new trustees. It will be the first BOT meeting with five uniformed Florida Highway Patrol officers present at the direction of the DeSantis administration—though it’s unclear whether they will be in the meeting or outside.

CONCERN: It’s possible that Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to create a narrative that UWF is out of control, validate his appointments and demand changes.

On Tuesday, over 400 citizens attended a peaceful town hall to voice concerns about Gov. DeSantis’ appointments to the board, specifically Chairman Scott Yenor and Academic Affairs Committee Chairman Adam Kissel, which have yet to be approved by the Florida Senate.

The panel recommended the attendees:

Contact key officials, particularly State Senator Don Gaetz, who chairs the Ethics and Elections Committee responsible for confirming the appointees
Write personal, handwritten notes expressing why UWF matters
Attend today’s Board of Trustees meeting

A good politician would appear, explain why he made these appointments and listen to the public.

2025 UWF Accountability Plan

The BOT agenda is online. The Trustees will be asked to approve the 2025 UWF Accountability Plan.

The plan reveals impressive achievements across multiple domains. The analysis examines how UWF has established itself as a leader in higher education through strategic initiatives, innovative programming, and a steadfast commitment to student success.

Strategic Enrollment Growth

UWF has achieved a significant milestone with a 5% increase in degree-seeking students for 2024. Undergraduate enrollment has risen by 3%, including a 4% increase in first-time-in-college students. Most notably, graduate program enrollment has surged by 10%, with substantial growth in key areas such as Data Science Online (26%), Exceptional Student Education (36%), Public Health (32%), and MBA – Business Analytics (44%).

This growth stems from a combination of targeted recruitment strategies, effective retention initiatives, and continuous enhancement of academic offerings. UWF has also implemented infrastructure improvements to support sustainable growth, including streamlining over 100 processes in Enrollment Affairs and Graduate Admissions to improve operational efficiency.

Enhanced Student Success Metrics

The university’s graduation and retention metrics demonstrate remarkable improvement. Over the past five years, UWF has:

Increased the Academic Progress Rate by 6.5 percentage points
Improved the Four-Year Graduation Rate by 17.3 percentage points (from 36.4% to 53.7%)
Raised the Three-Year Transfer Graduation Rate from 53.5% to 61.2%

HOW?

- Argo Mentor Network connects students with experienced peers for guidance throughout their academic journey.
- UWF’s Predictive Analytics Modeling Lab provides early identification of at-risk students, enabling timely intervention.
- Advanced academic scheduling software ensures students have access to necessary courses for timely degree completion.

Expanding Access and Opportunity

In 2024, 90% of incoming First Time in College (FTIC) students completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), while the percentage of freshmen receiving Pell Grants increased from 35% in 2023 to 42% in 2024. First-generation freshman enrollment has grown significantly, now comprising 33% of the freshman class—a ten percentage point increase.

These statistics show how UWF meets the state Board of Governors’ priorities of improving university access, affordability, and social mobility. UWF makes higher education accessible to a diverse student population.

Academic and Research Excellence

UWF faculty and students continue to demonstrate exceptional achievement:

Electrical engineering students developed a battery charging system for military applications in collaboration with the U.S. Army’s 7th Special Forces Group
The student-managed Argo Bond Fund placed second nationally at the Quinnipiac University Global Asset Management Education’s Portfolio Competition
A UWF research team secured $200,000 from the Gulf of America Alliance for innovative research on pathogenic bacteria prediction and control

The university’s commitment to cybersecurity education is evident in the $12.3 million in grants received by the UWF Center for Cybersecurity to provide free training for state and local government employees and expand the CyberSkills2Work program.

Strategic Vision for Continued Progress

UWF has established a clear framework for sustained growth through 2029. The university will continue prioritizing regional workforce development needs while focusing on operational excellence, student success, increased social mobility, and academic distinction.

The institution’s efforts have garnered national recognition:

Ranking among the top 10 public regional universities for three consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report
Achieving its highest-ever ranking (#8) on the Best for Vets college list.
Receiving the 2024 Community Engagement Classification from the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

The University of West Florida Board of Trustees meets at 9 a.m. in the UWF Conference Center (Building 22). The public and all attendees may join this meeting at the UWF Conference Center or virtually via Zoom (Webinar ID: 853 4094 3601 | Passcode: 949963)

1 thought on “Daily Outtakes: DeSantis orders FHP protection for BOT meeting”

Why not Proud Boys? Better yet, sprinkle in some of the more first-rate, home-grown whack jobs from his State Guard for good measure. Because mark my words, DeSantis’s mercenary band of personal jack boots will be upon us uppity natives soon enough, if we dont stop advance complying and stand firm against this absolute tyrant and his dictatorial takeover of our community.

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Daily Outtakes: DeSantis orders FHP protection for BOT meeting

2025 UWF Accountability Plan

Strategic Enrollment Growth

Enhanced Student Success Metrics

Expanding Access and Opportunity

Academic and Research Excellence

Strategic Vision for Continued Progress

1 thought on “Daily Outtakes: DeSantis orders FHP protection for BOT meeting”

Rules for Comments

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