Florida A&M University will request about 24 million dollars in the coming year. School representatives are touring the state to build support for the plan.
The school’s legislative budget request includes money for 25 new advisors and 35 faculty members. The proposal also devotes three million dollars to online course offerings. Interim President Larry Robinson says it’s aimed at improving graduation rates.
“That’s major element in our overall student success,” Robinson says of online courses, “and we believe that we can cut down on the amount of time that they spend at the university if we have courses that are available to them more at their leisure.”
Six year graduation rates for the school are hovering around 40 percent, and it’s been a sore subject in recent years. School officials will kick off their tour August 12 in Polk County.