• Close to 40 university and college presidents are slated to meet in Tallahassee, according to a report by The Tallahassee Democrat
• Presidents of institutions in the Florida State University System and Florida College System will convene at Tallahassee Community College to discuss state education goals 
• Tallahassee Community College President Jim Murdaugh stated that this is the first time in 12 years that the two organizations have ome together in talks 
• The State University System, Commissioner of Education, and Tallahassee Community College did not respond to inquiries regarding the meeting

More than three dozen college and university presidents will convene in Tallahassee to hold a closed-door meeting, according to a report published by The Tallahassee Democrat on Monday.

The meeting, hosted at Tallahassee Community College, will bring together presidents from all twelve State University System institutions, which include the state’s most impactful schools like Florida State University, the University of Florida, and the University of South Florida, as well as the Florida College System members.

The meeting, which has never been held in this manner before, will be conducted to primarily discuss state education goals and administrative practices, according to the Democrat.

Tallahassee Community College President Jim Murdaugh stated during a November Board of Trustees meeting that during his 12-year tenure in charge of the school, the State University System and the Florida College System have never come together to discuss ongoing issues or current affairs.

It is also reported that the meeting will be held at Tallahassee Community College at the request of Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz Jr. and State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues.

The Capitolist attempted to reach the Florida State University System and the Commissioner of Education for comment, but did not receive a response from either.

Tallahassee Community College, however, informed The Capitolist that the meeting is not open to the public, therefore not subjected to the Sunshine Law, additionally adding that “everything is being coordinated by Secretary Manny Diaz’s office at the Florida Department of Education.”

The State University System is comprised of twelve education institutions — Florida A&M University, Florida Atlantic University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida International University, Florida Polytechnic University, Florida State University, New College of Florida, the University of Central Florida, the University of Florida, the University of North Florida, the University of South Florida, and the University of West Florida — with seven of the universities either searching for a new president or having introduced a new leader since 2020.

With that in mind, the consortium of leaders can use the closed-door meeting as an opportunity to present agendas for the upcoming Legislative Session set to begin in March.

The Florida College System includes 28 public community and state member institutions with a total enrollment exceeding 800,000.

Governed locally by district boards of trustees, members of the Florida College System are under the jurisdiction of the State Board of Education. Administratively, the Chancellor of the Florida College System reports to the Commissioner of Education.