University leaders, lawmakers slam consolidation plans

A House proposal seeking to abolish the independent status of two Florida universities is spurring a fierce fight, as a bipartisan group of legislators on Wednesday decried the plan. The plan, included in a sweeping higher-education bill (HB 7087), would merge New College of Florida with Florida State University and fold the Florida Polytechnic University into the University of Florida, in an effort to save the state “tens of millions of dollars,” according to bill sponsor Rep. Randy Fine. But…