Anthropology Makes Good Economic Sense for FSU and the State of Florida

Credit Hours

The Anthropology Department is the most cost effective of the small departments in the College of Arts and Sciences and is more cost effective than most of the large departments as measured by UG fundable student credit hours. Anthropology UG student credit hour funding exceeded cost by a ratio of approximately 5 to 1*(see calculation below) in 2007-2008. Of 17 academic departments in the College of Arts & Science, Anthropology exceeded 15 departments (and trailed only one department) in its ability to deliver UG fundable student credit hours for the least cost.
Of 17 departments in the College of Arts & Sciences producing fundable credit hours, the Anthropology Department is producing degrees that are less costly than degrees obtained in 13 other A & S departments. The cost per degree for anthropology was $33,434 in 2007-2008. In comparison the Religion Department cost per degree was $57,903, and in Classics the cost was $52,165.
The 10,744 fundable student credit hours produced by the Anthropology Department in 2007-2008 exceeded the fundable student credit hours produced by the entire College of Nursing (9,964 hours) for this same period.

Multicultural Course Requirement and Diversity

The Anthropology Department provides 22% of Cross-Cultural (X) Courses that are required for the undergraduate degree at FSU. While other disciplines expose students to examples of behavioral diversity, anthropology teaches students about the fundamental operating principles that explain diversity on a global and chronological basis.
The Anthropology Department educates students about the lack of biological support for the race concept and challenges the racist ideas that have led to inequality and exploitation. In addition to ANT 2534 Race: Biology and Culture, many introductory courses (including ANT 2000, ANT 2511 and ANT 2410) educate students about this issue.
Anthropology is a science that emphasizes the breadth of human versatility and the biology that makes this possible. No other academic discipline routinely forges cross-disciplinary ties between the social and the natural sciences as consistently as anthropology does.

Job Opportunities for Anthropology Graduates and Other Floridians

State and Federal agencies have historically been the primary employers of anthropologists. Our graduates hold positions in every state agency that deals with cultural resources, as well as federal agencies such as the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service. Many students and alumna are involved in protecting our national heritage of historic and prehistoric archaeological sites.
Anthropology provides a broad-based background that prepares students for many types of human service jobs, a growth sector of our economy. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics is on record predicting expansion of job opportunities for anthropologists.
Since the inception of FSU Anthropology’s doctoral program in 2000, 11 students have completed the Ph.D. and all secured relevant professional employment before graduation.
FSU anthropologists’ research on Florida’s historic and prehistoric archaeology contributes to enhancement of our tourism industry’s connection with the past, thereby indirectly producing jobs as well as tax revenues for our state. Many state and federal parks are organized around archaeological themes such as Mission San Luis and Lake Jackson Mounds Archaeological State Park in Tallahassee.

Good Relations with the Seminole Tribe

The Anthropology Department successfully nominated Betty Mae Jumper (the first female chief of the Seminole Tribe of Florida) for an honorary FSU doctorate and for membership in the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame.
The Anthropology Department continues to maintain good relations with key members of the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The Seminole Tribe Museum employs our students.

Contracts and Grants

The Anthropology Department has generated $1,788,000 in external contracts and grants since 2000 according to figures provided by the Office of Research.

Donors to Florida State Anthropology Department’s Future

The FSU Foundation recognizes former FSU anthropology master’s student William Eisele for his greater than $1 million dollar contribution for the future development of the anthropology program, including an eminent chair in anthropology to be established after his death. Other Foundation donors who have specifically earmarked contributions for the anthropology department include Dr. John T.J. Ho and Mrs. Lucy M. Ho.

Economic Consequences for the Tallahassee Community and the State of Florida

In the early 1970s, a cooperative agreement between FSU Anthropology and the U.S. National Park Service brought the Southeast Archeological Center (SEAC) to Tallahassee. As recently described by emeritus staff member George Fischer “This has been a very successful synergistic relationship, with considerable benefit accruing to both the University and the National Park Service, a fact that has been recognized, and envied, by other institutions…..If the Department of Anthropology is eliminated, or significantly reduced there will be other offers made to SEAC, one of which they will be forced to accept. Without a strong anthropology program at FSU, SEAC will simply have to find another home…Another factor which needs to be considered is the impact on the community…The SEAC budget is several millions dollars, which is spent to the benefit of Tallahassee, and Florida in general.”

Conclusion

Elimination of the Department of Anthropology would result in significant loss of revenue through tuition, contracts and grants, and donations. Students will suffer through loss of the multicultural requirement courses that they need for graduation and a loss of training in the principles that explain why human diversity exists. The Tallahassee community and the state of Florida could see our federal archaeological colleagues and their budgets leave Tallahassee for places that continue to provide a trained work force of undergraduate and graduate students.

Anthropology is a core discipline, like English, math, or history, that enhances thinking power. Anthropology instructs students about the nature of cultural shaping and the biological unity of humankind—key operating concepts for our global society. Other Florida universities are proposing to meet this budget crisis by eliminating low-enrollment majors. All are maintaining Anthropology. Currently about 200 FSU students are registered as Anthropology majors.

Note

* During 2007-2008 the annual E & G operating budget of FSU anthropology was $1,303,930 while UG fundable student hours totaled 10,744. Assuming allocations of $17,000-$18,000 per full time-student per year, the anthropology program generated $6,088,266-$6,446,400 in UG student funding during 2007-2008. If a full-time student equals 30 credit hours of coursework then 10,744 hours ÷ 30 hours per student = 358 full-time students X $17,500 per student = $6,265,500. $1,303,930 ÷ $6.265.500 = .2081 (a ratio of approximately 1 to 5 of cost to funding).