Budget cuts are costing UF something more valuable than $47 million - the university's prominent faculty and staff members.
Some UF employees are leaving Gainesville in search of more stable administrations, better pay and brighter futures.
Marc Hoit, UF's interim chief information officer, will be one of the first to go. He will join North Carolina State University on Sept. 1.
When Hoit began his UF career in 1984, he told his wife that if a better career opportunity came up somewhere else, he would take it.
For 24 years, the best opportunity had been at UF. But times have changed.
Hoit will leave to become information technology vice president and chief information officer at NC State.
He said he is heading north because of the toll budget cuts are taking on the UF community.
"The shake-up in the administration made this offer attractive," Hoit said.
And he is not alone. Hoit said universities looking to hire are jumping at the chance to employ UF faculty and staff members who were not ready to leave before now.
He said he has heard a number of UF employees say they would leave if the right opportunity came their way - conversation he did not hear three years ago, he added.
"I think the mood on campus is fairly negative toward the outlook of the future growth of the university," Hoit said. "That has changed everything."
David Figlio, UF economics professor, will be moving from his endowed chair position at UF to another one at Northwestern University this fall.
Although Figlio will technically be on sabbatical from UF, he said he is almost certain he will stay at Northwestern once the year is complete.
Figlio said he had received many offers during his decade of employment at UF but never considered accepting any until now.
"I always thought the future at UF looked sufficiently good," Figlio said. "But now UF's future is sufficiently uncertain, so I owe it to myself and my family to reconsider other options."
While Figlio will receive a higher salary from Northwestern University, he said what he values most is a university's future - and UF's has changed.
"When a university faces budgetary issues over a couple years, it jeopardizes its ability to hire outstanding faculty members," Figlio said. "And when a university can't hire on the level it needs to, it's going to tip."
Chris Slobogin, UF law professor, will also end his 25-year career at UF to begin a new professorship at Vanderbilt University Law School.
"The cuts will certainly make leaving UF easier," Slobogin said. "And they will certainly make it harder for UF to compete with other schools, both public and private."
These employees, who announced their resignation as a result of budget cuts, said they know of others who have threatened to do the same.
Kyle Cavanaugh, senior vice president for administration, said he understands that there are severe consequences to the budget cuts.
"Clearly the current budget situation is one that has all of us concerned about our ability to recruit and retain faculty," Cavanaugh said. "We need to commit to having a strong focus in that area."
