Contact the House Education Committee members and urge a NO vote on HB 7115. UFF Opposes HB 7115 Public Records and Meetings: Postsecondary Education Executive Search
The United Faculty of Florida (UFF) represents 23,000 faculty members at twelve public universities, fourteen FCS colleges, St. Leo University and graduate assistants employed at FAMU, FSU, UF and USF.
The House Education Committee will consider HB 7115 at its committee meeting tomorrow, April 16th, beginning at 1:30 P.M. in Reed Hall (102 House Office Building). The bill does the following:
- Creates an exemption from Florida’s public records and open meetings laws for any personal identifying information of an applicant for state university or Florida College System (FCS) institution president or provost;
- Keeps applicant names secret and outside the Sunshine Laws;
- Exempts the applicant’s name from public disclosure in records or during meetings held for the purpose of vetting applicants;
- Requires the release of the finalist list no later than 30 days before the date of the meeting at which a final action or vote is to be taken.
Floridians have a right to know why these candidates were chosen over others.
Secrecy is not in the best interest of our universities and colleges, especially when it comes to choosing the leadership. The people of the state of Florida—especially students and their parents—deserve the right to know how their tax dollars are being spent and how major decisions that affect these public institutions are made. To quote Barbara Petersen, President of the First Amendment Foundation: “To shield the selection process from public oversight and accountability is, we believe, bad public policy.” (2015)
The UFF Senate voted unanimously to oppose this legislation. Most Florida newspapers have historically been in opposition.
VOTE NO on HB 7115!
