The legislature is trying to make a bad bill worse. Please read the message from UFF president Andrew Gothard below. It involves post-tenure review which was already instituted for FCS but is now aimed at universities. If this bill passes it is seen as another step toward elimination of tenure in Florida. Please take a moment to call your Senator today to ask them to Vote No on this amendment which is being heard today!
Dear UFF Members,
This is an URGENT ACTION ALERT. We need all UFF members to call your local senators NOW!
Yesterday afternoon, Senator Diaz filed an amendment to SB 7044, the higher ed accreditation bill, that will allow the Board of Governors to implement a statewide post-tenure review policy requiring all tenured faculty in the state university system to undergo a thorough post-tenure review process every five years. You can read the details of the amendment here.
Even if you are not a tenured university faculty member, this bill affects you, as it represents the next step in our legislature’s attempt to dismantle the Florida higher education system.
Take Action
The amendment and the bill will be heard in the Senate today [March 4]. Please call your local Senator right NOW and tell them to vote NO on the post-tenure review amendment (#958072) for SB 7044.
Find your legislator by using the UFF Legislative Toolkit. Phone numbers for all Senators can be found here.
Sample Script: “Protect Florida’s students and our future. Vote NO on the post-tenure review amendment (#881582) for SB 7044!”
Additional Talking Points
- Statewide post-tenure review is the first step toward eliminating tenure in Florida.
- Without a healthy and protected tenure culture, Florida’s higher education system will no longer be competitive with the rest of the country and the rest of the world, meaning highly qualified faculty and millions of dollars in research grants will no longer come to Florida.
- Post-tenure review is a backdoor attempt to assert political control over classroom curriculum. It can be used to target faculty whose teaching and research does not align with the political orthodoxy in Tallahassee at any given moment.
- Post-tenure review policies should be negotiated at the local level, with the input of faculty and responding to local teaching, research, and working conditions.
- University classrooms and research should be guided by facts, data, and the pursuit of scientific advancement and a more just and democratic society. Political influence and coercion will only harm Florida’s students, damage the hard-won international reputation of our colleges and universities, and reduce our ability to attract the best faculty from across the country to join our campuses.
The integrity of higher education in Florida hangs in the balance, so do not delay. Take action now!
In Solidarity,
Andrew Gothard, Ph.D.
President
United Faculty of Florida
FEA/NEA/AFT/AFL-CIO
https://myuff.org/
Faculty United Service Association 