That wacky Florida!

[mamselle]

If you have the same answer to everything then it doesn't matter what thread it is.

True.

But Florida is different from Georgia, and not only because (as this week's New Yorker crossword clue reminded us) only one of them is a peninsula.

M.

[mahagonny]

'Voter suppression laws' is another of several issues that democrats don't yet realize will be a loser for them with swing voters. Doesn't matter a great deal what state you're in.

[Aster]

All outside employment must be approved.  Generally, it is not much of an issue, but or expert testimony against the state, it is certainly not approved.

Oh. The "outside employment" thing. Yeah, that is fairly typical policy, to regulate moonlighting.

It is neither designed nor intended to restrict college employees from free speech activities.

[kaysixteen]

so what happens if Prof. X is subpoenaed to testify in a case?

[Stockmann]

so what happens if Prof. X is subpoenaed to testify in a case?

I'm guessing Prof. X might relate to Lear´s Fool, who Lear would've had whipp'd for lying, Lear's daughters for telling the truth, and was sometimes whipp'd for holding his peace.

[jimbogumbo]

One of the prof's has apparently testified against the state in a similar case some time ago, and was paid to doo so. U of FL was aware, and approved it at that time.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/11/01/university-of-florida-desantis-voting-law/

[Aster]

The regional accreditor for UF has now stepped in.

Accreditor: Did University of Florida violate academic freedom standards by blocking professors' testimony?
https://www.gainesville.com/story/news/local/2021/11/01/accreditor-asks-if-ufs-denial-professors-violates-academic-freedom/6237432001/

[little bongo]

This is the smartest take I've seen on the matter:

https://www.chronicle.com/article/totalitarianism-takes-aim-at-higher-education

[Hibush]

The former chancellor of UNC, Holden Thorp, who faced similar political pressure, also weighs in with a direct focus on the UF president.
https://www.chronicle.com/article/stand-up-for-what-you-believe-president-fuchs

[mahagonny]

"Is it the obligation of faculty members to support all of the political goals of the university and the State of Florida? Are they obligated, for instance, to support the governor's anti-science stance on masks, vaccines, and the safety of cruise ships? Maybe that's how Fuchs and Glover see it." - Holden Thorp

So I imagine Dr. Thorp must've freaked out seeing all those maskless people congregating the height of the pandemic for the BLM/Geo Floyd riots, er, peaceful protests, but I'm not finding it through google as yet.

[jimbogumbo]

Update: https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/05/us/florida-professors-can-testify/index.html

[Hibush]

Another update: UF president Fuchs announced that he'll be stepping down. CHE has a nice story on the background. Most interesting to me are the interpretations by UF faculty.

Underpinning ... faculty anecdotes is a sense that the university has struck a bargain: Don't draw unnecessary attention, and the money will keep coming from the state. Danaya C. Wright, a co-author of the ad hoc committee's report on academic freedom, says that's not an acceptable deal.

But what is the alternative? In a hyperpartisan environment, many professors argue that Fuchs has done about as well as one could expect. He may not light himself on fire at the specter of political interference, but he may also have a realistic view of what is politically possible in the state.

If Fuchs had played his presidency differently — if he'd poked his finger in the governor's eye, for example — he wouldn't have lasted long, and there is a good chance he would already have been replaced by a politician, said Pradeep Kumar, a former Senate chairman and professor emeritus of physics.

Had he spoken earlier, had he questioned, he would have been fired and immediately replaced by somebody of a very mediocre reputation," Kumar said. "In some sense, by keeping things quiet, he kept things under control. Of course, one reaches the limits of one's tolerance, and Kent Fuchs has reached the limits of his tolerance. The only reason I can think of why he's doing what he's doing right now is that he has reached the limit of his tolerance."

How will the search for the next president go? Will only mediocre politicians be in the running? In general, it sounds as if pubic universities in the region will have trouble attracting and retaining qualified senior administrators.

[apl68]

University of South Florida and University of North Florida are now also looking for chief executives:



https://www.tampabay.com/news/education/2022/01/06/uf-joins-two-other-state-universities-looking-for-new-presidents/



Are Florida universities getting that hard to run, or is this just an unfortunate coincidence?  Of course it has been an awfully bad couple of years for higher education leaders all over the country. 

[mythbuster]

The presidents of both USF and UNF had terms of only 3 years before departing for greener pastures.

[mamselle]

Apparently not only academic craziness happens in Florida:

   https://youtu.be/h7gL4c9d8ic

As more of my family moves in that direction, I'm starting to wonder if it's a diagnostic indicator....

M.