“’Shared governance’ is much revered by faculty, but it adds vastly to administrative costs and stifles innovation and change. Shared governance is a byproduct of academic tenure, where faculty members with lifetime appointments face little consequence from trying, often successfully, to obstruct changes that might reduce their power or influence or increase their teaching load.“ […]
Faculty Shared Governance Read Post »
Task force gets report on higher ed challenges By BRENT KALLESTAD, Associated Press Published: Monday, June 11, 2012 at 6:29 p.m. Two veteran faculty members cautioned a newly formed task force on Monday against changing the state’s higher education system simply because a businessman – in this case, Gov. Rick Scott – believes it needs
Faculty Address Higher Ed Task Force Read Post »
As in our own 2010 Gubernatorial election, yesterday’s Wisconsin recall election results seem to underscore the Perverted Golden Rule: “Those with the gold make the rules.” We can take some cold comfort in knowing that it took a substantial spending advantage to achieve these results. Estimates heard in recent days put the spending advantage for
Beyond Wisconsin and Here in Florida Read Post »
An expanded edition of the report on the May, 2012 FSU Faculty Poll is now available at the www.uff-fsu.org web site, or via direct link at: https://uff-fsu.org/art/May2012FacPollResultsAll-Post.pdf This edition includes hundreds of faculty comments that help to clarify and elaborate on the meaning of the quantitative results released last week. The quantitative results appear in
Highlights and Comments from the May, 2012 FSU Faculty Poll Read Post »
More than 500 FSU faculty members responded to the UFF-FSU poll earlier this month. This constitutes approximately 31% of UFF-represented FSU faculty (1600+ members of the General Faculty Bargaining Unit). Preliminary tabulations are available at: https://uff-fsu.org/art/May2012FacPollResultsNC-Post.pdf
Preliminary May, 2012 Poll: Barron Rocks, Pols Reek Read Post »
The UFF-FSU Chapter will sponsor a May 24 luncheon featuring attorneys Thomas W. Brooks and Lynn C. Hearn to discuss legal aspects of recent cuts in retirement benefits. Please let me know if you plan to attend so that we can be sure to have enough food and drink for all. Here is an excerpt
Retirement Cuts and Legal Challenges Read Post »
By Professor Jack Fiorito, Senator and UFF-FSU President “Welcome” to new, continuing, and returning Senators. This is a good time to review the roles of the Senate and of the United Faculty of Florida (UFF). The Faculty Senate is the voice of the faculty on academic matters, and can express its opinion on “any subject
Report on University Welfare for Faculty Senate, April 18th, 2012 Read Post »
Collective Bargaining Faculty voted overwhelmingly in favor of the changes and supplements to our Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) in last month’s ratification vote. A special thanks to those of you who voted! I hope everyone has completed the reading assignments that I announced at last month’s Senate (see the February Senate Minutes). They will be
Report to Faculty Senate on University Welfare, March 21, 2012 Read Post »
The Florida Legislature has imposed yet another compensation cut on many faculty members. This year it wasn’t a pay cut per se, but a substantial cut in benefits to members of defined-contribution retirement plans, namely ORP and FRS Florida Investment Plan participants. We are still studying the details of a bill passed on the last
Another Legislative Session, Another Cut Read Post »
“UFF Takes Sides, Yours” is a bumper sticker motto. Its importance is underscored in yesterday’s ruling by Judge Fulford to the effect that the legislature cannot ignore its contractual obligations to university faculty members and other participants in the Florida Retirement System (whether pension or ORP). The battle over the effective 3% pay cut imposed
Judge Fulford's Ruling on Pay Cuts Read Post »
