Possible Thrasher presidency at FSU expands threat against tenure in SUS

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Ever since Gov. Rick Scott came to Tallahassee, FAMU and the University of Florida have been the two biggest battle sites in the war over the future of tenure in the State University System of Florida (SUS). But now, John E. Thrasher’s candidacy for the Florida State University presidency has brought the anti-tenure threat to that school’s doorstep.

Thrasher, chairman of Scott’s reelection campaign, is a state senator who championed the governor’s bill to get rid of tenure in the state’s K-12 schools. Jennifer Proffitt, president of the FSU chapter of the United Faculty of Florida, explained why that is problem.

“Proffitt said faculty are concerned about Thrasher’s lack of experience within higher education administration and might be wary of him since he pushed for a state bill to eliminate tenure for new public school teachers in favor of a merit-based system,” the Florida Times-Union reported.

Those who want to eliminate tenure in higher education often claim that it isn’t “merit-based.” But the website of FSU’s own provost takes that point to task.

“The process of earning tenure generally lasts six years, during which the candidate's teaching, research, and service are evaluated by faculty peers. Annual evaluations are required and should be taken very seriously,” says a statement on the FSU provost’s page. The statement also makes it clear that “tenure is not a guarantee of lifetime employment, and nowhere is there any statement to that effect anywhere in academe including at The Florida State University.”

But those types of facts haven’t stopped tenure from coming under attack from the Scott administration. University of Florida President Bernie Machen bravely went toe-to-toe with Scott in 2011 when the governor began talking about the possibility of overhauling tenure. He told the Alachua County legislative delegation that UF “will quickly become a regional university at best” if it loses the ability to offer tenure to its faculty.

“Every one of the top 100 universities in this country has tenure,” Machen said. “If you want us to be a national university and compete in that marketplace, don't tie my hands behind my back.”

UF’s big GOP political donors quickly set Scott straight. He patched up his relationship by promising to help UF achieve a top ten national magazine ranking and giving his blessing for a UF alumnus to become the new SUS chancellor.

But while tenure is finally safe at UF, it is still in danger throughout the rest of the SUS. Scott continuously points to the tenure-less Florida Polytechnic University, one of the proudest pet projects of his governorship, as an example for others to follow.

Back during the recent FAMU presidential search, Rattlers had to fight off lobbying efforts to promote then-Florida Polytechnic Chief Operating Officer Ava Parker’s name for consideration. She implemented the plan to establish a “non-tenure faculty model” at the Lakeland school.

The next tenure threat came from the presidential bid of John E. Maupin, Jr., who was widely believed to be on the inside track to Lee Hall due to the dirty dealing on the FAMU Board of Trustees. An investigating committee of the American Association of University Professors accused Maupin of effectively eliminating the tenure system at Meharry Medical College during his presidency at that school. He finally withdrew his application after FAMU supporters across the nation spoke out against his rotten treatment of faculty.

So despite all the outside political pressure and under-the-table shadiness in the FAMU presidential search process, the real Rattlers succeeded in pushing the Board of Trustees to hire a candidate with a solid record of supporting tenure.

What happened at FAMU and UF is proof that it is possible to successfully defend state universities from the ongoing attacks against tenure, something that all serious research schools have. FSU’s supporters shouldn’t let Rick Scott and his Florida Polytechnic “non-tenure faculty model” pick up another win.

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