I’ve had faculty members and students ask me if I
think that the newly re-“opened” search is really an “open” search. I want to
say yes, but I’m afraid I can’t, especially because nothing else has changed
regarding process--yet. In fact, a colleague sent me the following message from
a friend of his who is a knowledgeable source familiar with Florida politics:
"The feeling out here is that this is a
smokescreen to temper any more demand from other candidates like the Chief
Justice. Also to salvage Funk's
reputation and career as a head hunter (and collect his check). Then there's all the protesters and naysayers. No expectation that the outcome will [won't]
be the same. Still hoping for a miracle
to save FSU from itself."
Well, I think this assessment is fair, but I don't think we necessarily need a miracle.
We just need to continue putting pressure on the Board of Trustees (BOT) and the
Presidential Search Advisory Committee (PSAC) leadership to do the right thing
and reset the search. The Faculty Senate’s emergency meeting Wednesday was a critical
step, and I applaud the Senators for their thoughtful and careful deliberations.
In my view, the resolutions that passed are extremely important in the pursuit
for a fair, open, and transparent search, including the need for a September
deadline (a hard deadline!), so that more faculty and students can be involved
in the interview process (and potential candidates can know when to apply); the
need for at least three candidates to interview; the need for more serious
consideration of the views of the faculty, students, staff, and administrators
on the PSAC; the need to appoint a President who has “Distinguished
intellectual stature with strong academic credentials, proven leadership
abilities, and a successful record in senior management,” which is one of the
criteria that the PSAC had approved at the April meeting that disappeared in the
job ad; and the vote of no confidence in the search firm.[1][2]
Let’s keep up the pressure and let the
decision-makers know that faculty voices will not be silenced. If you haven’t
signed the petition (http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/creating-an-fsu-presidential), please do, or send me a note if you’d like that I can
print out for the PSAC and BOT (president@uff-fsu.org). Please plan to attend and encourage colleagues
and other FSU stakeholders to attend the June 11 meeting at 10am in 208
Turnbull. Wouldn’t it be something if we could pack that room as a visual demonstration
of our demands for a fair and open search that protects the integrity of our
university?
