Tenured faculty at the University of North Florida will now be required to undergo performance reviews every five years in response to a new state law.
UNF’s Board of Trustees voted Monday to implement the changes, although the union representing hundreds of faculty members is vehemently opposed to them, saying it undercuts academic freedom.
Talks between the administration and the faculty union came to a standstill last week over language requiring tenured faculty to be judged against their peers. The unions say that isn’t a fair way to evaluate professors’ work and will create a toxic environment.
The university president said last week the administration didn’t have the authority to make the changes the union wanted, saying the changes are about complying with state law, not targeting professors.
Faculty members are worried the review process will effectively gut tenure protections, hurting academic freedom and the quality of public higher education in Florida.
SOT
Tobias Huning/ President, United Faculty of Florida at UNF
5:56 The hostility of the environment, the lack of academic freedom…that will drive people away from Florida and it will not drive the talent that we’re looking for here.
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Just one member of the board voted against this—Dr. Mike Binder who is a professor in the political science department and serves as faculty president on campus.
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