On Wednesday, December 1 the USF Faculty Senate considered a resolution that was drafted by the State University System Advisory Council of Faculty Senates (ACFS) expressing concerns with the recent experience of University of Florida faculty when they were attempting to engage in policy processes through their speech or research as objective experts in their field. The resolution points out that participating in a professional activity is consistent with the principles of academic freedom and urges the SUS to reaffirm its commitment to academic freedom and freedom of speech as core values of public institutions of higher learning.
The ACFS Chair presented the resolution to the Board of Governors at their last meeting and the USF Faculty Senate moved to endorse the resolution.
As part of the ongoing discussion related to academic freedom, the USF Faculty Senate will be reviewing the following documents in preparation for the next meeting on January 19, 2022.
- Article 5 of the USF-UFF CBA
- USF policy 10-050
- SUS Presidents Statement on Freedom of Expression
- University of Chicago principles of freedom of expression
For more information about faculty governance at the state level, read this post.