The PSC stands in solidarity with the members of the United Faculty of Florida (NEA/AFT) and other unions at Florida’s public universities, colleges, and community colleges. Over the past two years, Florida elected officials have attacked the independence and integrity of the state’s public higher education institutions. Violating established academic governance and stoking racist fears about curricula and policies that address racial injustice, they have imposed tighter governmental control on public higher education. Introducing a requirement for five-year post-tenure reviews, they have undermined tenure and academic freedom. Faced with these alarming developments, Florida higher education union members have defended the value of colleges and universities that welcome all students into a diverse scholarly community of open inquiry. We applaud their work as scholars and educators and their courage in affirming the contributions that a public higher education system—like theirs and like ours in New York—can make to an inclusive and democratic society.
Published: February 16, 2023
