Recent events at the University of Florida have made it clear that academic freedom, free
speech, and the role that higher education plays in promoting the public good are key issues for
the 2022 Florida Governor’s race.
Shortly after our news conference, UF President Kent Fuchs stated “I have also asked UF’s Conflicts of Interest Office to reverse the decisions on recent requests by UF employees to serve as expert witnesses in litigation in which the state of Florida is a party and to approve the requests regardless of personal compensation, assuming the activity is on their own time without using university resources.”
On behalf of the 25,000 higher education professionals UFF represents, we call on UF to get out of the way and allow faculty to tell the truth based on their expertise and research. UFF will defend our members if the university takes any disciplinary action against them….
UFF has sent a cease and desist letter to the Florida Board of Governors, telling them to stop interfering in local efforts to bargain safer working conditions for Florida’s higher ed campuses.
“We call on Governor Ron DeSantis to require universal indoor masking and to approve other
common-sense health and safety measures or to step aside and allow local leaders to make the right call and protect the people of Florida. Our state’s higher education classrooms must be safe and healthy learning environments this fall; no other considerations, political or otherwise, should come into the equation.”
United Faculty of Florida (UFF) believes that all Floridians — no matter where we’re from or what we look like — deserve good jobs, healthy and safe communities, and a high-quality public education from PreK to college. Instead of addressing the real health and economic crises facing Floridians, Gov. DeSantis and some legislators in power in Tallahassee recently enacted the “Viewpoint Discrimination” law (HB 233).
