We are disappointed to share that at yesterday’s meeting of the University of North Florida Board of Trustees, the BOT voted to implement a Post-Tenure Review (PTR) policy that is hostile to faculty, dangerous to academic freedom, and harmful to our community. The policy the BOT passed yesterday represents a step backward in PTR negotiations as the UNF-BOT team proposed this vote without completing negotiations with UFF-UNF. We appreciate Dr. Michael Binder’s request that the vote be delayed and his sole NO vote.

Despite the dozens of faculty who attended this morning to demonstrate their concern, the BOT voted to implement this policy. Despite public comment from five faculty members – all of whom were opposed – the BOT voted to implement this policy. Despite having almost a month left before the policy needed to be submitted to the Board of Governors, the BOT voted to implement this policy. Despite the more than 1,500 people who signed this petition supporting UFF-UNF proposed safeguards, the BOT voted to implement this policy.

You can also view the meeting and vote on YouTube. Because the video is quite long, we created this outline, which includes time codes for when you can watch public comment from faculty, discussion about PTR, the vote, and faculty walking out.

In the coming weeks, UFF-UNF will return to negotiations with the goal of ensuring that the safeguards we have been fighting for, necessary to the health of the university and to protecting academic freedom, are realized. Going forward, UFF-UNF will continue to negotiate for protections that offer job security to faculty who consistently meet, exceed, or far exceed expectations in their annual reviews. Your continued support in this endeavor will be pivotal.