DRAFT

Dear Governor Bush,

I am writing on behalf of the Advisory Council of Faculty Senates (ACFS), an organization representing all 11,500 faculty of the ten universities of the State University System in Florida. The ACFS, which is composed of the officers of the faculty senates at each of the ten SUS universities, is a completely separate organization from the faculty union and was created to share information and provide faculty counsel on academic and programmatic issues statewide. The ACFS has grave concerns about the reorganization of the educational system in Florida.

The members of the ACFS have been following with interest the meetings of the Educational Reorganization Transition Task Force. The ACFS met on October 20, 2000 to review the work of the Task Force and to discuss the ideas for reorganization with specific concern for their impact on the universities. Based on our review, we concluded that there are issues of concern to the faculty in the entire State University System to which we wish to draw to your attention.

We strongly believe that there are some aspects of universities in all large and successful state university systems which distinguish them from, and which demand a different governance structure from, the K-12 and community college educational delivery systems. We believe these unique aspects of universities deserve special consideration in the current restructuring process in order to preserve educational quality at the highest levels:

First, schools within the K-12 system are charged with serving distinct geographical locations. By contrast, the ten SUS universities are charged with serving the needs of the citizens of the entire state of Florida, regardless of their location. Each of the ten universities admit students from all over the state and, because of careful efforts in the past to prevent costly program duplication, each offers unique programs serving statewide needs. Indeed, each university's geographical reach extends around the world. In searching for the best, we recruit faculty and students from the around the country and the world.

Second, within the K-12 system students are required to attend school, whether public or private. Higher education, by comparison, is chosen by the students who attend, who must compete to meet the admissions requirements which are established in order to maximize the likelihood of success for all those who are admitted.

Third, the K-12 systems is designed by law to be relatively uniform on a statewide basis, in order to ensure that the basic education of all Florida residents meets certain minimum standards. While some aspects of university education are also uniform, such as general education requirements, the universities are mostly different by design in order to prevent the duplication of costly programs and to distribute programs of excellence in different disciplines across the state.

Fourth, the K-12 system is designed to disseminate the knowledge we currently have. While universities also have this duty, they are also specifically charged with discovering new knowledge which does not yet in existence, exist through research. All university faculty are expected to pursue research on the cutting edges of their disciplines and to publish, perform, or otherwise express their findings nationally and internationally according to the standards of their professions. In this way the universities serve and enhance the other educational delivery systems. Furthermore, this new knowledge is critical for fostering a vital and growing economy which can provide high-paying jobs to Florida citizens, as well technical and competitive advantages to Florida companies dealing in national and global markets.

Fifth, while the K-12 system often supports a variety of community activities through the after-school use of their facilities, the universities are expected to contribute directly to the needs of the state through the public service performed by their faculty. Faculty volunteer their valuable professional expertise toward meeting a wide variety of local and statewide needs for government agencies, local schools, industries, medical facilities and other community agencies.

We respectfully remind you that nationally prestigious academic programs are only developed and maintained when universities can attract and keep the best and the brightest faculty. However, the best and brightest faculty are nationally mobile. Such faculty do not stay at universities where the climate does not foster and support their best teaching and research, or where core academic values are eroded. Among the academic values important to the best faculty are: (1) academic freedom, which insures that faculty can do the research and teach the knowledge of their disciplines free of the constraints of political pressure; (2) tenure, which exists only to protect academic freedom; (3) stable fiscal and organizational support for good teaching, research and service; and (4) academically-experienced university leadership and administration, which protects all of the above.

In the light of these observations and values, the faculty leaders of the ten SUS universities view with concern the apparent intent to implement a new system of education which appears to omit any kind of formal coordinating organization for the university system as a whole and distinct from the K-12 and community college delivery systems. After consideration of the options currently under consideration and the functions which have been performed by the Board of Regents, the ACFS urges you and the members of the Task Force to establish some form of intermediary regulatory coordinating body between the State Board of Education and the university boards of regents mandated under law.

In trying to conceptualize a new model for education in the State of Florida, we believe that some functions may best be handled specifically for the universities collectively at a level between the new seven member State Board of Education and the local university boards. The particular issues we see as best handled collectively by an intermediate regulatory coordinating body include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. New program planning. Unifying this activity might ensure that the university system in the State of Florida does not overlook new and emerging disciplines, and maintains a comprehensiveness of coverage. Some form of oversight is needed to guarantee that the workforce of the future is adequately prepared in new emerging areas of knowledge and technology.

2. New program authorization and coordination of the roles of the various universities. Centralization of this activity might prevent costly program duplication, which then ensures resources can be allocated to program quality and excellence.

3. Program review and evaluation. Consolidation of this activity would ensure consistent accountability across all state programs, provide support for appropriate and necessary accreditation processes, and facilitate termination of inadequate programs pursuant to such evaluations.

4. Administration of the SUS Construction Fund and Capital Improvement Fee Fund, and approval of the issuance of bonds and revenue certificates. Centralization is essential to realize the benefits of economies of scale.

5. Management of program access and enrollments. Unification would ensure the use of statewide resources most efficiently and effectively. Some form of enrollment management is particularly urgent in the light of the implementation of the One Florida and Talented Twenty programs, and would better preserve mission differentiation.

6. Maintenance of a statewide personnel program for all SUS employees. Centralization could maximize efficiency and economy of personnel programs.

7. Negotiation and administration of the collective bargaining agreement and grievance appeals process. Again, consolidation could maximize efficiency and economy of efforts.

In sum, the ACFS strongly believes that it is important to distinguish between constructing a "seamless" educational system and fabricating a homogenous structure in which the unique attributes of each type of educational institution are lost and the values of a coordinated system are imperiled. We clearly see the current situation as a tremendous opportunity to address the deficiencies of the old system by creating a new plan which better addresses the needs of students in the state of Florida. However, in order for the new plan to succeed, the unique attributes of the universities must be taken into consideration. Coordinated regulation by an intermediary statewide agency is probably the best way to address this need and to prevent the erosion of our current fine mission-differentiated university system into ten competing mediocre schools.

We would be pleased to further discuss our concerns with you or the Task Force, or to discuss any specific questions you might have about the views of faculty concerning the current planning for a new system of education. As faculty, we are deeply concerned about being able to continue to serve the needs of our students and the State of Florida to the best of our abilities. We respectfully request that the issues we have outlined herein be addressed now, as plans for the reorganized educational system are taking shape, in order to ensure that the quality of the universities in this state be preserved and enhanced.

Sincerely,

Christine E. Rasche, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Criminal Justice and Sociology Chair, Advisory Council of Faculty Senates

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