Time and place. The meeting was conducted at 12 noon on USF Tampa in EDU161 and on Zoom.
Attendance. Seventeen members.
Minutes. August 30 minutes approved.
President’s Report.
- Board of Trustees Meeting. Two faculty were denied the chance to speak. President Law said that USF was now among the top fifty institutions and had received $220 million in additional recurring funding over the last two years. The press was there. The Board of Governors meeting is next week. Note. The Wall Street Journal, in whose rankings USF fell from # 101 to # 250, said that they looked for earning potential of graduates. Discussion.
- The AAUP Survey. Almost three thousand people filled out the AAUP survey, and it indicated that many faculty in southern institutions were thinking of leaving, and at any rate, were not recommending to colleagues that they come.
- The Chapter Survey. The chapter survey results reflect those of the AAUP survey.
- Litigation Update. FEA has filed a lawsuit on the 60% density requirement for certification. Meanwhile, PERC is trying to make all the ULPs go away.
- Effect of Anti-Woke Laws on Courses. The FEA has posted a survey on how SB266 has affected courses.
- Affiliate Meetings. The FEA Delegate Assembly will meet on Sept. .20 & 21 and the UFF Senate will meet on Oct. 19 & 20.
New Business.
- Constitution and Bylaws. Amendments are to be proposed at a subsequent chapter meeting.
Committee Reports.
- Membership. The Committee will compose several communications. It will also attend the Benefits Fairs on Oct. 7, 8 & 9 on USF Tampa, USF St. Petersburg, and USF Sarasota / Manatee, resp. Discussion.
- Treasury. We are solvent.
- Publicity. Discussion of videos to post. Discussion.
- Grievances. There are many grievances, and now two more lawsuits against USF regarding the College of Nursing. Discussion.
- Bargaining. The session on Sept. 6 was unproductive. The BOT Team wanted a session, but when they arrived, they had no response to our proposals. The UFF Team said that other than their proposal for Articles 6 and 23, they are satisfied with the contract. The Administration appears to be distributing a 3% raise to out-of-unit employees. Discussion.
These minutes were respectfully submitted on 14 September 2024.