February 11, 2010. Faith endures among faculty who’ve repeatedly been told to sacrifice.

On February 5, with less than one hour of deliberation, the FAU University Faculty Senate voted almost unanimously to allow the administration to pursue the establishment of a medical school at FAU. Despite some important questions from a handful of courageous faculty members who braved dress downs from Interim President John Pritchett, the UFS has placed its trust in an administration that within the past several months has assailed the institution of tenure and vigorously fought against very modest salary increases for FAU professors–who possess the second-lowest salaries in the SUS.

Over the past few years all FAU faculty have been told by the administration that times are tough and they must therefore tighten their belts. With this in mind the Faculty Senate may have exercised its leverage by requesting an independent fiscal analysis of this undertaking instead of being rushed into something that may, in the long run, cause additional belt-tightening. In contrast to administrators’ reassurances (based on their own calculations and forecasts), it is entirely conceivable that resources which could have gone to shoring up faculty salaries, increasing summer course offerings, reducing class sizes and teaching loads, and funding research will have to be diverted to a fledgling and increasingly costly medical program. Will administrators and the BOT be remorseful and backtrack? Doubtful. Nor will chants of “We told you so!” be helpful. For better or worse, all faculty will have to live with the decision that has been made, and those who remain disengaged cannot escape responsibility.

See related post:

Faculty Senate Falls Into Line: Consents to Med School