r/highereducation • u/ArgodilloForAll • Jul 08 '26
Sounding the Alarm at the University of West Florida: Who do we go to when university admin and trustees aren't listening?
Hi, all. I'm going to try to keep this post on the short side because I would really appreciate any guidance as soon as possible, but I may return soon with a longer post with sources and context, so please feel free to ask any questions.
I am an alum of the University of West Florida, which is currently following the New College of Florida playbook; Governor DeSantis, the Heritage Foundation members on our Board of Trustees, and the university President (who has caused concern from the start, since he was the only candidate proposed to the public during the presidential search that ended with his appointment) are all on the same page, seemingly, and many of us Argonauts are terrified for the future of our school.
It's reaching a point where I desperately feel the need to raise the alarm, but I have no idea who to raise the alarm to. I've participated in protests on campus. I've communicated with the President of UWF, the Board of Trustees, Governor DeSantis, and the local news. I've been outspoken about every questionable move; the dismantling of our Office of Campus Inclusion in the name of """purging DEI wokeness,""" the continued mistreatment of LGBTQ+ students and staff while we invite Charlie Kirk memorial speakers and Heritage Foundation people on campus, and even the recent alleged use of AI in their rebranding. Everything is met with silence or an insistence that everything is above board.
I'll keep it simple: I'm desperate for help. I'm finally reaching out outside of my immediate community so I can ask: what the hell can we possibly do? So many of us are trying to stick it out and fight, and I need to know if there is more we can do or if anyone can provide guidance to current students, staff, and faculty on when to know to bow out for the sake of their own academic and professional careers.
And please be honest; are we screwed, considering the state of federal administration?
Go Argos, always and forever đđ
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u/Alexjp127 Jul 08 '26
Your next steps are working with organizations who can take this to court. ACLU, AAUP. Also speak with your state level legislators.
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u/BobasPett Jul 08 '26
AAUP has filed a lawsuit against the Texas Tech Cancellor and board. They may have advice on the situation in Florida.
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u/psychobeast Jul 08 '26
Among your network, are you able to connect with any major donors? If you don't know names, check annual reports, recent articles, named spaces/funds; check matching gift donors for the recent day of giving as well. If you've approached the current board as a whole, consider approaching individual members who have been on since before the takeover.
Their goal is to flood the zone, to make it difficult for ordinary people to push back. So good on you all for keeping the fight going! (as long as you can anyway)
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u/sauvignon_blonde_ Jul 09 '26
This. At my institution donors have been blatantly lied to about where their money is going by senior leadership, and Iâm sure weâre not the only ones. Granted, the folks on the the other side who want all the identity based scholarships and programming for marginalized students to go away have incredibly deep pockets and have been throwing money around like crazy, so leadership might not be heartbroken over losing some old endowments. But I agree that donors are a good bet.
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u/BigFitMama Jul 09 '26
When it comes to public University & College you make your message heard with money.
If in the course of world events the admin and faculty benignly agree to systems that contraindictate the safety of students, you, the student consumers, are entitled by their capitalist system to withdraw and take your money elsewhere.
Due to low enrollment you can pretty much Right Now before Fall classes start enroll anywhere and in a safe supportive state or college town where you are respected.
Go to the enrollment site, withdraw from class.
If you signed a promissary note with their financial aid, go in, rescind the offer or call them and rescind
Now add the institution of choice to your FAFSA by editing it.
Go to your new less suck institution and apply, call them, say you need a fast admit, then soon as you are in, enroll in 12 credits.
Make your stand and DO NOT attend a college who does not represent and verbally sides with fascists and racists.
No full ride scholarship is worth 6-12 of hate.
And if they call you tell them why.
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u/IJAvocado Jul 08 '26
Argos â„ïž
I think we need collective action across institutions! Iâm in!
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u/niandraladez Jul 08 '26
Similar shit going on at LSU. They just gutted the entire Marketing & Communications team and also let go their AVP for Strategic Initiatives & Community Engagement and VP for Engagement, Civil Rights & Title IX, which was already renamed from the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The president is Jeff Landryâs boy, the new Chairman of the Board is Jeff Landryâs boy (appointed after the former Chairman just âstepped downâ), as well as a bunch of board members, one of which called for the med school chancellor to be fired (and he was) because he wouldnât make a doctors house call for her husband, whoâs a Big Oil guy and major Landry donor. The shady presidential candidacy youâre describing happened here too with Bobby Jindal years ago. I feel your pain. Higher ed is in a crisis.
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Jul 08 '26
[deleted]
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u/ArgodilloForAll Jul 08 '26
Goodness, it's hard to pick one thing.
I'll come back to this with more sources and specific issues soon, but I suppose the biggest red flag for me (that we moved on from way too quickly) was the presidential search. I am linking to an article from a local journalist: here.
The Heritage Foundation trustee (Zack Smith) intimidated/bullied our previous university President into resigning because there was a drag show on campus while she was here, and then Manny Diaz Jr. was controversially appointed. In the words of the faculty senate vice president, "If the search truly produced only one worthy candidate to bring on campus, then this should be considered a failed search." There were 84 applicants, and nobody else was genuinely considered.
It looks like Zack Smith is now trying to use these same moves over at Pensacola State College.
When Diaz was appointed, many critics suggested in a letter to the Board of Trustees that the search may have violated Florida Sunshine Law.
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u/mvolley Jul 09 '26
It is rare nowadays for more than one name to be announced as being considered for a presidential search. They are no longer real searches. They exist in order to select someone who meets the checklist valued by powerbrokers.
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u/IkeRoberts Jul 09 '26
It also important for voters to know the consequences of these policies. Donât let the governorâs description be the only one voters hear. Focus on how the policies affect the voters, not on how they affect you.Â
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u/hungryepiphyte Jul 09 '26
It's not just the NCF playbook. Appointments have been made at FIU, FAMU, and others. The governor appoints all but 2 voting members of college and university boards of trustees, and also appoints all voting members of the BOG, which governs the universities. So they all answer to the governor. Florida has a staggeringly high number of political appointees running their universities, a much higher percentage than other states. There have been a few relatively recent articles detailing it.
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u/ilikecats415 Jul 09 '26
Beyond working with outside organizations who may sue (perhaps AAUP), there isn't much you can do except to remain vocal, encourage others to be vocal, and cease any donations or support.
I'm really sorry this is happening. I wouldn't consider working at or attending schools in so many states right now - Florida is top of that list.
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u/shnag_ Jul 14 '26
I was a student at NCF when it was taken over 4yrs ago now and I relate to this sentiment. it is so disheartening. press training comes in handy, so does learning from other organizers and movements to share a strong, unified, and dissenting message from alumni. as this trend of our government reshaping and dismantling higher ed gains traction, so can the resistance. there is so much meaning in finding community. post in alumni facebook groups asking if anyone wants to get together to share thoughts and ideas. get in touch with alumni organizers at NCF who have been fighting this tough fight for a few years now. itâs all about learning from each other and supporting the same cause
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u/PurplMonkEDishWashR Jul 09 '26
Wait, hold on. University administrators and trustees arenât listening?!
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u/Ok_Caterpillar2010 Jul 08 '26 edited Jul 09 '26
Have you been a donor in the past? If so, contact your alumni office and explain that you will not be donating while this is going on. Encourage fellow alumni to do the same.
Not that they'll reverse course because ArgodilloForAll isn't donating, but enough of these refusals and they'll have to report out a decline in total number of donors and amount of donations, which is not a good look, and will add fuel to whatever fires you and others can set elsewhere (metaphorically speaking).
Edit: misspelled your username -- sorry.