by Nick Shrubsole | Aug 16, 2021 | Uncategorized
I just wanted to reach out to everyone a week before classes start. Our union is here for you if you have any questions or concerns. We do not control campus COVID policies; we can only lobby and appeal to UCF on your behalf. We know the fall return is filling many of us with anxiety as we watch the CDC recommend universal indoor masking for K-12 schools but silent on higher education spaces. Some school systems and colleges in Florida switched to indoor mask policies in defiance of our government leaders while the State University System remains on the path our political leaders have laid out for us over the last year.
I share these updates to keep you all informed.
Florida Surpasses New York’s COVID-19 2020 Peak
We are hearing in the news that Florida has passed its highest rate of hospitalization, not for a day, week or month but instead since the pandemic started. Hospitals are under stress and are only performing necessary medical procedures. Florida officials have asked for assistance in the form of respirators to help our hospitals deal with the rise in cases. Our state political leaders have said this is a “seasonal fluctuation” and hospital concerns are only “media hysteria.” We do not agree and we want you to be prepared. We in the union are doing the best we can to assist you through this pandemic. The NEA has created a page that informs you of your legal rights during our return to campus. You can access it here.
UCF COVID Decision Triggers
We want to alert you to the fact that the “UCF COVID Decision Triggers” page is returned and revised. This page originally appeared in the spring of 2020 and remained online throughout the pandemic. In July we asked UCF since the page was still online if those trigger benchmarks would remain in effect and thus UCF COVID policy could change as a result. We were told “No” and the page was swiftly taken down. We advocated for its return. It was returned Friday August 13 and revised. Of course UCF is not alerting the university community to this, so we will.
Please note that UCF has not disclosed what the baseline is for these triggers. One trigger, describes “Sustained increases above 10% threshold in percent positive testing.” What is the number by which 10% would be measured to reach this benchmark? The number of cases at the beginning of the fall semester? Unfortunately this is not disclosed on the page. I am sure in UCF’s rush to put this page out the Emerging Issues and Crisis Response Team (EICRT) did not include this necessary information. We will ask them and get a response for you so we can update everyone. We will also inquire whether many of the “Community Triggers” have already been met? “Insufficient ICU beds and respirators in the region” just to name one.
The Tiggers page is a step in the right direction and we applaud UCF moving to address our concerns.
On Social Media
This is a reminder to find us on social media. We have a Twitter account and a Facebook page that is public. If you are a member you can join us in our private Facebook group where we have continued discussions about the pressing issues facing the Bargaining Unit as well as share advice and resources. If you are ineligible to join our Facebook group there is a simple remedy.
In Solidarity,
Robert Cassanello, UFF-UCF
by Nick Shrubsole | Aug 6, 2021 | Front Page announcements
I just wanted to share a few quick updates while we wait for the fall semester to begin.
HB 233 Lawsuit
UFF has signed onto a pending lawsuit against HB 233, the Intellectual Diversity Legislation. You can read about it here. It is in Federal Court which could delay any implementation of the legislation, we will have to wait and see. Remember we have been telling everyone in the Bargaining Unit all along the survey will be voluntary. WLRN noted the following, “House sponsor Spencer Roach, R-North Fort Myers, said completing the surveys would be voluntary for people on campuses.” If someone tells you the survey will be mandatory please correct them.
New Mask Mandate News
On Monday (8-2-2021) we learned that Valencia College and Seminole State College have instituted a mandatory indoor mask policy without fear of backlash from the Governor and State Legislature. Now we learned that many public school systems are reversing course and instituting an indoor mask mandate and some parents across the state have gotten together to file a lawsuit against the Governor’s Executive Order (21-175) that threatens to cut education funding to school districts that are non-compliant with the order’s restrictions on any mask mandates. CNN reported that some legal experts say this executive order is just bluster and there is no mechanism to follow through on the threat within the order.
UCF’s recent email telling us that vaccines are available for us and asking us to wear masks indoors because the Delta variant is highly transmissible is a step in the right direction. However UCF can do more in this messaging. Look at the University of Florida’s COVID update page here. While UCF asks us to wear masks indoors, UF expects people to wear masks indoors. These directives are not as definitive as Valencia College or Seminole State College, but it is an improvement. While UCF is moving in the right direction please take in how UF is speaking and messaging about masks and vaccines. Please encourage our campus leaders to move us in the right direction and tell our campus community that UCF expects us to wear masks indoors. I’m told your feedback is helpful and emails are welcomed. Contact the President or the Provost [provost@ucf.edu] if you wish to share your concerns.
In Solidarity,
Robert Cassanello,
UFF-UCF, President
by Nick Shrubsole | Aug 2, 2021 | Front Page announcements
Greetings all, I have some news I want to share with you. Things seem to be changing on the ground, however not at UCF so I wanted to alert you to some important information.
Orlando Sentinel Editorial by Yovanna Pineda
Yovanna Pineda who is an associate professor of history at UCF, a local and statewide leader of our union published an editorial in the Orlando Sentinel about HB 233. Please read over her editorial and thank her for her efforts in informing and engaging the wider community.
Office Hours by Zoom
Many of you have contacted me with concerns. According to current UCF return policies we cannot ask students if they are vaccinated, ask them to wear a mask or social distance themselves. I have gotten emails and read on social media where many of you have asked about our offices and office hours where the space is more confined than a classroom. Mason Cash, a Faculty Senator and Union Senator, asked Interim Provost Johnson about this and the possibility to have office hours on Zoom to mitigate any health risks. You can see the exchange here. Interim Provost Johnson thought it was a good idea and said one “might only consider Zoom office hours” and then said he will “think about it a little harder.” You can email the Provost at provost@ucf.edu or fill out this form on this page. While he is thinking about the Zoom office hours option he might like to hear your thoughts on this. I know from emails and social media many of you have been expressing an interest in this option. Please let Interim Provost Johnson know your opinion and help him make a decision to allow us all to have Zoom office hours in the fall.
Code Black
I am sure you all have heard the latest Florida COVID news. If not, Florida’s rate of vaccination is 48.6%, 25th in the US plus Washington DC, there were 21,683 new infections on Friday alone the new highest one day total of infections. And Advent Health Hospitals in the area have went to Code Black which means they are only conducting necessary or life saving surgeries because they are inundated with COVID cases.
UCF has removed the webpage with the COVID triggers from last year that listed the milestones that would have to pass to move instruction and interaction virtual. It would be a great idea if UCF created a new trigger page and policy for the Era of the Delta Variant. It is time to think about what milestones we need to pass for a change in policy.
State Colleges and Mask Mandates
I have gotten emails about changes in mask mandates locally. You might have seen that our local public State Colleges, both Seminole State and Valencia College, have initiated a new mask mandate for all indoor interactions. No masks are required outdoors. This is all a response to the recent trends in COVID and the Delta Variant. When asked by the Orlando Sentinel for comment a UCF spokesperson said there was no change in mask policy at UCF and we (UCF) are in “keeping with guidance from the Board of Governors.” Many of us are applauding the Presidents and administrators at Seminole State and Valencia College who changed mask policy in adherence to the change in CDC policy. Imagine a campus that can implement health and COVID policies without fear of the Florida Governor and Florida Legislature. Those campuses are Seminole State College and Valencia College. Please consider contacting President Cartwright (do so here) and let him know we should be good neighbors and take similar precautions to help protect our campus community and theirs as well. If he hears from enough of you perhaps policies will change at UCF.
UFF-UCF Podcast
Finally if you have not done so check out our most recent podcast episode of the UFF-UCF Podcast. In this episode I spoke with our colleague from the Department of Sociology Jonathan Cox. We spoke about Critical Race Theory and how we can continue to approach this topic in our classrooms and our research. You can subscribe or listen to the podcast here or on our YouTube channel here.
In Solidarity,
Robert Cassanello
UFF-UCF, President
by Nick Shrubsole | Jul 14, 2021 | Front Page announcements
As President of our union I would like to state unequivocally that UCF, our workplace, everyone in the bargaining unit, everyone who steps into the classroom or assists those that teach our students are not involved in a clandestine (or overt) scheme to indoctrinate our students. We are professionals and we take our craft and our jobs seriously.
Our Union recognizes this.
Remember too the “intellectual diversity” survey is unnecessary and based on myth. There are some people in the university system who advocate taking the survey. Clay Calvert, a communications and first amendment scholar at the University of Florida, recommends such an action. You can read his interview in Rolling Stone here where he presents his argument. I share this so you can read other points of views.
I respectfully disagree with Professor Calvert. The bias about our public universities as centers of “indoctrination” is baked in the political rhetoric and the legislation. We need to face the fact that whatever the results of such a survey report become will be subordinate to the effort to push this indoctrination narrative, not ameliorate it.
Our Union recognizes this.
According to the legislation there is no requirement to take the survey, we expect UCF to not mandate the survey. Please be assured that we are bound by our Collective Bargaining Agreement. Article 5 enshires us with Academic Freedom. Do not feel bullied in this politicized environment, your rights are still protected in the classroom, in your research as scholars and as professionals.
If you have questions or concerns about how any of this legislation or state education policies might impact you personally please bring them to our union. Email me at president@uffucf.org. We are staying on top of these issues and policies. The first line of defense is to be informed.
In Solidarity,
Robert Cassanello
UFF-UCF
by Nick Shrubsole | Jul 1, 2021 | Front Page announcements
Note: You can read the text of the legislation here.
Dear UFF Members and Leaders,
As many of you are aware, HB 233, known as the “Viewpoint Diversity” bill, was signed into law by Governor DeSantis on June 22nd. Key provisions in this bill that affect higher education in Florida are—
- It mandates annual intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity surveys for higher ed faculty and students. We do not yet know how these surveys will be structured, nor is there any clear indication of how the survey data will be used.
- It allows students to record classroom lectures without a requirement for prior notice and without the faculty member’s consent, with specific limitations on where and how those recordings can be used.
- It provides “anti-shielding” measures that forbid institutions from restricting the kinds of views and statements that students can have access to or observe on higher education campuses.
Various legal avenues are being explored by FEA Legal and UFF Staff; as the surveys, rules, and policies are developed in response to these provisions, we will continue to monitor the legal implications. The mandated surveys (see #1 above) are currently under development by the State University and Florida College systems, and UFF’s officers are meeting with both governing bodies to share our concerns and hopefully influence the design of these surveys. More specific guidance will be shared on these fronts later in July. We will also be sharing guidance on how to respond in contract enforcement, collective bargaining, and campus organizing scenarios. That said, UFF recommends the following preliminary measures for our members who are teaching this summer:
- Classroom Instructors should consider recording all of their lectures on their own devices and should maintain their records for several semesters. Such recordings can be made as long as students are given proper notice, which can be accomplished by adding language to a course syllabus stating that the faculty member makes recordings of lectures. Having verifiable records could be helpful in defending against false accusations or sound bites taken out of context.
- Remember that “a recorded lecture may not be published without the consent of the lecturer,” and it may be employed only—
a. “for a student’s own personal educational use”
b. “in connection with a complaint to the public institution of higher education where the recording was made”
c. “as evidence in, or in preparation for, a criminal or civil proceeding”
Recorded lectures used for other purposes may allow the faculty member to seek “damages plus court costs and reasonable attorney fees, with the total recovery not to exceed $200,000.”
- You may not forbid or discourage students from recording your classes. Additionally, be sure to follow all campus policies regarding recording of classes. Remember that in most instances, it is better to comply now, then grieve later.
- During your lectures, remember that this law amends Florida’s interpretation of rights to free speech expressive activities protected under the First Amendment to include “faculty research, lectures, writings, and commentary, whether published or unpublished” and that “A Florida College System institution or state university may not shield students, faculty, or staff from expressive activities.” Defamatory speech is not a protected form of expressive activity.
The text of HB 233 is attached to this message, and we encourage all members to read it before entering the classroom this summer. Members who encounter any scenarios not covered in our above guidance should reach out to their local UFF chapter leadership with all questions and concerns.
We recognize that this bill has made many of us feel uncomfortable, but a number of its parameters remain uncertain and those that are already clear can be managed. As a union, we stand strongest when we stand together; rest assured that the members of UFF will not be left to weather this storm alone.
In Solidarity,
Andrew Gothard, UFF President
Caitlin Gille, UFF First Vice President
