Rick Scott and his Yahoo education policies

From the Gainsville Sun, with an assist from Scathing Purple Musings

Charlie Johns wanted to drive the communists and homosexuals out of the University of Florida.

Rick Scott will apparently settle for expelling the anthropologists.

Not that Gov. Scott has a clue about what anthropologists actually do. He just knows that a comment like “Is it a vital interest of the state to have more anthropologists?” is a great sound bite that will resonate with those who are similarly clueless about the value of the liberal arts and the complex mission of a great university.

In Scott's dystopian view of Florida's future, higher education will devote itself to the turning out of widget makers and drones in hot pursuit of billable hours; degree-bearing worker bees possessed of not a shred of curiosity about the human condition, no understanding of the underpinnings of civilization nor any inkling of what the study of humanity's past can tell us about its future.

Scott intends this coming legislative session to “reform” higher education; by which he means abolishing tenure, defunding the liberal arts and relieving professors of the burden of original research so that they may concentrate on filling out the bubbles on their productivity measurement forms.

The bad news is that Scott and the Legislature likely have the ability to turn Florida's state colleges into glorified vocational schools.

The good news is that, providing they have the will to do so, the Board of Governors of the State University System have the authority to defend their institutions against yahoo politicians (read “Gulliver's Travels,” Gov. Scott) who equate the liberal arts with liberalism.

Section 7 of the Florida Constitution is intended to insulate the State University System against exactly the sort of political meddling that Scott and lawmakers now contemplate. And from his track record so far, it is clear that Scott is as oblivious of constitutional strictures as he is ignorant of the true purpose and value of a university education.

What we don't know is whether Chancellor Frank Brogan — an educator turned politician turned administrator — and the appointed members of the Board of Trustees possess the will to assert their constitutional authority to determine the mission and goals of the State University System. Doing so may ultimately require the intervention of the judiciary.

Florida's universities survived the infamous Johns Commission of a half century ago. They will likely survive Rick Scott's dalliance with Texas-style higher education “reform” as well; providing the constitutionally designated governors of the State University System are prepared to exercise their stewardship.

http://www.gainesville.com/article/20111013/OPINION01/111019808/1109/sports?p=2&tc=pg