Another championship for the Gators

For the first time, the University of Florida is the #1 party school in the country.

And Gator Nation* rejoices!

A university spokesman said the party school reputation comes from the school's athletic successes. The Gators won two national basketball championships in 2006 and 2007 and one national football title at the end of the 2006 season.

"The fact that we have three national championships in two years is probably a major contributing factor," spokesman Steve Orlando said. "We know our students like to have a good time."

He defended the school's academic climate, noting Florida's incoming students have a weighted grade-point average of 4.1 and an average SAT score of 1,300.

Florida also came in first this year in the categories of students who study the least and students who pack the stadiums.

Well, maybe "rejoices" was too strong a word ...

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* Full disclosure: I'm a member of Seminole Nation. On Facebook, even. So I'm just reporting Florida news here. Now get off my back.

Gator bait

Looks like after two recent national championships in men's basketball and one in football, the University of Florida finally ran into a team it can't beat:

The Florida legislature.

Listed below are the areas impacted by a $47 million reduction plan for the University of Florida's budget for the 2008-09 fiscal year, which begins on July 1. Colleges were asked to reduce spending by 6 percent.

Personnel Impacts

• Elimination of about 430 faculty and staff positions (about 290 now vacant)*
• About 20 faculty and 118 staff members will be laid off
• IFAS will convert about 63 staff positions from state to non-state positions
• Information regarding the layoff process and available services can be found at the HR Website.

Student Impacts

• Reducing undergraduate enrollment by 4,000 over the next four years (1,000 a year)
• Reducing Student Affairs multicultural programs and services (Asian Pacific American Affairs, Institute of Black Culture, and La Casita)
• Reducing Off-campus services (town/gown liaison)
• Reducing Disability Services
• Reducing Financial Aid Services (Delays in disbursing financial aid funds to students)
• Reducing Career Resource Center Services (Reduction in Internship opportunities)
• Reducing Housing and Reitz Union Services (Reduction of maintenance, housekeeping, and hours of operation)
• Reducing high school visit and recruitment fairs
• Reducing Study Abroad scholarships, guest speakers and some International Center support for courses

Community Impact

• Reduction of services Archer Family Health Clinic
• Ending the Oak Hammock Rehabilitation service

There's a memo at the link with explanation, but none really is needed.

This is one state university out of eleven. There are 28 community colleges. There are 67 counties. There are hundreds of municipalities. Every single one of them is facing cuts of historic -- and catastrophic -- proportions thanks to Republican selfishness and malfeasance.

Remember this in November. Remember this every election from now on. Remember that the massive cuts in government services, education, arts funding, etc. ad nauseam, are brought to you proudly by the Republican leadership of Florida.

(h/t sdf(Stu) )

Haridopolonomatopoeia gets a gig in Gainesville

State Sen. Mike Haridopolos (R-Indialantic), a rabid wingnut from my old stomping grounds in Brevard County, has been hired for a $75,000-a-year teaching position at the University of Florida ... which is more than two hours distant from his home. This pretty much squelches any thought of him running for Congress, which I had predicted he would do after Dave Weldon (R-Batshit Crazy) announced his retirement. So much for my prognosticatory skills.

By hiring Haridopolos, the third-ranking person in the Senate and a former Brevard Community College staffer, the university says it has added a teacher with plenty or real world public policy experience.

"Mike Haridopolos brings a combination of academic experience teaching government and real life, hands-on experience in Florida politics to the Graham Center," said former U.S. Sen. and Florida Gov. Bob Graham in a news release issued Thursday.

It also puts on its payroll someone who should have tremendous influence on the university's budget in the coming years. Haridopolos is in line to become Senate president in 2010. From that position, he will hold great sway over how much money flows to the university from Tallahassee.

Haridopolos said he had no plans to move from Indialantic and will commute to Tallahassee and Gainesville.

Ben Wilcox, executive director for the citizen's lobby, Common Cause Florida, questioned whether Haridopolos was being hired for his academic credentials or his political influence.

"If it turns out he's being paid to be an advocate for a university just because he's a legislator, then I think that raises questions about whether he's a lobbyist or not," Wilcox said.

Haridopolos said nothing could be further from the truth. He said Graham was eager to tap his experience for the benefit of UF students.

Ugh. It pains me to see Haridopolos, a smarmy little Napoleon whom I know and with whom I used to work (although not terribly closely), get the seal of approval from Bob Graham. But clearly ol' Mikey is gambling on the GOP holding onto the majority in the state Senate through 2010, giving him a crack at the presidency. I guess he figures there will always be enough wingnuts in Florida's Fightin' 15th District to get him to Congress when he's ready -- and, sadly, he's probably right.

Apparently, though, the decision to hire Haridopolos is not very popular at UF:

Haridopolos' hiring at UF, which was effective Feb. 15 according to the university, has ruffled some feathers within the university's faculty.

Unlike most full-time faculty members, Haridopolos does not have a doctorate degree. And the hiring was done without consulting the faculty of the political science department, which normally would have input on new hires.

Stephen Craig, the department chair, said he has no problem with Haridopolos himself. In fact, he said, he hired the senator in the past to teach individual classes about campaigning.

"My biggest concern is simply that the department was not consulted."

In his new role, Haridopolos will be paid far more than other lecturers. The two other full-time lecturers in the department, both of whom have doctorate degrees, are paid an average of $46,580.

"Lots of departments weren't able to hire at the levels they wanted to this year and even replace faculty they have lost," Assistant Professor Michael Martinez said. "So I think hiring a lecturer like this without faculty consultation sort of exacerbates that concern about lack of respect for faculty in this budget situation."

Yes, but remember, Prof. Martinez: in Florida, it's okay if you're a Republican.

I guess it could be worse. Haridopolos could be teaching at FSU ...

UPDATE (4:47 am 2/25/08): For more on this "curious development," check out Categorical Aperitif.

HE15MAN

Since this is, after all, a blog emanating from and largely dedicated to America's Wang™, I suppose I'm obligated to comment on Florida QB Tim Tebow winning the Heisman Trophy as America's best college football player in 2007.

In the interest of full and fair disclosure, let me first paraphrase a certain hypocritical Republican senator from Idaho: I am not a Gator fan. I never have been a Gator fan. If anything, my Gator-hater status has gotten worse since Steve Spurrier left, because they keep winning championships! Still, part of it is legitimate because my lifelong (well, since high school) best friend is a graduate of Florida State. Part of this is because two universities for which I have worked -- this year alone -- lost to the Gators in football this season. And, well, if you live in Florida, you pretty much have to choose among UF, FSU, and Miami ... for now.

Having said all that, though, there is no doubt in my mind (and, obviously, the minds of a vast majority of Heisman voters) that Tebow (right) richly deserved to be the first sophomore to win the Heisman. Not only was he the most valuable player on a 9-3 bowl-bound team, but he dominated the opposition. Whether running or throwing, no one could stop him (although Georgia did a decent job of limiting him in Jacksonville).

So, grudgingly, I acknowledge and congratulate UF for yet another victory. Here's one Gator Chomp for you.

Well, you couldn't see it. But trust me. And you only get one.

Post-taser, UF postpones Kevorkian appearance

The University of Florida has decided to postpone an appearance by famed assisted suicide advocate Dr. Jack Kevorkian in the aftermath of the recent Taser incident there during a speech by Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.).

School officials said they need more time to address security and events management policies and procedures. They cited the Taser incident involving 21-year-old student Andrew Meyer as the reason for the change, according to a news release.

"While we would like to see these matters resolved sooner rather than later, I believe we should allow adequate time to make any policy or protocol changes needed to ensure a safe and civil environment for full, free, diverse and lively discourse," President Bernie Machen said.

Kevorkian's visit, which will include a panel discussion on assisted suicide with professors in law, medicine and philosophy, had been scheduled for Oct. 11, but was postponed until Jan. 15.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has not completed an independent review of the Taser incident. The university is also assembling a nine-member task force of students and faculty to review university security and events management procedures to develop a series of recommendations.

Shorter Machen: We don't want to have to Taser another DFH right away, so let's wait until January.

UF student restrained and Tasered at Kerry speech

You've probably already heard about the student who was arrested and Tasered during John Kerry's speech in Gainesville yesterday.

Toward the conclusion of Kerry's UF forum, 21-year-old Andrew Meyer approached an open microphone at University Auditorium and demanded Kerry answer his questions. Meyer, a UF student in the College of Journalism and Communications, claimed that University Police Department officers had already threatened to arrest him, and then proceeded to question Kerry about why he didn't contest the 2004 presidential election and why there had been no moves to impeach President Bush.

A minute or so into what became a combative diatribe, Meyer's microphone was turned off and officers began trying to physically remove him from the auditorium. Meyer flailed his arms, yelling as police tried to restrain him.

He was then pushed to the ground by six officers, at which point Meyer yelled, "What have I done? What I have I done? Get away from me. Get off of me! What did I do? ... Help me! Help."

Police threatened to use a Taser on Meyer if he did not "comply," but he continued to resist being handcuffed. He was then Tased, which prompted him to scream and writhe in pain on the floor of the auditorium.

After the incident, Capt. Jeff Holcomb of the UPD said Meyer had been charged with disrupting a public event and placed in the Alachua County jail.

I actually find the video of the event very disturbing.

If you have about six minutes, go see the full video here. If you only have a couple of minutes, scroll ahead about a quarter of the way, to the point where Meyer is apprehended and the university police try to remove him from the auditorium.

I don't care if he's asking a question beyond the allotted time (which I understand Sen. Kerry permitted) or even if he's being overzealous. I think the police officers' actions here are clearly excessive. So much for free speech at the University of Florida.

UPDATE (10:33 am 9/18/07): I can't find the linked video on YouTube, but there are many if you search for them. Here's the most complete one I could find; the video quality is poor but the audio is quite clear ... and indeed Sen. Kerry called on Meyer.

Bonus schadenfreude: Gator tastes like chicken

As someone who is firmly in the "anyone but the Gators" camp, I find it delightful that UF men's basketball coach Billy Donovan (right), fresh off back-to-back national championships, is bolting Gainesville and heading down the Turnpike to become the coach of the Orlando Magic.

I'm surprised at this, coming so soon after Donovan rejected overtures from the University of Kentucky to coach the Wildcats. I imagine all of "Gator Nation" thought they'd have Billy for a long time. Alas, it's not to be.

It's purely speculation, but I have a feeling Donovan's going to regret his decision someday. College coaches historically have a hard time successfully making the transition to the pros (see, e.g., P.J. Carlesimo, Jerry Tarkanian, and of course Donovan's own mentor Rick Pitino), and I always thought Billy was the consummate college coach in terms of recruiting ability, rapport with his players, and his credibility as a former Final Four player (under Pitino at Providence). Time will tell ... but in the meantime, I'm just going to enjoy a little extra schadenfreude today. Sorry, Gators.*

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* Not really. ;)

UPDATE (11:38 am 6/4/07): Looks like Billy might be heading back to Gainesville after all.

When I said he was going to regret his decision someday, I didn't expect "someday" to arrive so soon ...

Today's Daily Schadenfreude: Jeb! Bush

I'm a little late on this news, but Jeb! certainly deserves a DS award for the mere fact that the Faculty Senate at the University of Florida voted last Thursday to deny him an honorary doctorate. It was, after all, a blatantly political move spearheaded by UF president Bernie Machen who, in an astounding fit of pique and hyperbole, described the faculty vote as "a horrible mistake."

Kathleen Price, associate dean of library and technology in UF's Levin College of Law, was among those who spoke in opposition to awarding the degree.

"I really don't feel this is a person who has been a supporter of UF," Price told The Sun after the vote.

Price criticized Bush for allowing the approval of three new medical schools during his tenure, a move that she says has "diluted those resources and hurt the University of Florida in each instance." She also said Bush's politically motivated decisions about university governance were harmful to the state.

[...]

The faculty vote on Bush's degree comes at a sensitive time politically for Machen, who is working to persuade a Republican-controlled Legislature to approve a controversial program for increasing the cost of attending UF. The university's "academic enhancement program" would charge students an additional $1,000 a year, creating a funding base to hire new faculty.

"It's not clear yet whether the Legislature will see it as a slight at them," Machen said of the faculty vote.

The "horrible mistake" actually would have been for UF to honor Jeb! after he systematically dismantled higher education in Florida and turned it from a solidly functioning organization into a politically motivated, bureaucratically-boondoggled trainwreck ... not to mention his destruction of K-12 education through his cheerleading of the FCAT standardized test, the "grading" of schools, and the implementation of a voucher program. Indeed, few if any governors in any state have done more to pollute and diminish education than Jeb!, and so few if any governors are less deserving of an honorary doctorate by the state's flagship university.

Over the weekend, the UF Alumni Association Board of Directors (made up largely of well-heeled, predominately Republican alumni, like most other such groups) unanimously voted to grant Jeb! "honorary alumnus" status as a consolation prize.

It is interesting to note that the chairman of the Board, Leonard Spearman, Jr., served as deputy personnel director in the George H.W. Bush Administration and is the son of a former ambassador in the Reagan Administration. Mr. Spearman is from the Houston area and formerly served as Deputy Director for the Office of Compliance and Enforcement of the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission.

Draw your own conclusions.

But, hey, Jeb!, at least you have friends in high places, eh? So, congratulations to Jeb! Bush (a/k/a The Bush That Was Supposed to Be President) -- today's Blast Off! Daily Schadenfreude is for you!