FIU Faculty Senate votes no-confidence in chair’s ability to fight DeSantis over higher ed
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In an unusually tense Zoom meeting Tuesday, the Faculty Senate at Florida International University voted 30-28 to register no confidence in its chairwoman because of what they described as insufficient action in the face of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ attacks on higher education.
Professors who spoke in favor of the no-confidence motion said they expect a more aggressive approach from Deanne Butchey considering how DeSantis and Florida legislators are proposing bills that are impacting academic freedom, tenure for professors, and diversity, equity and inclusion programs at the state universities and colleges.
The Faculty Senate has approved four resolutions so far this year taking issue with DeSantis and state legislators. One denounced HB 999, a bill before the Legislature that proposes hiring requirements for university faculty, authorizes state university boards “to review tenure” of faculty members and revises requirements for general education core courses. Another supported FIU libraries in resisting censorship. A third condemned Desantis’ higher education agenda, while a fourth defended academic freedom.
Senators argued Butchey should’ve read the resolutions to the FIU Board of Trustees and publicly advocated and promoted them more.
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Butchey defended her actions, and said she summarized the documents’ content to the board. She explained she likes to work diplomatically, behind the scenes and in pursuit of common ground.
Thomas Breslin, a politics and international relations professor and a senator, said Butchey hasn’t reacted appropriately while the core fundamentals of FIU “are under grave threat.”
“It’s not enough to take the position that Deanne has taken publicly. I believe in diplomacy rather than aggression, but it’s hardly aggression to defend your interests,” Breslin said. “And we need leadership willing to take up the fight.”
Remy Dou, a professor of STEM teaching and learning and a senator, said Butchey has restrained and weakened the senate’s stances, and muted its voice. But, he said, the resolution isn’t personal.
“My decision to vote in favor of this no-confidence motion is not a vote against our chair as a person and fellow colleague, but rather a vote in favor of our collective voice as faculty,” he said.
‘Spirited conversation’
Senators said Butchey has said in the past that she feels vulnerable because she doesn’t have tenure and as a member of the FIU Board of Trustees, isn’t part of the faculty union. Butchey said those remarks were taken out of context.
“I cannot demand; I have to be very respectful,” she said. “I’m taking calculated risks. I don’t think many understand that my way of working is catching more flies with honey.”
Some professors against the resolution said they don’t see what more Butchey could do, while others said a change in leadership wouldn’t make a difference with DeSantis. Still, others said they perceived the no-confidence measure as too drastic at this point.
Krishnan Dandapani, a finance professor and senator, said that regardless of the vote result, the fact that it took place weakens the senate as an institution.
“This is a really sad day at FIU; we are really cannibalizing ourselves. Given all the external threats we have from the state Legislature and others, I’m sad to see this type of fighting among ourselves,” he said. “I understand all of the problems we have ... but this is the time when we need to stand united.”
READ MORE: FIU students, faculty protest against DeSantis’ higher ed tactics
After the vote, Butchey thanked senators and said: “I think this was a spirited conversation, and it left a lot of questions in my mind.”
Nearly 150 people attended the more than two-hour-long video call, including current FIU Provost Elizabeth Bejar and former Provost Kenneth Furton.
Asked for comment, FIU Spokeswoman Maydel Santana wrote in an email: “The administration respects the ability of the faculty senate to govern themselves.”
Will Butchey stay after the no-confidence vote?
At the meeting, Butchey pointed out the senate has 62 senators, so 30 isn’t half of the governing body, but she acknowledged she must represent all of the senate. Only 58 senators were present at the time of the vote. Butchey wasn’t allowed to vote.
She later told the Herald she believes the close vote “represents the polarized world that we live in.”
While the motion itself doesn’t force Butchey to step down, she said she will take the next few weeks to consider her options.
Butchey has been a finance professor at FIU for about 18 years and served as a senator for 12 of those, she said. She has held the Faculty Senate chair position since July 2022, a role that allows her to become a member of the university’s board of trustees. Before that, she served as the vice chair of the senate since September 2020.
“I cannot make a decision right now,” she told the Herald after the meeting. “I will speak to the people who had concerns. and decide if I can be effective, repair the damage and address their concerns.”
“This says to me that the Faculty Senate has spoken and said that I need to be more aggressive,” she added. “I don’t know that I can be more aggressive. It is against my nature. I prefer diplomacy instead of fighting.”
If she doesn’t resign, her two-year term won’t end until June next year. However, the senate could try to remove Butchey by amending its constitution before then.
Originally, Tuesday’s agenda packet included an item to remove any officer “with or without cause, by a two-thirds vote of the Faculty Senate,” but because that item needed a two-week advance notice, senators scrapped it at the top of the meeting.
They will meet next on April 18.
This story has been updated to reflect the FIU Faculty Senate has 62 senators, not 63, and to note that Deanne Butchey didn’t vote in the no-confidence motion against her.
