FSU layoffs of tenured faculty cause a stir. Shocking, but I suppose there is a first time for everything.
Florida State University lured Mike Wetz away from the University of North Carolina with the offer of an assistant professor position in FSU’s highly regarded Department of Oceanography.
Wetz’s first day at FSU was Dec. 23, 2008. Less than six months later, in June 2009, Wetz received a layoff notice.Wetz had done nothing wrong, by all accounts. He was one of five faculty members in his 15-person department whose positions were being eliminated as FSU decided to merge oceanography, geological sciences and meteorology in the wake of massive reductions in state revenue.
Two of his colleagues being terminated are tenured, which traditionally means their positions are secure.
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February 19, 2010 at 2:50 pm
Maybe this will stir the elitist creative class crowd up- if they know they face the same as the rest of us. and EWWWW they might have to mingle with the unwashed to file their unemployment claims!
February 19, 2010 at 4:08 pm
Mom you think it might take their mind off Michelle’s photo-op arugula planting sleeveless arms, and their big-man crush on the Obama-0?
he he he
February 19, 2010 at 4:37 pm
It sends a huge message to those that believe that their work is over. I wish they could do that with civil service jobs as well. Yikes, they might have to mingle with those that walk out the garbage exit? lol
February 19, 2010 at 4:07 pm
WOW!
TENURED!
The general public will have no idea how radical a thing this is – that fully tenured professors just got laid off just as easily as though they were some illegal, agricultural lettuce pickers!
Wonder how many of them had a big man crush on Obama-0 and voted for him?
Tenure sure ain’t what it used to be.
February 19, 2010 at 4:39 pm
Yes, I believe this is the crowd that voted for him alright.
February 19, 2010 at 4:57 pm
I had no idea they could lay off a tenured Prof. So, what’s the point of having tenure, then?
My husband used to work for Amoco years ago..he’s a research scientist. Anyway, before they sold out to British Petroleum, they were systematically dumping their entire research department, which included scientists and engineers.
So, they told a bunch of the engineers that they had the choice to get laid off or transfer to a facility in Texas. Some of the guys with families didn’t want to lose their jobs, so they took the transfer, uprooted their families, took their kids out of school and moved across the country. 6 months later they were all laid off.
Turns out that Amoco just wanted to keep them around long enough to finish up some research to sell before they sold off the company.
My husband left Amoco before they had a chance to lay him off…found a great company that sells their research at a high price to…wait for it…BP Amoco. Suckers! BP is trying to get their research department back again, but none of the experienced scientists or engineers will work for them.
February 19, 2010 at 6:58 pm
This is certainly a big red flag to all who seek tenure in this economy. Perhaps Amy Bishop should not have been to eager to receive tenure.
I knew far too many people who should never have received a tenured position at the college that I taught at. It was a Dr Jekyll Mr Hyde moment as soon as they received tenure. The only ones who suffered were the students.
Terrible what happened to your hubby’s coworkers.
February 20, 2010 at 4:19 am
Just as a side note- I started out at a community college before moving on to University.
With one exception (a history prof at BU) I learned more from the Community college professors- who weren’t always freaking out trying to get their graduate assistants to hurry up and finish a paper for them to publish. The CC profs were always available and for the most part interested in teaching you how to learn!
February 20, 2010 at 9:02 am
Yes, PMM CCs do a good job. However, politics can play an unpleasant role in what CCs offer. The local CC lives to collect federal $$$ and graduates an abundance of non usable degrees. Case in point, we need tool and die manufacturing people here. Huge need. The board doesn’t want to fill that need, instead they keep offering degrees that are useless because of all the tech institutes that offer them as well. The bottom line is that this college in particular caters to students who can barely speak English (university does as well) and cannot execute 6th grade math. Thus the CC has attracted few teachers who excel at teaching. They just cannot deal with what “No Child Left Behind” has produced.
Without decent high school reading and math background, it is impossible to offer a degree that is actually useful. CCs must have a qualified student population, but I find it reprehensible that it has become a tax funded institution that serves few. Most of the graduates end up going back to their country of origin (dual citizenship which pays CC with pell grant $$), or they end up unemployed. I would estimate that 50% continue on to a four year institution. Few graduate because they used so much of their pell grant on remedial courses. The goal is to reap as much federal money as possible.
February 20, 2010 at 9:38 am
Need tool and die folks? We have a ton of them- all Americans- out of work here in our county!
I did not know that about CCs- I went to Cape Cod CC back in the early 90′s- nary a foreigner to be found.
That is sad!
February 20, 2010 at 4:33 pm
if you think that is bad, here in NC they are trying to…wait for it…enroll ILLEGAL ALIENS IN CC’s FOR FREE.
February 21, 2010 at 3:07 pm
Nom has it correct, all the illegal aliens are now receiving CC educations for free.
February 21, 2010 at 12:44 pm
US Navy cranks out lots of tool & die makers – “MR” specialty. one of the best free sources of occupational training in just about any field. I think they give the ASVB entry exam in Spanish now.