Clarifying the trustees' vision for State College of Florida

This is in reference to the Herald's Jan. 31 editorial concerning the State College of Florida and the Board of Trustees. I am a trustee of SCF.

Much has been said, some of which is incorrect. I hope to clarify some of this so that community discussions can be more factually accurate.

The editorial states that "future instructors" would be "disposable hires -- especially if they don't kowtow to meddlesome trustees who demand fealty." You ask, "Will trustees censure certain textbooks and literature that doesn't align with their views? Fire professors and instructors who open the minds of students with politically disagreeable material?"

The answer is a resounding no. The board has repeatedly stated that strengthening due process and its attendant academic freedom is a priority.

In fact, Trustee Eric Robinson has stated that we want to expand it to those academicians who currently don't have it.

I personally stated at a board meeting that, "In my opinion, a college or university without academic freedom is not a college or university."

In place of continuing contracts, the board is going to discuss with the faculty in a future workshop a recommendation that continuing contracts be replaced with a fixed three-year appointment which would be subject to another three-year contract if the administration deemed them worthy.

This recommendation and decision to renew or not would be up to Dr. Carol Probstfeld, president of SCF, and her administration, not the board.

The editorial stated as it relates to "trustees, none of whom are educators." I am a former Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine having trained medical students and interns. I have also trained Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners, paramedics and EMTs.

As it relates to the Legislature's and the Florida School Board Association's conflict, the board doesn't have a dog in that fight.

All educational institutions in Florida, in my opinion, should operate in a business-like fashion due to declining funding from the Legislature. To not do so would be folly.

SCF is blessed because Dr. Probstfeld has a very strong background in finance. There is a clear difference between operating as a business. We do not make widgets. We educate minds, changing not only the students, but also generations.

I also do not believe staff hiring should be done by low bid. That would be a great disservice to the college. Using low bidding to hire competent faculty, in my opinion, is absolutely unacceptable.

As it relates to me, "he believes the Legislature could eliminate continuing contracts at all state colleges, thus leveling the playing field in instructor hiring."

What I have said at a board meeting was, "The executive board of the faculty Senate, the vice president for academics, and SCF President Probstfeld have all told me that eliminating the continuing contracts at all remaining state colleges would be in SCF's best interest since it would eliminate any competitive disadvantage that SCF might have."

Furthermore, I stated, "It was too late in the legislative process this year to do so, but perhaps the Legislature could do so next year."

The piece also stated, "Taxpayers, students and the families ... should be treated with respect, just as professional educators should." I couldn't agree more.

I hope clarification of the facts is helpful in discussing events instead of using suppositions that no one even knows will occur.

Craig Trigueiro, M.D., District Board of Trustees State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota.

This story was originally published February 7, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Clarifying the trustees' vision for State College of Florida ."