State College of Florida trustees weakened school with tenure elimination

To the State College of Florida board of trustees: As a former student I am saddened to hear about your recent decision over ending tenure, despite all the opposition you still choose to go against the benefit of the student body.

I failed to see the benefit of this decision as the overwhelming consensus has been that SCF will now be considered a substandard school as no professor will want to sign to such a hostile work contract.

I believe the Herald's Sept. 27 editorial stated perfectly that "the board has chosen business over education" and cause of this our educational standard that we worked so hard to build up will deteriorate. Living in a parental community, they have already began to show their concern and have decided to look somewhere else for their children's college.

Even though I graduated, I am still very active in the science community, currently doing research on a bacteria strain I found. This bacteria strain has shown a chance to fight off MRSA but now I am currently forced to try to transfer my research to benefit myself as we were already working with a minimal budget and this decision ensures me that my research cannot be continued with the same confidence that I had before.

This is a dark day in the history of State College of Florida, and I hope that you guys will change your motive before it's too late. This school has helped me so much in my life and now I feel regret that the people put in charge of ensuring a great academic standard have not only let the community down but has decreased the potential of one of the most improved schools in the state.

Michael Grandalski

Bradenton

This story was originally published October 4, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "State College of Florida trustees weakened school with tenure elimination ."