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UF Faculty Libs Snub Jeb; Gator Alums Honor Him

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Frank Shannon

Published: April 9, 2007

The University of Florida Faculty Senate's "Honorary Degrees, Distinguished Alumnus Awards, and Memorials Committee" nominated former Gov. Jeb Bush for an honorary degree, but the faculty senate voted down the nomination 38-28.

"The committee endorsed him," said University of Florida President Bernie Machen, who was "tremendously disappointed" by the faculty's snub. "It is unheard of that a faculty committee would look at candidates, make recommendations, and then be overturned by the senate."

Some might suspect that the faculty senate is politically motivated. Say it ain't so! Political motivations among the ranks of pointy-headed intellectual elites? A political agenda at play in the Utopian kingdom of liberal academia? Never happen! Everyone knows that liberals revere diversity of thought and the expression of a broad spectrum of opinion, especially political. Yeah, right.

Other citizens of Gator Nation, however, are of a different collective mind than that of UF's academic revolutionary guard.

The University of Florida's Alumni Association Board of Directors passed a resolution making Jeb an honorary alumnus. According to Alumni Association President Leonard Spearman, the association's decision was totally unrelated to the faculty's snub.

"What we did was in our own rights," said Spearman, "not in reaction to the (faculty). From the alumni perspective, we highly respect those that have been given or granted the status of honorary alumnus."
The Alumni Association's selection of Jeb, said Spearman, was based in large part on his support of research at the university. Jeb's efforts during his governorship created a statewide scholarship program and -- get a load of this -- provided funding for more faculty. So much for gratitude.

In denying Jeb an honorary degree, some members of the enriched and expanded, albeit thankless, faculty expressed concerns over his administration's educational record, particularly citing his approval of three new medical schools that they claim has diluted resources.

Hmmm, I'm checking my copy of the Florida Constitution and I'm having a hard time finding the part about the University of Florida having the state's only medical school. Let me get back to you on that.
The faculty's myopic parochialism with regard to the medical school merely demonstrates its inability or unwillingness to see beyond the front gate of its own institution. As governor, however, Jeb couldn't afford to be so hindered. Vision, rather than a narrow view, was a necessary quality to bring to the office of governor. Greater availability of a quality medical education to a broader pool of qualified candidates is an enhancement to Florida's universities, and to the state as a whole.

Jeb had also been the target of criticism by academic liberals for his "One Florida" initiative that ended race-based admissions in state universities. Jeb came into office with education commanding a significant portion of the space on his gubernatorial plate, but he waded right into the debate with levels of thought and consideration that matched his courage and aggressive desire for substantive change and meaningful policy. I'm sure Jeb, the most ideologically conservative scion of a very political family, ran for governor with a pretty reasonable expectation of criticism.

A tree, it's said, is known by its fruit. Similarly, the reputation of any university, its sum total impact on and contribution to the surrounding community, the state, and to society as a whole, is measured not by its faculty, its political mispronouncements and propagandizations, but by its alumni and its collective achievements and contributions. In this light, while Jeb may be lacking an honorary degree from the University of Florida's faculty, I doubt he's been crying himself to sleep at night over it. With the respect and regard to the University of Florida alumni, Jeb's been the recipient of a greater honor than any the university's faculty can ever bestow.

Valrico resident Frank Shannon is a longtime conservative activist and writer. He can be contacted at FXShannon@aol.com.

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