Pensacola State College Faculty Association

08/27/2026

Florida eyes AI rules for state colleges...

https://www.wusf.org/education/2026-08-26/florida-eyes-ai-rules-for-state-colleges?link_id=20&can_id=ef4cfa850d8f0c795c3bc1b679cce969&source=email-progress-florida-daily-clips-8-27-26&email_referrer=email_3376278&email_subject=progress-florida-daily-clips-8-27-26&&

08/27/2026

Are you registered to vote?
Want to know early voting dates by county?

https://linktr.ee/UFFVotes?fbclid=IwY2xjawT9dYdwZG9mBWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMWpNMmhkb1d4NGR1OFBYSFNzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEePg7zzFDzY34xiKdQybYZzBwnuAPTwpTJ-GW9NsZz8-s25qrTKfRbhFJYnio_aem_BDdvzOND6ti7if3k1SzWyA

UFF's Get Out the Vote campaign for the 2022 Midterm Elections

07/27/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/191pPeqoXZ/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Eight days to apply. No higher-ed experience required. PSC's presidential search has a curious pattern—and it points somewhere specific. Another rigged hiring?

07/07/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/14inSEhtXRg/

BREAKING: A federal appeals court just struck down major parts of Florida's Stop WOKE Act, ruling that the state cannot control what public university professors say in the classroom about race, s*x and other forms of bias.

The 2 1 ruling from the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta upheld a lower court injunction blocking enforcement of the law in higher education. Judge Britt Grant, a Trump appointee who wrote the majority opinion, called Florida's justification for the law a "breathtaking assertion of power" that violates the First Amendment.

"Florida seeks to strip public university professors, and by extension their students, of the ability to fully engage with ideas that are, for better or for worse, very popular in some academic circles," Grant wrote. "Hearing an idea you disagree with is not discrimination; it is an opportunity to come up with a better idea, or maybe even change your mind."

The 2022 law, a hallmark of Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration, restricted what educators could say about discrimination, s*xism and bias and imposed fines and termination on faculty who strayed from approved curriculum. It led UCF sociology professor Jonathan Cox to cancel two courses on race and media rather than risk sanctions, according to a 2023 ProPublica report.

Judge Barbara Lagoa, also a Trump appointee and a former DeSantis pick for the Florida Supreme Court, dissented, arguing states retain authority to restrict a professor's viewpoint in a public classroom.

The ACLU, which filed suit on behalf of Florida professors in 2022, called it a landmark win. Florida can seek reconsideration from the full 11th Circuit or appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, but both are considered long shots.

What do you think, should the state have a say over what professors teach in public university classrooms, or is this a First Amendment issue plain and simple?

07/06/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DGpLt83zP/

🚨 GEORGIA TEACHER WINS NEARLY $300,000 AFTER BEING FIRED FOR QUOTING CHARLIE KIRK'S OWN WORDS 🚨

Follow Jim Heath for independent journalism on politics, power and history.

Michelle Mickens was a 24-year veteran English teacher and a 2022 Georgia Teacher of the Year finalist who had never received a formal complaint about her conduct. On September 10, 2025, hours after Charlie Kirk was killed at Utah Valley University, Mickens posted a direct quote from Kirk on her private Facebook account, visible only to close friends. The quote was Kirk defending gun deaths as an acceptable cost of the Second Amendment. She added no commentary of her own.

A former high school classmate screenshotted the post and shared it on X. From there, an account with more than 600,000 followers amplified it, publishing the name of her school and her principal's contact information. The mob came for her. Mickens was called to the office, told to delete the post and apologize. When she said she wanted to consult an attorney first, the Oglethorpe County School District revoked her email access, placed her on indefinite leave, and pressured her to resign. The school board hired her replacement before she was formally terminated.

The Southern Poverty Law Center and the Georgia Association of Educators filed a federal lawsuit on her behalf, arguing her First Amendment rights were violated. The lawsuit revealed that other employees had worn pro-Kirk T-shirts at school with no consequences. Last week, the district settled for $270,420 in emotional distress damages and $17,080 in legal fees, nearly $300,000 from a small rural district that taxpayers are now paying because administrators panicked under political pressure.

Mickens is not alone. A University of Tennessee professor received $1.9 million. A Florida biologist received $485,000. An Indiana University employee will receive $225,000. An Iowa teacher won more than $200,000. School boards and agencies that fired people over private speech about a public figure are getting exactly what the Constitution says they should get.

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06/30/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1H2YaAERnH/

Tamar Shirinian and the University of Tennessee have agreed upon a settlement after she alleged her firing in February violated her First Amendment rights.

06/24/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1C3YouaETY/

The state Board of Governors and Board of Education already banned sociology from public institutions’ core course offerings. Legislation awaiting the governor’s signature would increase their authority to further change core curricula.

06/23/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1D69ri26Qj/

Zack Smith just made himself chair of PSC's presidential search committee. He ran UWF's search too—and it produced exactly one finalist.

06/23/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1A1BYy3icH/

An Indiana University instructor who showed a graphic in class that listed the “Make America Great Again” slogan as covert white supremacy has lost her job. Administrators suspended the instructor, Jessica Adams, after Senator Jim Banks, an ally of President Trump, contacted the campus about the lecture. Read more: https://nyti.ms/4exWoRa

06/09/2026

Dear Colleagues,

PSCFA is pleased to announce that a tentative agreement has been reached at the bargaining table regarding an additional salary increase for faculty.

Administration presented PSCFA with two options:

An $800 addition to base salary plus the previously agreed-upon 3% increase to base salary; or
A $500 addition to base salary plus a 3.5% increase to base salary.

After careful consideration, PSCFA accepted the first option. We believe this approach provides the greatest benefit to the majority of our faculty, particularly those who have joined Pensacola State College within the past 15 years.

PSCFA extends its sincere appreciation to our bargaining team, led by Dr. Monique Collins and joined by Jennifer Brahier and Rick Dunn, for their dedication, professionalism, and tireless work throughout this process. Their commitment to advocating for faculty helped make this additional salary increase possible. We also thank the administration's bargaining team—Dr. Spicer, Dr. Kelly, and Ms. Kovacs—for working collaboratively to identify resources and reach an agreement that supports our faculty.

A ratification vote will be held during PSCFA's annual back-to-school faculty luncheon on Thursday, August 13, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m in Broxson Hall. We encourage all faculty members to attend. If the agreement is ratified, the new pay increase will take effect in our August paychecks.

Thank you for your continued support of PSCFA and for all you do on behalf of our students and our college community.

Enjoy the rest of your summer, and we look forward to seeing you in August.