Students, Faculty & Alumni Protest Koch Brothers' Clandestine Takeover Of Florida State University

“We do not need a bunch of businessmen, politicians, choosing our (FSU) president for us. The president should be chosen entirely by the students and faculty. This is a completely corrupt process that I am sick of and the students are sick of and the faculty are sick of, also." - FSU student Zachary Schultz

Once again, FSU (Florida State University) is being bombarded by the Koch Brothers' corrupt agenda. FSU students have been speaking out for several years, and now the faculty and alumni have joined the students in protest. The latest coercive action by the Koch duo, is to force the grafting of Senator John Thrasher (R-FL) into the position of FSU president.

According to a reputable FSU source, the majority of Trustee Chair Bense’s PSAC (Presidential Search Advisory Committee) is represented by a majority of corporate and political interests. Some of the members are connected to Koch-funded industries and ALEC. In May, those  members, not part of the academy, voted to accept Sen. John Thrasher as the only candidate for president, against the protest of students and faculty. Thrasher (who is also running the reelection campaign of Governor Rick Scott) was considered without any formal application.

The FSU students have also repeatedly protested the Koch Brothers venality. After making a contribution to the FSU several years ago, the Kochs seem to think they can now run the school. They were able to gain an indirect say over who is hired and fired in the university's economics department.

In April the FSU students protested against a new senate bill aimed at keeping Koch influence behind closed doors. The bill was supported by Thrasher, and, unfortunately, passed. 

I rarely use absolutes. These are three in which I firmly believe. Public education should never be influenced by a particular party or corporation. Donors should never have the right to hire or fire faculty. And students, who pay exorbitant tuition/fees, and who incur great student loan debt just to attend college, should always have a voice in the election of a public university's president.

Here are the email addresses for the FSU board of trustees to cut/paste. If the Kochs get their way in choosing FSU’s next President, it gives them direct power to promote their own agenda while compromising the university's integrity and credibly. The general public can also join the protest by writing to these trustees:

The FSU Board of Trustees:

Allan Bense, [e-mail]
Kathryn Ballard, [e-mail]
Ed Burr, [e-mail]
Joseph Camps, [e-mail]
Stefano Cavallaro, [e-mail]
Emily Duda, [e-mail]
Joseph Gruters, [e-mail]
Andy Haggard, [e-mail]
Mark Hillis, [e-mail]
Leslie Pantin, [e-mail]
Margaret Rolando, [e-mail]
Brent Sembler, [e-mail]
Gary Tyson, [e-mail]

To read some of the comments by concerned FSU students, faculty and alumni, on the PSAC webpage, visit here. You can also visit the new FSU student Facebook page dedicated to the restructure of the PSAC.

Cheers to the students, the youth, and the future of our country, for taking a stand. By sharing this story/information, it is hoped other college students and universities will take note and follow suit.

Please note: This diary has been edited to protect my FSU source. The main message and basic information remain the same.