As the Florida legislative session starts today, many eyes will be on how lawmakers will shave the state budget down to $70 billion without compromising the quality of higher education.
But some may be distracted by a legislative sideshow: state Sen. Mike Haridopolos' acceptance of a UF lecturer position.
"It basically raises eyebrows as to what are the priorities of the state Legislature when individual members are feeding at the public crop," UF political science professor Daniel Smith said Monday.
In February, Haridopolos, an Indialantic Republican aspiring to become Senate president in 2010, accepted a $75,000 offer to lecture in UF's Department of Political Science and coordinate internships at the Bob Graham Center for Public Service.
Since then, UF faculty and the Florida Democratic Party have complained about Haridopolos' salary, his academic credentials, a lack of faculty input in the hiring and a perceived conflict between his duties as a senator and a university employee.
But in a telephone interview Monday, Haridopolos stood by his acceptance and said he doesn't understand why his hiring is controversial.
He said he accepted the position after "a lot of consideration" and he was especially encouraged by former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham's support.
Responding to concerns over his salary, Haridopolos pointed out that he's not the highest-paid political science lecturer at UF - 11 political science lecturers make more than he does - and he has more experience than the average political science lecturer.
"Most lecturers don't have 15 years of classroom experience like I do," he said. "Most lecturers have not authored or co-authored three books, which I have."
The average annual salary for a UF political science lecturer is about $40,000, according to university figures. The only lecturer without a Ph.D. on campus makes $27,114 a year.
Haridopolos, who taught a politics course at UF in fall 2005, earned a master's degree from the University of Arkansas. He hasn't been enrolled in Arkansas' doctoral program since 2000.
His resume states he's completed the coursework for a doctorate at the University of Arkansas, but it says nothing about his dissertation. Haridopolos said he would finish working on his degree at Florida State University.
Haridopolos' $75,000 salary covers nine months, half of which will be spent in Tallahassee for the spring legislative session, when he will serve in his Graham Center role.
Jack Davis, an associate professor of history at UF who is on the Graham Center's curriculum committee, said he was told there was no money to hire a permanent director for the center. Davis said he then heard rumors that UF had found money to hire Haridopolos.
"Who is more important to launching the Graham Center," he asked. "Mike Haridopolos or a director?"
Davis said he and other UF professors were concerned about the lack of faculty input in the decision.
UF follows a shared governance policy, which involves faculty in any new hires.
Haridopolos said he met with Graham, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Interim Dean Joe Glover, Graham Center Assistant Director Mike Bowen, Graham Center Interim Director Walter Rosenbaum and Department of Political Science Chairman Stephen Craig.
UF spokesman Steve Orlando said UF usually holds national searches to fill openings. However, a Jan. 30 letter from Glover to Associate Provost Debra Walker King requests a "waiver of advertising to allow CLAS to hire Mr. Mike Haridopolos." Orlando said such waivers are not uncommon and are requested if a position needs to be filled quickly or if a hiring committee is afraid its candidate will move on if UF doesn't offer the job fast enough, he said.
In Haridopolos' case, Orlando said those involved felt they wouldn't find anyone with the senator's qualifications even with a national search.
Meanwhile, the Florida Democratic Party has seized an opportunity to criticize Haridopolos and the Republican Party of Florida. But he said his position at UF should not be viewed as a conflict of interest with his legislative duties.
"Look at my past voting career and look how I vote over the next five years," Haridopolos said, "And I think, people, that's how they can judge me."
