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The board rules

The Board of Governors rejected the chiropractic school at FSU, which had become a symbol for political interference in higher education.

More than two years after voters told Florida lawmakers to butt out of higher education, the new university watchdog finally bared its teeth on Thursday. In summarily rejecting a legislatively imposed chiropractic school for Florida State University, the new Board of Governors has begun to mark its territory.

"We understand the role of the Legislature and will continue to be respectful of that," said board chairwoman Carolyn Roberts. "(But) this board has a role to play and has been given its power by the citizens of the state of Florida."

The vote was no doubt made easier by the cover provided by Gov. Jeb Bush, who had publicly invited members to "vote their conscience." But the fact that the school had become a national symbol for political interference in higher education didn't hurt, either.

The case for building the nation's first university-based chiropractic school was never able to withstand any serious scrutiny, which is why Sen. Dennis Jones, a Treasure Island chiropractor, knew his only chance was to place the $9-million appropriation inside a legislative grab bag for the Senate president and House speaker last year. The reality is that Florida already has more chiropractors than 47 other states and is producing roughly 80 more graduates per year than it needs to keep pace with demand. The other reality is that the educational rigor of current chiropractic schools, including entrance requirements and breadth of curriculum, doesn't mesh easily with a major public research university. FSU couldn't even guarantee that its version of chiropractic education, with an extensive research component, would receive professional accreditation. A Florida chiropractor told the board Thursday he hoped it would not.

In rejecting the school, board members carefully measured their words about the Legislature. Board member Steve Uhlfelder, a Tallahassee lobbyist who already has drawn the ire of Senate President Tom Lee, reminded his colleagues that "some of us don't have clean hands, we could have done more in the beginning on this." Indeed, previous university leaders said nothing as the Legislature approved money for a study, and the Board of Governors waited until November before signaling that it was taking charge. FSU president T.K. Wetherell has surely been weakened by his own role in this as well, as the former House speaker seemed more eager to please political benefactors than his university faculty.

Roberts says she has been meeting with legislative leaders, including a lunch with Jones, and does not expect them to seek retribution. But that, of course, remains to be seen. Beyond the more immediate question of whether FSU can now legally spend the $9-million appropriation, board members and legislators will need to flesh out the details of their respective roles in higher education. Lawmakers always will be the ones to provide the money, which is why neither the board nor the Legislature can afford to let egos get in the way of governance.

When the old Board of Regents tried to block a medical school that lawmakers demanded, the Legislature responded by abolishing the board. This time, though, the landscape has changed. This time, the Board of Governors is empowered by the state Constitution and created by voters. Lawmakers would be wise to pay it respect.

[Last modified January 28, 2005, 00:21:17]