Midnight Watch for Rogue Waves: Experiencing Faculty Intimidation in Florida

Authors

Keywords:

higher education, Florida, political interference, identity and stereotype threat, intimidation

Abstract

In a 2023 emergency investigation, the American Association of University Professors reported: “What is unfolding in Florida is horrifying. It should serve as a cautionary tale to all in higher education.” Highlights of cascading events in Florida public higher education include elimination of tenure, keyword searches upon faculty syllabi, course removals from Common Core, elimination of references to Diversity-Equity-Inclusion, union-busting legislation, and mandated accreditation shopping. In this context, my general question is this: How does intimidation affect faculty experience in Florida’s public universities? My specific question is this: How is intimidation lived by me? I have written extensively about college teaching as an educational helping relationship and see this conceptual essay as central to the work of professional helping. Joining other first responders’ scholarly writings on the Florida emergency, this essay puts a personal face on the currently raging ideological war in American higher education and the encompassing American culture.

Author Biography

Douglas Robertson, Florida International University

Douglas L. Robertson, PhD is Professor of Higher Education, Educational Policy Studies, College of Arts, Sciences, and Education, Florida International University, Miami, FL (drobert@fiu.edu, https://www.douglaslrobertson.miami).

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Published

2026-07-30

How to Cite

Robertson, D. (2026). Midnight Watch for Rogue Waves: Experiencing Faculty Intimidation in Florida. Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping, 32(2), 30–47. Retrieved from https://reflectionsnarrativesofprofessionalhelping.org/index.php/Reflections/article/view/2253