The Point: Run!

2/13/2025

This week’s Point was written by Jeff Melnick, Professor of American Studies and former FSU VP

Greetings, Colleagues:

Usually we try to keep the functions of the FSU’s two regular email blasts—Nuts and Bolts, on the one hand, and The Point, on the other—fairly distinct.  But this week we want to take the opportunity to elaborate upon some basic information our president shared with you in her weekly column. There, Caroline Coscia gave us all some basic information about upcoming FSU Executive Committee elections—nominations due by 4 p.m. on February 21, races for Vice President, 2 tenured representatives, 2 non-tenure track faculty, and one pre-tenured faculty member, etc.

But we want to take a minute to give you a little push.

You should run.

I served on the Executive Committee a number of terms (and was FSU VP for a year and communications director for awhile) and in my 15 years at UMB—and 30 or so in academia—it was by far the most rewarding service I have ever done. (I should also note that according to our contract, being on FSU ExCom is credited to you as university service!) 

Keep in mind that serving on ExCom can take loads of different forms—from fairly lowkey demands (show up at meetings, do some readings, etc) to a pretty immersive experience.  In short, no one will ask you to give blood, but your donation will certainly be accepted gratefully!

Here’s a few reasons why you should run for ExCom.

1. How Sausage is Made: In my first few years on ExCom I learned more about the campus ecosystem (and broader surrounding institutional and political landscapes) than I had ever known previously. I came to develop a new map of campus that was much more detailed than the one I had previously carried in my head.  There were whole crucial offices on campus that union work and amazing staff people that union work brought me into contact with that I would not have known without my work on the ExCom.  My updated maps extended way beyond campus—I met state and national union leaders, local and state-level politicians, and rank-and-file comrades from around the country. My years on ExCom have meant that I understand a whole lot more about how our university works than I ever had previously.
2. How to Win Friends and Be Influenced By People: It feels a little corny to write, now that I am typing it out (Comrades!) but serving on ExCom is a really efficient way to become friends with, learn from, and feel connected with colleagues from across campus that you might not have occasion to meet otherwise.  From faculty in other colleges to librarians and people all across UMB’s various demographic groups, ExCom hosts a wonderful ad hoc and dynamic conversation among colleagues dedicated to basic member service concerns and broader social justice issues. I cannot emphasize enough how grateful I am for the basic social function of ExCom: we all work too hard and with insufficient support and it is very good, indeed, to have the space of ExCom to help us feel a little less alone.
3. How to Stay Above Water During a Very Hard Time: Last week our colleague Steve Striffler outlined some of the most terrifying ways the new Trump administration was targeting higher education in the United States.  And then things got even worse (cf. the attack on indirect costs).  It probably goes without saying that if there is to be any meaningful resistance to Trump’s cruel and shortsighted attacks on higher education in the US then labor will have to be at the center: major unions like SEIU and the UAW have recognized for years that they need to organize on campus, and the need will only intensify in the coming years.  Serving on ExCom will not solve any of the truly daunting challenges we are facing, of course, but it just might make you feel more equipped to understand what is happening and how to stand up and fight back.