To Whom It May Concern: I would first like to go on the record stating my commitment to our flag and everything it represents. Both of my parents served this country in our armed forces. My father was a Marine and fought in Vietnam. My mother served in the Air Force, the Air Guard, and the Army National Guard for a total of 19 years. When she is present for the Pledge of Allegiance she not only stands but salutes the flag as she conveys her commitment to this country. I have been brought up to show our flag and this country the respect they deserve. Although my background has no bearing on the issue at hand, I wanted to make sure my viewpoint was acknowledged. At Hillsborough Community College each campus and the district offices has a Campus Advisory Council (CAC). This group meets once a month to discuss issues related to their campus operations. The Institutional Advisory Council (IAC) is comprised of a representation of each of the CACs including the Chair and Vice-Chair of each committee. The IAC meets at each campus location at least once every year. The Executive Committee is a sub-committee of the IAC which includes all of the Chairs and Vice-Chairs of the CACs, the Chair and Vice-Chair of the IAC, and the Secretary of the IAC. As the Chair of the IAC it is my primary responsibility to be a neutral mediator on the issues and concerns brought before the committee. Last spring it was brought to my attention that some committee members wanted clarification as to why the Pledge of Allegiance was said at the IAC before our meetings. It was noted that the Pledge was not an item that was to be included on the agenda according to the bylaws. This matter was presented to the Executive Committee at our summer meeting. At this meeting we determined that the Pledge was a historic item that had been passed down over the years. A discussion then ensued regarding whether or not the Pledge should remain an agenda item. Research was conducted to determine if we were required to say the Pledge at the meeting and it was determined that was not the case. We also looked at the other committees on campus and discovered that only a couple of committees say the Pledge at their meetings. At this point I decided to leave it up to the committee members as to whether or not the Pledge would remain as an agenda item. I asked the Chairs of the CACs to bring up this topic at their first meeting of the year. They were to solicit the advice of their groups on this item and were instructed to be ready to report on the results of this discussion at the first IAC meeting of the year. As I had promised, I included an agenda item titled “The Pledge of Allegiance� for our first meeting. The agenda is sent out a week prior to the meeting in order for committee members to prepare for discussion. My plan was to see if everyone would be okay with allowing the campus hosting the IAC to decide if the Pledge should be an agenda item for that meeting. However, a motion was made that we should remove the Pledge from the agenda as a business item. This motion was seconded and discussion was allowed regarding the motion. The most common reason discussed was time efficiency and consistency with other committees. There were some that pointed out the variety of cultures and customs represented at Hillsborough Community College and the IAC. It was stated that if the group was to be sensitive to the diverse population at the meetings perhaps it would be better to not put anyone in a position to feel uncomfortable or out of place. With these things in mind the motion was put to a vote. Each CAC gets only one vote so that larger CACs do not have an unfair advantage. The vote was 3-1 in favor of the motion with one abstention. I am certain that the Chairs of the CACs voted in a
way that represented the will of their committee members. They had time to discuss this issue at their CAC meetings and again at the IAC. The majority voice was heard in this instance. In my role as the leader of the IAC I always make it a point to be fair and democratic in my endeavors. A matter was brought to my attention that needed to be addressed. That matter was then sent to the CACs for their input. The results of this discussion were then brought to the IAC and a vote was taken. The democratic process was followed and the majority vote passed. At this point we are caught in the difficult position to decide which is less reflective of the core American values...to eliminate the Pledge from a committee meeting or to abandon the democratic process by which it was decided to be eliminated. As a side note I would like to address the minutes that were sent to the press. According to our bylaws, the minutes are to be sent to the Chair and Vice-Chair of the IAC for approval before they are sent to any other committee members. These minutes are then to be approved by the entire committee at the next IAC meeting allowing all members to make corrections to the minutes. The September minutes were inadvertently sent to the entire Executive Committee prior to any review. In my opinion, these minutes do not represent an accurate portrayal of what actually happened at the IAC meeting in September. In fact, the quotes taken from the minutes and published by the press were never said at the meeting. ”Academic Freedom” was never mentioned at our meeting nor was “structured dissent against authority”. The minutes are currently being reviewed and revised for accuracy in accordance with our bylaws to reflect what was said at that meeting. Once they are approved they will be made public as required.
IAC Chair