Florida Gulf Coast University faculty senate rejects fingerprinting proposal

Faculty members at Florida Gulf Coast University have twice voted to reject biometric fingerprinting for the school’s 1,100 employees, Inside Higher Ed reports.

“I have no problem with a background check – I have nothing to hide,” Win Everham, a member of Florida’s Gulf Coast’s Faculty Senate said. “I have a large problem with anyone who wishes to waste tax dollars on an ineffective policy that fails to make us safer and makes us more vulnerable to lawsuits.”

The school’s proposal looks to gather a full set of fingerprints from all prospective and current employees. The University’s Board of Trustees approved the proposal earlier this year as a way to protect minors on campus from potential criminals.

Since early November, the faculty body has voted twice by an overwhelming margin to reject the fingerprinting policy the school is looking to implement.

According to the Inside Higher Ed article, as proposed, the university would foot the bill for the new system, roughly $50 per person. It’s estimated this could cost the university a one-time fee of at least $55,000, plus ongoing expenses. This comes as the school could be looking at US$3.6 million in state budget cuts this year.

Everham also points to the fact that the proposal does not address the many contracted employees who work on campus, as well as the student body.

As reported previously in BiometricUpdate.com, many biometric systems have seen great resistance in school settings. At Newcastle University, students rejected biometric measures proposed to monitor course attendance. Likewise, Carroll County Public Schools in Maryland have halted the implementation of palm scanners within the school system, as parents expressed privacy concerns.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  fingerprint  |  fingerprint biometrics  |  identity verification