This article describes the events surrounding the University of South Florida's (USF) involvement with Sami Al-Arian, who was a professor at USF prior to accusations of involvement in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). The seeds of the Al-Arian controversy were planted in the early 1990s when USF--an ambitious but underfunded university--attempted to launch a Middle Eastern studies program on the cheap by relying on an off-site think tank to provide teaching staff and expertise. External pressure and a scandal ended the initiative, but the endeavor left the university politically vulnerable when accusations involving Al-Arian surfaced after 9/11. During the controversial times, the administration floundered, hunkered down, and excluded the faculty senate and faculty union from any significant role in its deliberations. As a result, the administration alienated the faculty, and seriously compromised academic freedom. This article explains the ramifications of USF's decisions regarding Al-Arian and his status at the university.