Florida Governor Ron DeSantis would gain more influence in the state’s public university system, and majors involving gender studies or critical race theory would be eliminated if a bill filed this week wins support from the Republican-controlled legislature.
The new measure, which largely reflects a legislative agenda announced by DeSantis in January, also would ban consideration of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in hiring of faculty. It would require each institution’s board of trustees to approve hires, giving DeSantis greater influence over those decisions because the governor appoints a significant number of board members.
The wide-reaching legislation represents a new front in the Republican war against the “woke” agenda many conservatives believe liberals are trying to push on public education across the country. DeSantis, who is expected to launch a presidential bid after Florida’s legislative session ends this spring, has positioned himself as a leader in that fight.
“In Florida, we will build off of our higher education reforms by aligning core curriculum to the values of liberty and the Western tradition,” DeSantis said in January.
Academics, free speech advocates and students condemned the measure. Jeremy C. Young, senior manager of free expression and education at the writers’ organization PEN America, tweeted that it would be the “central battleground for the soul of higher education.”
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