Florida board bans use of state, federal dollars for DEI programs at state universities
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — In a move aligning with Governor Ron DeSantis’ spring-signed law, the board overseeing Florida’s 12 public universities voted on Wednesday to prohibit the use of state or federal funds for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs or activities. The regulation, passed by the state Board of Governors in a voice vote, mirrors a broader nationwide Republican effort to target such programs in higher education. The newly-approved law also restricts tax money from supporting ”political or social activism,” although student fees can be allocated for that purpose.
Alan Levine, the board’s vice chair, emphasized that the misunderstanding that student organizations were being banned was unfounded. He stated, It was said we were banning student organizations, and that’s not a fair statement.
Under the new law, taxpayer money cannot be used to finance programs that promote differential or preferential treatment of individuals based on factors including race, color, sex, national origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Additionally, instruction of theories asserting systemic racism, sexism, oppression, and privilege in American institutions and their perpetuation of social, political, and economic inequities is forbidden.
Last week, the state Board of Education implemented a similar policy for the 28 smaller colleges in Florida, and both boards decided to replace sociology as a core requirement with a U.S. history class, a priority for conservatives in the education system. Tim Cerio, a member of the Board of Governors, clarified that the change did not mean the elimination of sociology but rather its removal as a core requirement. He stated, It’s just being removed as a core requirement. If there’s a demand for sociology, that demand will be met.
A press release from the Florida Education Department described the modification to the sociology requirement as an attempt to provide students with an accurate and factual account of the nation’s past, rather than exposing them to radical woke ideologies.
The DEI law signed by Governor DeSantis, who recently launched a suspended run for president, argues that DEI programs on campuses promote a liberal orthodoxy. DeSantis stated in May, This has basically been used as a veneer to impose an ideological agenda, and that is wrong.
The law effectively bars public universities from utilizing state or federal funds for initiatives or activities that advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, or that promote political or social activism.
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