Dear Friend,
In case you did not know, the Board of Governors (BOG) is comprised of seventeen members, fourteen of whom are appointed by the Florida Governor and confirmed by the Florida Senate for a term of seven years. The remaining members include the Chair of the Advisory Council of Faculty Senates, the Commissioner of Education, and the Chair of the Florida Student Association. The Board oversees the operation and management of the Florida public university system’s twelve institutions.
In early November the BOG met at the University of Central Florida and proposed several alarming rules that target diversity programs and sociology classes. Below are ways you can take action before the BOG meets again in January to vote on these provisions. Comments are due on November 23, 2023 so we need to move fast.
General Education Core Course Options
A review of Florida’s General Education courses was required by SB266/HB999. This legislation attempts to insert conservative orthodoxy into general education courses but instead of inserting their ideology, conservatives are trying to just completely eliminate a class that they find threatening: Sociology.
That’s right. At the Board of Governors meeting, an amendment to remove SYG X000 Principles of Sociology from the general education core course list was presented by Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz and passed. This means that SYG X000 Principles of Sociology will never be available to any Florida student of a public university for credit as a general education course. Read the full here.
Share why Sociology should continue to be available as a general education course for Florida public university students.
Banning All Funding for Diversity and Social Activism
This is another proposed rule change that comes from SB266/HB999 that would prohibit state and federal money from going towards diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. The rule would also ban “social and political activism.” Here are the definitions used and read the full here.
- “Diversity, Equity or Inclusion” or “DEI” is any program, campus activity, or policy that classifies individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation and promotes differential or preferential treatment of individuals on the basis of such classification.
- “Political or Social Activism” is any activity organized with a purpose of effecting or preventing change to a government policy, action, or function, or any activity intended to achieve a desired result related to social issues, where the university endorses or promotes a position in communications, advertisements, programs, or campus activities. Political or social activism does not include:
- Authorized government relations and lobbying activities of the university concerning matters that directly affect the operations of the university or direct-support organizations of the university.
- Endorsement or promotion of a position that encourages compliance with state or federal law, or Board of Governors guidance or regulation.
- “Social Issues” are topics that polarize or divide society among political, ideological, moral, or religious beliefs.
As you can see, these definitions are incredibly broad and we are concerned that this will lead to censorship of faculty and students and will eliminate essential programs designed to ensure the success of every student.
Share with the BOG why this rule will be devastating to higher education, will lead to censorship and constitutionality concerns, and will reduce our rankings on a global state.
Deadline to Submit Comments
The deadline to submit your comment is November 23, 2023. Please share this link widely and help get public comments submitted.
Onward,
Rep. Eskamani