The Florida legislature introduced a bill that would overhaul the state’s public university system, getting it closer to Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R-FL) vision for higher education.
The legislation, introduced by state Rep. Alex Andrade (R), would give more power to university trustees appointed by state governors. It would allow trustees to review the statuses of tenured professors for any reason and eliminate gender studies and critical race theory as possible majors or minors.
FLORIDA’S DESANTIS ANNOUNCES NEW INITIATIVE TO COMBAT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
“Whenever applicable, [courses should] promote the philosophical underpinnings of Western civilization and include studies of this nation’s historical documents, including the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights and subsequent amendments there to, and the Federalist Papers,” the bill said.
“Courses may not suppress or distort significant historical events or include a curriculum that teaches identity politics, such as Critical Race Theory, or defines American history as contrary to the creation of a new nation based on universal principles stated in the Declaration of Independence,” it continues.
The bill also bans any spending on diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI, programs. DeSantis, who seems to be considering a presidential bid in 2024, claimed DEI programs are an “ideological and political filter” during a press conference earlier this month.
A coalition of presidents of Florida’s community colleges also committed to not teach critical race theory last month, promising not to “fund or support any institutional practice, policy, or academic requirement that compels belief in critical race theory or related concepts such as intersectionality, or the idea that systems of oppression should be the primary lens through which teaching and learning are analyzed and/or improved upon.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The bill comes after DeSantis rejected an Advanced Placement African American Studies course in January, claiming it was part of a “political agenda on the wrong side of the line.” The Florida Department of Education’s Office of Articulation went even further, arguing the course lacked “educational value” and therefore violated state law.
