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The Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom at Florida International University, funded by the Legislature in 2020, would function as a college — hiring faculty, enrolling students and awarding degrees. A bill filed this week in the Florida House would turn many of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ wide-ranging ideas on higher education into law by limiting diversity efforts, vastly expanding the powers of university boards and altering course offerings. Faculty committees shall, by July 1, 2024, and by July 1 every three years thereafter, review and submit recommendations to the Articulation Coordinating Committee, the commissioner, and the Chancellor of the StateUniversity System for the removal, alignment, realignment, or addition of general education core courses that satisfy the requirements of the law.
Who approves statewide general education core courses?
College students are also concerned about legislation that imposes restrictions on courses of study. Last week, Florida students rallied against HB 999 in the capital city of Tallahassee. Maxx Fenning, a senior at the University of Florida and the founder and president of LGBTQ+ advocacy group PRISM, also finds the legislation unsettling.
Women and nonbinary people say doctors won’t stop talking about their weight
The students — Gia Davila, 21; Laura Rodriguez, 23; Jeanie Kida, 26; and Chrisley Carpio, 31 — faced charges of battery on a law enforcement officer; resisting an officer without violence; and disrupting a school campus or function, according to Hillsborough County records. In addition, the bill would greatly expand the role of boards of trustees at each school, which in turn would increase the governor’s role in university life. The governor holds the greatest influence on who serves as a university trustee, with the ability to appoint six members to each board. The state Board of Governors can make five appointments, but that panel is also largely appointed by the governor.
Published March 15, 2023
He wrote an MSNBC opinion piece earlier this month urging Black Greek-letter organizations to keep fighting the bill. He noted that language in the Senate version of HB 999 has been changed to offer some protections to Black sororities and fraternities, but he worries that the House bill still prohibits public colleges and universities from paying for “programs or campus activities that espouse diversity, equity, or inclusion or critical race theory rhetoric,” he said. Jones argues that this line could be interpreted in a way that would lead to the defunding of Florida’s Black Greek organizations. The bill allows for a professor’s tenure to be called for review at any time for cause.
Florida Senate Bill 266
999, worry that its language is too vague, and could be used to ban activities promoted by multicultural student unions, Black fraternities and sororities, and courses in Jewish history, women's studies and LGBTQ+ studies. While the final bill has not reached DeSantis' desk and the present language leaves some room for interpretation, the examples provided in the bill's analysis suggest that courses on Jewish studies, gender studies, or feminist theory could indeed be banned under the law. State or federal money granted to the university can’t be spent on programs that promote DEI or engage in social or political activism if the bill passes.
American Association of University Professors
New Florida bill would ban diversity, inclusion programs on university campuses - The Hill
New Florida bill would ban diversity, inclusion programs on university campuses.
Posted: Tue, 14 Mar 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
The boards may delegate the role to presidents, but a president would not be able to delegate the role to anyone else. The bill calls for each state university board of trustees to be responsible for hiring faculty for the university. The American Historical Association has condemned the bill, writing in a statement, "We express horror (not our usual "concern") at the assumptions that lie at the heart of this bill and its blatant and frontal attack on principles of academic freedom and shared governance central to higher education in the United States." On the committee floor, Andrade assured Hinson that the bill does not impact Black sororities and fraternities or their abilities to hold social justice events among other activities.
Though SB 266 contains similar provisions to HB 999, in its current form, it adds that UF will open the Hamilton College to offer degree programs in the history of Western civilization and civics. Currently known as Hamilton Center, the college is part of a conservative push to teach classical American history. Diversity, equity and inclusion programs at the university remain targeted by HB 999. Edwards agrees that the broadness of the legislation may pose a risk to a wide range of campus organizations, including Black sororities and fraternities, Latinx groups, affinity groups or even veterans’ organizations. House Bill 999 would prohibit students from majoring or minoring in certain disciplines, and could pose a risk to Black sororities and fraternities, Latinx groups, affinity groups or even veterans’ organizations.
HB999 prohibits universities from using DEI, critical race theory during hiring process
He worries about HB 999’s potential impact both because PRISM is a proponent of LGBTQ+-inclusive education and because he is studying business administration with a specialization in education. As part of this specialization, he takes classes that focus on the role systemic oppression, gender identity, sexual orientation and gender theory play in education. It’s unclear if all classes focused on topics such as gender, race or intersectionality would be banned if HB 999 passes or if the legislation would simply prohibit students from majoring or minoring in these subjects. HB 999 has not only raised concerns because it would limit what college students can study but also because it would allow state university boards of trustees to review the tenure status of faculty members, a provision the legislation’s detractors say could have a chilling effect on the free speech of educators.
While the bill does not explicitly ban many of the groups mentioned in the tweet, activists and lawmakers alike have voiced concern over how the language could be used to target certain programs. As such, the law requires that a respondent’s identity and related case information must be viewable through a publicly searchable database that is available on the homepage of the respective county clerk’s website. The program is aimed at awarding annual grants to medical examiner’s offices or law enforcement agencies in Florida to support their processing of DNA samples. The bill provides a public necessity statement for the exemption stating that the disclosure of the information could otherwise compromise personal safety and security. Under the law, elected members of most independent special districts will have a 12-year term limit, and the creation of new safe neighborhood improvement districts will be prohibited.
House Bill 999, filed by Rep. Alex Andrade, R-Pensacola, proposes leaving all faculty hiring to boards of trustees, allowing a faculty member’s tenure to be reviewed “at any time,” and removing majors or minors in subjects like critical race theory and gender studies. It would also prohibit spending on activities that promote diversity, equity and inclusion and create new general education requirements. House Bill 999, introduced last week by Rep. Alex Andrade, R-Pensacola, tackles many of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ proposals for the state’s colleges and universities. It would expand the powers of university boards of trustees — largely appointed by the governor or Board of Governors — and crack down on curriculum and programs related to critical race theory, gender studies and diversity, equity and inclusion, among other things. Although three of them are private, they receive state funding for certain academic programs. Jones questions how HB 999 could affect the state’s HBCUs and the nine Black sororities and fraternities known nationally as the Divine Nine.
Andrade said his bill does not threaten academic freedom, but is meant to bring the focus of universities back to scholarship and research. Three national organizations on Monday condemned a Florida bill that would bring major changes to higher education. As both a graduate student and a lawmaker, Florida State Sen. Shevrin Jones is particularly concerned about HB 999’s potential impact on higher education in the state. The Democrat is pursuing a doctorate in higher ed administration at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. While studying education, Fenning said he’s learned about the importance of “mirrors and windows” — seeing oneself reflected back in the curriculum and being exposed to materials that help students empathize with people who are different from them. Jerry Edwards, staff attorney with the ACLU of Florida, said the legislation puts tenure in the hands of political appointees, which significantly lessens job protections for faculty.
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