This week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a bill into law to curtail spending on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs at the state’s public colleges.
The law, S.B. 266, prohibits public colleges from using federal or state funds on diversity programs, which DeSantis described as “discriminatory initiatives” that divide students.
“Florida has ranked number one in higher education for seven years in a row, and by signing this legislation we are ensuring that Florida’s institutions encourage diversity of thought, civil discourse, and the pursuit of truth for generations to come,” DeSantis said in a statement. “Florida is taking a stand for empowering students, parents, and educators to focus on creating opportunities for our younger generations. I am happy to have worked with the legislature to get this important legislation signed, sealed, and delivered.”
In remarks at the bill signing, DeSantis said that college staffers feel like they “walk on eggshells” and “don’t have the freedom to speak their minds” on campuses.
We have seen examples of schools requiring students and professors to commit to DEI and CRT theories before they are admitted or hired at a university – a de facto political loyalty oath.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) May 15, 2023
DEI can no longer be used as a woke litmus test as a condition of entrance into higher… pic.twitter.com/UArZ7CtIti
“For us, with our tax dollars, we want to focus on the classical mission on what a university is supposed to be. We don’t want to be diverted to a lot of these niche subjects that are heavily politicized. We want to focus on the basics,” DeSantis said.
“Universities should be on the hook for the student loans,” he added, pointing out that many of the “woke” majors offered at colleges and universities do not make students employable after graduation.
“If that were the case, they [the schools] would make sure that their curriculum was really fit to be productive for the students when they graduated,” he explained. “We’re going to have traditional education. We want courses and majors that have high return on investment.”
In Florida, our higher education institutions will not be spending public dollars on “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” or other initiatives that promote an ideological agenda.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) May 15, 2023
As practiced, DEI represents discrimination, exclusion and indoctrination — and this has no place in a… pic.twitter.com/6h73tzkd5e
Florida is ranked #1 in higher education, and we are committed to keeping it that way. pic.twitter.com/ZSPhKVb6jQ
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) May 15, 2023
“Some of these niche subjects, like Critical Race Theory, other types of DEI-infused courses and majors – Florida’s getting out of that game. If you want to do things like gender ideology, go to Berkeley,” he said.