The text of DeSantis' higher education bill has been released. It's as terrifying as the press release suggested it would be. Florida HB 999 would enact the most draconian and censorious restrictions on higher education in the history of this country. flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2…
As outlined in the release, the bill would ban diversity statements, make tenure and faculty hiring committees meaningless, and centralize control of core curricula and mission statements in the hands of political appointees. Unexpectedly, it would also ban gender studies majors.
All gen ed courses must promote "the values necessary to preserve the constitutional republic" through traditional, historically accurate" coursework. "Courses based on unproven, theoretical, or exploratory content" are banned from gen ed; the ban enforced by DeSantis appointees.
"Critical Race Theory rhetoric" also cannot be used in the hiring process -- whatever that means. There's a lot of "whatever that means" language in here, enforced by bureaucrats of DeSantis' choosing.
FL HB 999 would end academic freedom, shared governance, and university independence in FL public higher education in favor of one man's authoritarian control of public university decisions. It would be the end of FL higher ed as a space of open inquiry and free expression.
Free expression and higher education advocates must fight these provisions with everything we have, in Florida and in any other state where they appear. FL HB 999 is the central battleground for the soul of higher education. If we stand on the sidelines, we will lose.
Yes, on first read I missed this part where all DEI initiatives are banned. That, too, was laid out in the press release. Here it is in the bill.
https://twitter.com/jdmortenson/status/1628990995143528449
Here's @PENamerica's official statement on HB 999: pen.org/press-release/…
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