The Florida Board of Governors (BOG) met Thursday at the University of North Florida to approve revised general education course lists for all 12 public state universities, implementing changes mandated by Senate Bill 266 — legislation signed into law in July 2023 that restricts diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in higher education. 

Under this law, the BOG can remove courses they determine to be based on “theories that systemic racism, sexism, oppression, and privilege are inherent in the institutions of the United States and were created to maintain social, political, and economic inequalities.”

Florida’s Department of Education reports a 57% decrease in general education courses offered across Florida’s 28 state colleges.

“I couldn’t be more grateful. The new general ed list provides students with options that support a broad foundational knowledge and will ultimately make them better-informed citizens in the state of Florida,” said BOG Chair Brian Lamb, who emphasized that removed courses could still be offered outside general education requirements. “Nothing prohibits the university from continuing to offer those courses… they can be an elective or make them part of other degree requirements.”

The new framework maintains the requirement for 36 credit hours of general education courses for bachelor’s and associate in arts degrees, with at least 15 hours in core courses, per Emily Sikes, vice chancellor for academic and student affairs.

Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz supported this approach.

“Sometimes our students can come into our institutions and can be overwhelmed by the number of courses that are out there. There are plenty of opportunities for students to venture and explore courses at the higher levels, but the easier we can make it for them when it comes to general education and making sure they’re getting what they need, I think is very important,” Diaz said. 

Chancellor Raymond Rodrigues of the State University System, who served in the Florida legislature from 2012 to 2022, defended the changes by citing declining public trust in higher education. He noted that in a July 2023 survey by Gallop, an analytics website, only 36% of the public said they had confidence in higher education. Rodrigues said that political agendas and perceived indoctrination were primary concerns that may have caused this. 

“We can confidently say that our general education courses that students have to take in order to graduate will not contain indoctrinating concepts,” Rodrigues said. 

A summary of the agenda item reads that SB 266 is meant to “ensure that every undergraduate student graduates as an informed citizen through participation in rigorous general education courses that promote and preserve the constitutional republic through traditional, historically accurate, and high-quality coursework.”

However, community members expressed concerns about academic freedom during the public comment portion of the meeting. 

Matthew Leon, assistant professor of management at the University of North Florida, attempted to discuss the value of diversity and inclusion in education before being interrupted by BOG members who stated that DEI was not on the agenda. 

“I think one of the reasons I’ve been able to be so successful across so many different areas is because I had an education that emphasized diversity, equity and inclusion… It’s something that isn’t just an examination of our past, it’s an examination of our present,” Leon said. 

Jono Miller, president of NCF Freedom at the New College of Florida, said that some faculty members had resigned from the Ad Hoc Committee at his institution after a November BOT meeting, citing their exclusion from the general education planning process.

“The creation of the general education framework took place with minimal faculty input and a complete lack of transparency,” Miller quoted from their resignation email. 

Florida Statute 1007.55 states, “Courses with a curriculum based on unproven, speculative, or exploratory content are best suited as elective or specific program prerequisite credit, not general education credit.”

“Make no mistake, telling faculty what to teach translates to directly telling students what to think,” said Miller. 

Other voices focused on workforce preparation. Cynthia Patterson, associate chair of the English Department at the University of South Florida, emphasized the need for professional development and workforce training in general education. 

“What I did not receive, however, from my bachelor’s and master’s degree was professionalization training, that is, how to become a productive citizen of this great nation and how to transition successfully into the workplace,” she said. 

The BOG gave universities a two-week window to add courses to their approved lists, provided they matched the course numbers, descriptions and resources of already approved courses. 

The specific list of general education course options for the 2025-2026 school year has not been made available to the public yet. 

“We’re a melting pot… the reason we are so successful and the board is so successful is because we picked ideas from all sorts of different places, and that’s what diversity is. That’s what we’re here for. And I’m just begging you all to not cut these things,” Leon said. 

Laurie Mermet is the News Editor for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email lmermet2022@fau.edu or DM laurie.mmt on Instagram.