Florida board bans use of state and federal funds on DEI programs at state universities
By Carlos Suarez and Denise Royal, CNN
(CNN) — Florida’s Board of Governors voted Wednesday to ban state spending on diversity, equity and inclusion programs across all public universities in the state – the latest move targeting higher education DEI spending in the United States.
The University of Florida, Florida State University and Florida International University are among the universities affected by the decision, which came after Florida’s Board of Education last week approved similar rules limiting public funding in public colleges.
Wednesday’s vote brought public universities in line with legislation Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed in May 2023 defunding DEI programs at state universities and colleges.
A state university won’t be able to use any state or federal funds to promote, support or maintain any programs or campus activities that “advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion” or “promote or engage in political or social activism,” according to the 17-member board, which serves as the governing body for the State University System of Florida.
The Florida board’s vote comes as DEI programs in universities are being targeted across the country.
More than a dozen state legislatures have introduced or passed bills reining in DEI programs in colleges and universities, claiming the offices eat up valuable financial resources with little impact. Last month, the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents voted to cut back diversity initiatives in exchange for state funding in a deal with GOP lawmakers.
Also last month, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed an executive order defunding DEI offices and programs in public colleges.
Scrutiny of these initiatives’ place in colleges and universities has mounted, largely from conservative lawmakers who have for years claimed DEI efforts are a form of indoctrination. Meanwhile, scholars credit DEI policies and programs as one way to combat inequality by encouraging multiculturalism and providing resources for people of different backgrounds.
Florida’s Board of Governors defined DEI as “any program, campus activity, or policy that classifies individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation and promotes differential or preferential treatment of individuals on the basis of such classification.”
The board also replaced the core course “Principles of Sociology” with a general American History course “Introductory Survey to 1877.”
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CNN’s Leah Asmelash contributed to this report.
