Press Release

“Repeated attacks on DEI by Florida leaders stem not from a misunderstanding of DEI, but from a purposeful misrepresentation and fear mongering campaign. Make no mistake, these attacks on DEI will continue, and they will not remain centered on our higher education systems.” “The Florida Board of Governors and the Florida legislature have worked nonstop to silence discussion and education around histories of oppression and marginalization. They do so under the premise of “anti-discrimination”; however, they purposefully ignore and obviate existing socio-economic power imbalances, rendering their “anti-discrimination”

“We are disappointed in this decision by the Board of Governors (BOG) but unfortunately, we are not surprised. Florida’s State Board of Education (SBOE) and BOG have made it abundantly clear that they do not care about the robust education of our students, and instead only care about political games. I repeat this warning – Florida is now the only state in the nation that no longer includes sociology as a core course option within the general education curriculum.

Education leaders are calling on the Florida Board of Governors (BOG) to “Save Sociology” and reconsider an amendment that would remove Principles of Sociology as a general education core course option for students. The proposal, which will be voted on at the BOG’s January 24th meeting, comes on the heels of the Florida State Board of Education’s decision to remove it as a core course offering in all Florida colleges.

An extensive survey conducted by faculty organizations in Texas, Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina has revealed that faculty leaving those states are unwilling to come to Florida. There is no question that Florida’s future depends on a strong and flourishing higher education system.

UFF chapter at the University of South Florida and three individual faculty members who were laid off from the University of South Florida filed suit in federal court to challenge the SB 266 arbitration ban and to protect union contracts in Florida’s university system. Today, we continue our fight to protect our members and their families, all of whom work every day to make Florida a better place for all people of all beliefs and backgrounds.