States are advancing new mandates that would increase oversight of public universities, targeting admissions, curriculum, tenure and accreditation. The measures could significantly change how campuses operate.
Despite Supreme Court rulings on affirmative action and state efforts to defund DEI, there are integral ways higher education can maintain its mission of cultivating a culture of diverse perspectives. "Don't be led by fear," advises Dr. David Acosta, chief diversity and inclusion officer of the AAMC.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Monday prohibiting Florida's public institutions from spending money on initiatives related to diversity, equity and inclusion, which he believes "promote(s) dangerous political and social activism."
Reports show less than 1% of state and federal funding being spent on DEI, but Secretary of Education Ryan Walters isn't buying it—and considers even that much to be an irresponsible waste of taxpayer dollars.
Union vows to fight new legislation on free speech but warns that morale among professors is sinking across the state, with some reconsidering their positions.
