DEI banned in public universities, one year after DeSantis vowed it would ‘wither on the vine’

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Board of Governors approved a regulation Wednesday to ban public university spending on “diversity, equity and inclusion” programs, or DEI.

The board also approved a regulation replacing a sociology course with an American history course, as part of an option students can take to fulfill general education requirements.

“I am proud of the Board’s decision today and look forward to the positive impact the addition of this course will have on our students’ and their future success,” Chancellor Ray Rodrigues said. “Florida’s students of our State University System will have the opportunity to learn about the creation and development of our nation as part of the core course options.”

The American history course is called “Introductory Survey to 1877.”

The Florida Board of Education passed a similar rule last week to ban DEI programs in the Florida College System.

With the new regulation covering State University System members, essentially all public higher education institutions in Florida can no longer use taxpayer dollars to fund such programs, fulfilling vows by Gov. Ron DeSantis that kicked up a year ago.

“All DEI and CRT bureaucracies in the state of Florida – no funding, and that will wither on the vine,” he said nearly one year ago.

“We don’t want students to go through, at taxpayer expense, and graduate with a degree in zombie studies,” he said. “And so this is gonna make a difference.”

DeSantis ultimately signed legislation in May 2023 legally ordering the end of DEI funding in taxpayer-funded institutions.

The following lawmakers carried the bills cracking down on DEI: Sens. Erin Grall, R-Fort Pierce, and Keith Perry, R-Gainesville; and Reps. Alex Andrade, R-Pensacola, and Spencer Roach, R-North Fort Myers.