Florida universities are eliminating numerous general education courses
Universities that persist in offering general education courses despite the Board of Governors' recommendations may jeopardize essential state funding.
TroibNews 
**TALLAHASSEE, Florida** — Florida’s public universities are significantly revising their offerings of general education courses for the upcoming academic year to comply with a state law championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis aimed at eliminating what are perceived as “woke ideologies” in higher education.
These changes, primarily driven by the university system's Board of Governors, are set to impact faculty and tens of thousands of students statewide. Many courses that previously fulfilled graduation requirements will now become electives, prompting concerns among university professors and free speech advocates that this could lead to the eventual disappearance of these classes.
The involvement of the state in the curriculum process—traditionally managed by universities themselves—has sparked backlash among academics and students who argue that officials are using their new powers to eliminate courses such as Anthropology of Race & Ethnicity, Sociology of Gender, and Women in Literature.
“This sort of state overreach could spell disaster for student and faculty retention, and the academic standing of Florida institutions,” said Katie Blankenship, who leads a state office for free speech advocacy group PEN America.
However, the Board of Governors argues that it is simply executing the wishes of the GOP-dominated Legislature, which in 2023 mandated a comprehensive review of general education offerings to ensure courses avoid teaching “identity politics” and do not include “unproven, speculative, or exploratory” content.
“If their subject matter is prohibited by statute but is compelling, then students are going to elect to take it,” university system Chancellor Ray Rodrigues said in an interview. “But what is not going to happen in Florida — the students are not going to be forced to take courses that have these prohibited concepts in order to fulfill their general education requirements.”
The sweeping review of courses at 12 state universities was initiated by a broad higher education law passed by Florida Republicans last year, which also restricted funding for initiatives related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). This legislation is part of DeSantis's broader effort to transform the state's higher education landscape, which includes implementing a rigorous post-tenure review system aimed at identifying “unproductive” faculty.
Under Florida law, general education core courses—which serve as the foundation for bachelor’s degrees encompassing communication, math, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences—“may not distort significant historical events or include a curriculum that teaches identity politics.” Opponents of the law, including Democrats, argue that it “politicizes higher education” and grants excessive authority to the university system Board of Governors, which largely consists of DeSantis appointees. The first action from the state board under this new law was to eliminate sociology as a core social sciences course last year, replacing it with a history class.
Universities that deviate from the recommendations set forth by the Board of Governors risk jeopardizing essential state funding.
“You don’t just get to take taxpayer dollars and do whatever the heck you want to do and think that’s somehow OK,” DeSantis stated in 2023 while signing SB 266 into law.
University administrators and faculty members have spent considerable time reviewing course catalogs to determine how courses align with the new state law.
This has led individual university boards of trustees to approve a revised set of general education offerings throughout the summer, resulting in numerous changes—including modifications to course descriptions and learning outcomes—along with the removal of some classes. Subsequently, the proposed course offerings for the 2025-26 academic year were submitted to the Board of Governors, which oversees the entire university system. The state subsequently recommended additional course removals beyond those originally planned by the universities.
There are various reasons for the state's recommendations to remove certain courses from general education. It has particularly targeted upper-level courses or those deemed too specialized to qualify as “general” classes, according to Rodrigues. For instance, a “Chinese calligraphy” class at the University of Florida, as well as courses titled “Myth, Ritual, and Mysticism” at Florida International University and “Women in Literature” at Florida State University, have been earmarked for removal due to their upper-level status.
Additionally, the state and universities are working to minimize the presence of frequently criticized disciplines such as gender studies and sociology, along with courses addressing contentious social issues. UF, for example, plans to remove classes like “Humanities Perspectives on Gender and Sexuality” and “Social Geography.” Several universities are also expected to eliminate a “Social Problems” course that discusses topics such as racial and gender inequality and crime.
Esoteric courses are also facing cuts. For example, Florida Atlantic University approved the cancellation of honors classes such as “Magic, Witchcraft and Religion” and “History of Food and Eating” in August.
All of these courses currently categorized as lower-level undergraduate general education offerings are poised to be shifted to elective status under the proposed changes.
While some university leaders have embraced the reduction in general education courses, others find it troubling. At Florida Gulf Coast University, where officials are set to eliminate at least 40 courses—approximately 25 percent of their offerings—Executive Vice President and Provost Mark Rieger mentioned that the changes could “positively impact student success.”
FGCU has adopted the philosophy that “offering fewer courses with better resources was better than offering many courses,” Rieger explained.
Nonetheless, these developments are creating confusion among faculty members, who worry that their courses are on course to disappear entirely. Many have expressed surprise at the Board of Governors’ recommendations to remove classes that had previously received university approval and argue that the state is taking an overly authoritative stance regarding academic direction.
At the University of Florida, many faculty members learned in early October that the institution is expected to remove the general education designation from 700 courses—approximately 60 percent of the nearly 1,200 classes that underwent review.
One affected course, “Religion and Social Movements,” was introduced in 2020 to meet a general education requirement in social science. The course “focuses on the distinctive ways religion shapes social movement trajectories and outcomes” and specifically addresses “the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and protests against police violence,” according to its course description.
“I don’t understand how it could get through the [UF] approval process and now be rejected,” stated Anna Peterson, a religion professor at UF who teaches the course. “That basically kills that class.”
At FIU, faculty and students recently called on trustees to reconsider the university’s updated general education offerings, arguing that the changes made to satisfy the state violate the institution's autonomy and academic freedom.
In a second evaluation of general education courses, FIU trustees approved the removal of 22 classes, including Anthropology of Race & Ethnicity, Introduction to LGBTQ+ Studies, and Sociology of Gender.
The curriculum adjustments at FIU have led to a resolution by the faculty senate urging trustees to address these issues. This conflict has attracted attention from organizations like PEN America and the American Association of University Professors, both of which advocate for faculty interests. These groups have criticized Florida for its scrutiny of general education courses, predicting that the changes could result in significant consequences, including faculty layoffs and program closures. Meanwhile, students are also expressing concern about the impacts of these decisions on their course options.
“It’s going to make it so people are exposed to fewer things they might be interested in,” remarked James Hernandez, an anthropology student and student senator at FIU, who opposed the general education recommendations.
Chancellor Rodrigues of the Board of Governors contends that the state’s involvement does not infringe on academic freedom. He points out that while some trustee boards have approved general education offerings, these decisions are not finalized until receiving state endorsement in January, with additional modifications anticipated.
“An infringement on academic freedom would be to say this course can't be offered at the university,” Rodrigues stated. “No one has said that in any of these scenarios. What we are saying is, we define what is general education. We define that based upon what the state statutes have laid out and we're being compliant with that. And I think the courts have held that what gets designated as general education curriculum is up to the legislature who funds it.”
Max Fischer for TROIB News
These changes, primarily driven by the university system's Board of Governors, are set to impact faculty and tens of thousands of students statewide. Many courses that previously fulfilled graduation requirements will now become electives, prompting concerns among university professors and free speech advocates that this could lead to the eventual disappearance of these classes.
The involvement of the state in the curriculum process—traditionally managed by universities themselves—has sparked backlash among academics and students who argue that officials are using their new powers to eliminate courses such as Anthropology of Race & Ethnicity, Sociology of Gender, and Women in Literature.
“This sort of state overreach could spell disaster for student and faculty retention, and the academic standing of Florida institutions,” said Katie Blankenship, who leads a state office for free speech advocacy group PEN America.
However, the Board of Governors argues that it is simply executing the wishes of the GOP-dominated Legislature, which in 2023 mandated a comprehensive review of general education offerings to ensure courses avoid teaching “identity politics” and do not include “unproven, speculative, or exploratory” content.
“If their subject matter is prohibited by statute but is compelling, then students are going to elect to take it,” university system Chancellor Ray Rodrigues said in an interview. “But what is not going to happen in Florida — the students are not going to be forced to take courses that have these prohibited concepts in order to fulfill their general education requirements.”
The sweeping review of courses at 12 state universities was initiated by a broad higher education law passed by Florida Republicans last year, which also restricted funding for initiatives related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). This legislation is part of DeSantis's broader effort to transform the state's higher education landscape, which includes implementing a rigorous post-tenure review system aimed at identifying “unproductive” faculty.
Under Florida law, general education core courses—which serve as the foundation for bachelor’s degrees encompassing communication, math, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences—“may not distort significant historical events or include a curriculum that teaches identity politics.” Opponents of the law, including Democrats, argue that it “politicizes higher education” and grants excessive authority to the university system Board of Governors, which largely consists of DeSantis appointees. The first action from the state board under this new law was to eliminate sociology as a core social sciences course last year, replacing it with a history class.
Universities that deviate from the recommendations set forth by the Board of Governors risk jeopardizing essential state funding.
“You don’t just get to take taxpayer dollars and do whatever the heck you want to do and think that’s somehow OK,” DeSantis stated in 2023 while signing SB 266 into law.
University administrators and faculty members have spent considerable time reviewing course catalogs to determine how courses align with the new state law.
This has led individual university boards of trustees to approve a revised set of general education offerings throughout the summer, resulting in numerous changes—including modifications to course descriptions and learning outcomes—along with the removal of some classes. Subsequently, the proposed course offerings for the 2025-26 academic year were submitted to the Board of Governors, which oversees the entire university system. The state subsequently recommended additional course removals beyond those originally planned by the universities.
There are various reasons for the state's recommendations to remove certain courses from general education. It has particularly targeted upper-level courses or those deemed too specialized to qualify as “general” classes, according to Rodrigues. For instance, a “Chinese calligraphy” class at the University of Florida, as well as courses titled “Myth, Ritual, and Mysticism” at Florida International University and “Women in Literature” at Florida State University, have been earmarked for removal due to their upper-level status.
Additionally, the state and universities are working to minimize the presence of frequently criticized disciplines such as gender studies and sociology, along with courses addressing contentious social issues. UF, for example, plans to remove classes like “Humanities Perspectives on Gender and Sexuality” and “Social Geography.” Several universities are also expected to eliminate a “Social Problems” course that discusses topics such as racial and gender inequality and crime.
Esoteric courses are also facing cuts. For example, Florida Atlantic University approved the cancellation of honors classes such as “Magic, Witchcraft and Religion” and “History of Food and Eating” in August.
All of these courses currently categorized as lower-level undergraduate general education offerings are poised to be shifted to elective status under the proposed changes.
While some university leaders have embraced the reduction in general education courses, others find it troubling. At Florida Gulf Coast University, where officials are set to eliminate at least 40 courses—approximately 25 percent of their offerings—Executive Vice President and Provost Mark Rieger mentioned that the changes could “positively impact student success.”
FGCU has adopted the philosophy that “offering fewer courses with better resources was better than offering many courses,” Rieger explained.
Nonetheless, these developments are creating confusion among faculty members, who worry that their courses are on course to disappear entirely. Many have expressed surprise at the Board of Governors’ recommendations to remove classes that had previously received university approval and argue that the state is taking an overly authoritative stance regarding academic direction.
At the University of Florida, many faculty members learned in early October that the institution is expected to remove the general education designation from 700 courses—approximately 60 percent of the nearly 1,200 classes that underwent review.
One affected course, “Religion and Social Movements,” was introduced in 2020 to meet a general education requirement in social science. The course “focuses on the distinctive ways religion shapes social movement trajectories and outcomes” and specifically addresses “the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and protests against police violence,” according to its course description.
“I don’t understand how it could get through the [UF] approval process and now be rejected,” stated Anna Peterson, a religion professor at UF who teaches the course. “That basically kills that class.”
At FIU, faculty and students recently called on trustees to reconsider the university’s updated general education offerings, arguing that the changes made to satisfy the state violate the institution's autonomy and academic freedom.
In a second evaluation of general education courses, FIU trustees approved the removal of 22 classes, including Anthropology of Race & Ethnicity, Introduction to LGBTQ+ Studies, and Sociology of Gender.
The curriculum adjustments at FIU have led to a resolution by the faculty senate urging trustees to address these issues. This conflict has attracted attention from organizations like PEN America and the American Association of University Professors, both of which advocate for faculty interests. These groups have criticized Florida for its scrutiny of general education courses, predicting that the changes could result in significant consequences, including faculty layoffs and program closures. Meanwhile, students are also expressing concern about the impacts of these decisions on their course options.
“It’s going to make it so people are exposed to fewer things they might be interested in,” remarked James Hernandez, an anthropology student and student senator at FIU, who opposed the general education recommendations.
Chancellor Rodrigues of the Board of Governors contends that the state’s involvement does not infringe on academic freedom. He points out that while some trustee boards have approved general education offerings, these decisions are not finalized until receiving state endorsement in January, with additional modifications anticipated.
“An infringement on academic freedom would be to say this course can't be offered at the university,” Rodrigues stated. “No one has said that in any of these scenarios. What we are saying is, we define what is general education. We define that based upon what the state statutes have laid out and we're being compliant with that. And I think the courts have held that what gets designated as general education curriculum is up to the legislature who funds it.”
Max Fischer for TROIB News
