Florida’s 12 public universities are navigating the effects of a state-mandated curriculum overhaul that reshapes which courses count toward required graduation credits. The law, strongly backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, seeks to make undergraduate education more “practical” by removing courses deemed unnecessary from core graduation requirements.
At Florida International University (FIU), 22 courses, including sociology classes, are under review to potentially shift from the core curriculum to elective status. Final approval rests with the state’s Board of Governors, which oversees the university system.
A Push for Practicality
Governor DeSantis, a vocal advocate for the changes, argues they will eliminate what he terms “classroom indoctrination” and refocus education on meaningful degrees.
“Our institutions will graduate students with degrees that are gonna be meaningful,” DeSantis said when the law was passed. “We don’t want students to go through, at taxpayer expense, and graduate with a degree in zombie studies.”
Concerns Over Academic Freedom
Critics argue the policy limits academic freedom and restricts the scope of education.
Tania Lopez, an assistant professor at FIU, likened the new regulations to her experience growing up in communist Cuba.
“Individual professors are self-censoring because of fear they’ll lose their jobs, get reprimanded, or have their classes canceled,” Lopez said.
FIU has not yet dropped any courses but confirmed that sociology and other flagged classes will no longer satisfy graduation requirements.
Impact on Students
James Hernandez, an anthropology major, expressed concern about the practical implications for students.
“Many students won’t spend tuition on classes that don’t help them graduate,” Hernandez said. “Even if you’re not studying anthropology, these classes can be crucial—like in medicine, where understanding diverse backgrounds is important for patient care.”
Defining “Unnecessary”
Under the law, courses with “unproven, speculative, or exploratory” content or those based on theories of systemic racism, sexism, oppression, or privilege are excluded from the core curriculum. However, universities are tasked with interpreting these guidelines for individual courses.
Lopez warned that cutting these classes from the core curriculum could leave students ill-prepared for the global workforce.
“You’re starving these students of knowledge they’ll need in the global economy by not including it in the core curriculum,” Lopez said.
The Future of Flagged Courses
Whether these courses can survive as electives remains to be seen. As the changes take effect next fall, university administrators, faculty, and students will closely watch the long-term impact on academic offerings and enrollment decisions.
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