(FixThisNation.com) – On Wednesday, the Florida Board of Governors voted that government funds could not be used by public universities for their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. This would block all DEI activities, clubs, programs, and faculty recruitment from accessing any type of federal funding.
Previously, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) had signed a bill called the “Stop Woke Act” which completely defunded these programs on campuses. It was stated in the bill that these programs were exclusionary to students.
DeSantis has further argued that DEI programs were just pushing an “ideological agenda” on faculty and students and that those students who were looking to study subjects like gender ideology should instead choose universities in order states.
Those who have opposed the bill have argued however that it could lead to students of color and those students belonging to the LGBTQ community feeling more marginalized. The policy specifically states that any college that supports the DEI efforts could end up violating the law if it created any programs or activities that provided either advantages or disadvantages to different groups of individuals because of their sex, color, nationality, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
However, there are some exceptions in cases where the state or federal law requires a certain program for accreditation, or for cases where private funds are used. The law does not include any programs that are meant to assist college students and nontraditional students coming from low-income families. Those students with disabilities, those who are Pell Grant recipients, and those who transfer from community college are also not included in the law.
Copyright 2023, FixThisNation.com
