JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The general education courses that will be offered at universities and colleges in Florida will be sharply reduced.

Thursday in Jacksonville, the Board of Governors voted to approve a new university course list which weeds out any classes they believe are “based on theories that systemic racism, sexism, oppression, and privilege are inherent in the institutions of the United States and were created to maintain social, political, and economic inequities.”

Meanwhile, a group of students, professors, parents, and union representatives gathered together online to speak out about the changes in the Florida university system and the general education courses that can now be offered.

“We are here because higher education in Florida is under a serious threat,” Teresea Hodge, The statewide president of United Faculty of Florida said. “We need graduates who understand our true and shared history.”

In 2023, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into a law changes that allow the Board of Governors the authority to remove courses from the general education track that they find to be based on “theories that systemic racism, sexism, oppression, and privilege are inherent in the institutions of the United State and were created to maintain social, political, and economic inequalities.”

The group of educators and students online argued those changes limit teaching the truth about history and society.

“If we continue down or current path of restricting access to diverse learning and disciplines, we will soon find it to be an error that will prove detrimental to this great state, our workforce, and our economy,” said Jeniah Jones, a professor at Florida State College of Jacksonville. 

United Faculty of Florida First Vice President and University of Central Florida Associate Professor of History Robert Cassanello said, “Now lawmakers tell the press and voters that the reason they’re being so heavy-handed with the curriculum is because of so-called indoctrination. They must be called out for this lie.”

“I’ve seen firsthand how the legislature’s attacks are already negatively impacting my education,” FSU student Leah Sauceda said. “Professors are afraid to to speak freely. I’ve observed them, stop mid-sentence and censor themselves, I assume, due to fear of losing their jobs. This is alarming.”

Thursday the Board of Governors met in Jacksonville and approved the university course list. 

According to the UNF Spinnaker Newspaper, Chancellor Raymond Rodrigues said, “We are not prohibiting universities from offering courses. They will just not be included as part of the gen-ed requirements.”