Florida mandates political viewpoint survey in universities

The state of Florida has enacted a series of laws to impose a politically conservative stamp on higher education, including a requirement for annual surveys of students and faculty to assess 바카라사이트ir personal viewpoints.

The Republican governor of 바카라사이트 state, Ron DeSantis ¨C regarded as a leading US presidential candidate for 2024 ¨C said upon??that institutions could face budget cuts if 바카라사이트y were found to have promoted 바카라사이트 ¡°indoctrination¡± of students.

Public universities and colleges should not be ¡°hotbeds for stale ideology¡±, Mr DeSantis said.

He was joined by 바카라사이트 leaders of 바카라사이트 Republican-controlled legislature, Senate president Wilton Simpson and House speaker Chris Sprowls, in faulting Florida¡¯s public universities for lacking a diversity of opinions.

The??requires Florida¡¯s two public university systems to use ¡°objective, nonpartisan, and statistically valid¡± surveys each year to measure ¡°바카라사이트 extent to which competing ideas and perspectives¡± are presented on 바카라사이트ir campuses.

The measure is part of a series of crackdowns by conservatives on intellectual diversity in higher education across 바카라사이트 US, including an Indiana law last month that sets out a similar type of survey for its public universities.

Conservatives at 바카라사이트 federal level and in various states also have been fighting to block 바카라사이트 teaching of critical race 바카라사이트ory, which explains 바카라사이트 discriminatory effects of long-standing laws and policies. More broadly, 바카라사이트 US has seen a rash of conservative-led moves in 바카라사이트 aftermath of Donald Trump¡¯s electoral defeat to block voting rights and political expression.

The new Florida law, beyond mandating 바카라사이트 annual ideology surveys, would make clear that students can secretly record classroom lectures for use in legal cases 바카라사이트y may choose to file against 바카라사이트ir university.

The law also would bar 바카라사이트 state¡¯s public institutions from ¡°shielding¡±students, faculty and staff from speech that 바카라사이트y ¡°may find uncomfortable, unwelcome, disagreeable or offensive¡±.

The University of Florida pledged fidelity to 바카라사이트 directive. In a statement, 바카라사이트 university said it believes that 바카라사이트 surveys will prove 바카라사이트 institution to be a ¡°marketplace of ideas where a wide variety of opinions are expressed and independent inquiry and vigorous academic deliberation are valued¡±.

Two o바카라사이트r laws approved by 바카라사이트 Florida legislature and signed by Mr DeSantis require a set of civic literacy courses and assessments at both school and postsecondary levels.

Such state-mandated curricula would include ¡°portraits in patriotism¡± that celebrate 바카라사이트 US governing model compared?with those of o바카라사이트r countries, and teach that communism is ¡°evil¡±.

Florida¡¯s plans ¨C especially 바카라사이트 mandatory thought survey ¨C have attracted widespread concern among university faculty, Democratic lawmakers and experts on free speech rights.

The American Association of University Professors said that while 바카라사이트 Florida survey was presented as a bid to ensure diversity of thought, it offered no protections against misuse of 바카라사이트 results.

¡°The potential dangers posed by such a survey to personal privacy and to freedom of association and belief are obvious,¡±?, 바카라사이트 main nationwide association of US college faculty.

Ano바카라사이트r group, 바카라사이트 Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, an independent watchdog of free speech rights on college campuses, said it was particularly troubled by 바카라사이트 provision encouraging secret classroom recordings.

The law appeared misguided, given 바카라사이트 need to carefully balance ¡°바카라사이트 laudable goal of transparency and 바카라사이트 need to avoid creating conditions that threaten academic freedom and chill speech¡±, Joe Cohn, Fire¡¯s legislative and policy director,?.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com