Ever since Governor Ron DeSantis got into power, it was clear that the educational sector was a key focus point for him. However, this has had severe negative implications for schools in Florida. The New College of Florida is a university the governor overhauled some time ago.
Due to how he’s handling the school, a national faculty group issued a rare sanction against the college. This decision came after a vote by the American Association of University Professors. They claim that there have been “egregious and extensive” standards violations in the school ever since DeSantis took over.
Ideally, a governor should not be partially running schools in his state. However, DeSantis does not operate this way. He started by performing near-daily political stunts, leading to his failed presidential bid.
In months, he had completely taken over the art school. In January 2023, he appointed six new members to the school’s board of trustees. Without a doubt, these people were taking orders from him and granting his wishes.
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The first of these wishes was to oust the president at that point. Then, DeSantis hired an ally to replace him at double the salary. The Florida governor was happy with these changes and claimed he was saving the school from ruin. However, the school had always produced quality students, so why he believed their standards were subpar is unclear.
As the AAUP rarely sends out such sanctions, this made many headlines. They have only issued twelve sanctions in the past three decades. A Florida A&M Law Professor also told the AAUP that the situation has hurt the teachers in the state. Many professors are looking to take jobs outside the state.
“What we are witnessing in Florida is an intellectual reign of terror,” he said. “There is a tremendous sense of dread right now, not just among faculty; it’s tangible among students and staff. People are intellectually and physically scared. We are being named an enemy of the state.”
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A news release also said that it may have damaged the reputation of the Southwest Florida school in the foreseeable future. “These actions have seriously impaired if not irreparably damaged, the collective and individual functions of the New College faculty,” the release said.
However, the governor and his cohorts do not see it this way. They believe they are front runners ushering in a new era for the educational system. A school spokesperson said the American Association of University Professors “lacks the authority” to issue such sanctions.
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They believe they only announced a “headline grab.” “Their persistent targeting of New College for any change they disagree with is clear evidence that New College is at the forefront of reforming higher education,” the statement said.
DeSantis’ regime has caused a lot of controversial issues as he banned teaching topics that have to do with sexual orientation and racism.
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