The 17-member board of governors of the Florida university system decided Wednesday to eliminate a sociology course from the core requirements to graduate and to replace it with an American history class, according to a press release.
The new class, Introductory Survey to 1877, will introduce students to America’s founding, slavery, the Civil War and the Reconstruction era and will replace Principles of Sociology as a course requirement, according to a State University System of Florida press release. Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz has previously derided sociology, saying the discipline has been taken over by “left-wing activists,” and Florida University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues said the move would have a “positive impact.” (RELATED: Harvard Will Keep Antisemitism Task Force Co-Chair Who Signed Letter Calling Israel A ‘Regime Of Apartheid’)
NASHUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE – JANUARY 19: Republican presidential candidate, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to supporters during a campaign rally at the Courtyard by Marriott Nashua on January 19, 2024 in Nashua, New Hampshire. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
“I am proud of the Board’s decision today and look forward to the positive impact the addition of this course will have on our students’ and their future success. Florida’s students of our State University System will have the opportunity to learn about the creation and development of our nation as part of the core course options,” Rodrigues said in a Wednesday press release.
The American Sociological Association (ASA) criticized the decision, asserting the move was uninformed.
“The decision seems to be coming not from an informed perspective, but rather from a gross misunderstanding of sociology as an illegitimate discipline driven by ‘radical’ and ‘woke’ ideology,” a statement from the ASA Wednesday said, according to The New York Times.
The Florida board of education also replaced a sociology requirement with an American history requirement, according to a Jan. 17 press release.
“Sociology has been hijacked by left-wing activists and no longer serves its intended purpose as a general knowledge course for students,” Diaz said in a December statement.
Florida’s university system has over 430,000 students, making it one of the largest public university systems, according to the Times.
Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has made a point of instituting reforms to the university system, alleging it has a left-wing bias, according to the Times. DeSantis appointed six trustees to the New College of Florida (NCF) board in January 2023 and NCF has since eliminated its diversity, equity and inclusion offices and its gender studies courses.
The UF system did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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