Florida Universities

A 2023 law that heavily regulates how Florida’s public universities interact with “countries of concern" like China and Cuba has led to FIU closing its largest international campus and blocked the hiring of foreign talent. “It really pushes us further away from FIU’s historic mission," one professor said.

Roughly a third of students at Florida Atlantic University are the first in their families to go to college. For many of them, walking onto campus can feel like crossing over into a whole new world.

The governor’s order announced last month waives application fees and, in some instances, grants in-state tuition to transfer applicants.

The board that oversees Florida’s 12 public universities has voted to ban using state or federal dollars for diversity programs or activities, aligning with a law signed last spring by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

A recent Gallup report found Gen Z students rank affordability and career preparedness as the most important factors when considering where to pursue higher education.

The State University System chancellor responded on The Florida Roundup to controversial congressional testimony by the presidents of Harvard, MIT and the University of Pennsylvania about antisemitism.

This week on The Florida Roundup, we spoke with Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo about her priorities for the upcoming legislative session. Then, we talked about free speech on Florida campuses, an update on a developing storm, and two stories at the intersection of water and health.

The 53-page report by the American Association of University Professors focused on measures approved by the Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis during the past several years, actions taken by higher-education officials and an effort by conservatives to remake New College of Florida.

State higher-education officials on Thursday moved toward making changes to "general education core courses" at state universities, including a change involving a sociology course that could deal with issues such as gender, sexuality and race.

The board met late Wednesday night on the University of Central Florida campus in Orlando.

In May this year, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law restricting DEI programs on college campuses in the state, claiming they make some students feel excluded.

Richard Corcoran is in line for a potential confirmation in November. Final steps in leadership changes at the University of Florida and the University of West Florida are also slated.