Florida stripped general education credit from introductory sociology courses at all 40 public colleges and universities, effective fall 2026
The university move was led by system chancellor Ray Rodrigues, a close ally of Gov. Ron DeSantis, as part of the state’s ongoing “war on woke”
New Florida sociology textbooks had already removed topics including race, global inequality, gender and sexuality before the credit change took effect
Florida’s higher education leaders have prevented introductory sociology courses from having academic merit at a total of 40 public colleges and universities, with the field long focused on the study of society and human behavior accused of “wokeness.”
Under the change, a student who takes an introductory sociology course beginning in the 2026-27 school year will receive no general education credit supporting their graduation upon completion of the class, according to The Guardian.
The move first was focused on Florida’s state-governed universities in March, but in April was expanded out to the state’s colleges as well, the Tallahassee Democrat reported.
Florida university system chancellor Ray Rodrigues, who led the decision, is a close ally of Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, whose leadership of the state prominently includes a “war on woke.”
That includes the “Stop WOKE Act” of 2022, which banned the discussion of race, gender, racism and social privilege connected to systemic racism in Florida schools and businesses. That bill’s business components were later ruled illegal by a federal appeals court, according to the Associated Press.
Language used by Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas in the decision included sociology being a “sinking ship” that “strayed from education to indoctrination.”
That announcement came shortly after new sociology textbooks in Florida gained attention as they removed theories that racism, sexism, oppression or privilege could be an element of American institutional development, the Democrat reported.
Topics removed from those textbooks included media and technology, global inequality, race, social stratification, gender and sexuality, meaning Florida students were already learning material limited by the government of their state.
By Joe O’Leary
