TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Florida is considering a move that would give people a closer look at what’s being taught in its public universities — another potential flash point as conservative-led states scrutinize higher education.
University leaders in Florida want schools to post what textbooks, instructional materials and readings are required for most courses, similar to a policy recently adopted by Georgia colleges.
Supporters say the change promotes openness and accountability, helping students see what they’re signing up for and encouraging professors to stay on topic. But some faculty fear the changes could invite political pressure and harassment at a time when higher education is under an intense ideological spotlight, particularly around lessons touching on gender, race and diversity.
The proposal is the latest step in Florida’s broader effort — led by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state’s GOP supermajority — to reshape higher education. A far-reaching 2024 law forced a review of hundreds of general education courses across the state’s 12 universities and banned spending tied to diversity, equity and inclusion.
Florida already asks professors to make some course information publicly available, such as curriculum and goals, objectives and expectations for students. The new proposal from the state Board of Governors would go further — requiring syllabi to list all textbooks, instructional materials and readings at least 45 days before classes begin. Certain courses like directed individual studies, internships, thesis, dissertation defense and performance would be exempt.
The change, according to the Board of Governors, is intended to “provide greater transparency for students and to allow them to make informed decisions prior to course registration.”
That aligns with the rationale University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue gave for beefing up syllabus reporting across his system in May. It “can show our commitment to transparency and accountability,” Perdue said about the changes in September, attempting to quiet faculty concerns.
Some outfits, such as the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal, have long advocated for schools to publicly post syllabus information, heralding benefits for students and schools, such as making it easier to determine transfer credits and aiding in research sharing. And, the organization contends, it can “expose a professor’s deviation from normal expectations or acceptable academic standards.”
It’s about “basic accountability,” said Jenna A. Robinson, president of the Martin Center, a conservative leaning higher education nonprofit based in North Carolina. “We need to ensure professors are teaching what the course is supposed to be about.”
The push in Florida comes amid a similar crackdown in Texas. Six public university systems there recently have ordered reviews of curriculum, syllabi and course descriptions after a Texas A&M University professor taught a lesson on gender identity in a children’s literature class. This incident triggered wide fallout, with Texas A&M firing the professor and demoting two administrators before the president was ultimately forced out as the school garnered negative attention from conservatives. At the University of Texas, another professor claims to have since been yanked from an administration post allegedly over“ideological differences” with school leaders.
“Texas is targeting professors who are more focused on pushing leftist ideologies rather than preparing students to lead our nation,” Gov. Greg Abbott said in response to the University of Texas move.
To that end, some Florida faculty worry the state’sproposed syllabus changes could turn professors into “political and ideological targets of the masses.”
Several faculty members, in comments to the Board of Governors, raised similar concerns, wondering if the policy could open them up to become “fodder for harassment by outsiders” who have motives to “restrict academic freedom” and target certain books or subjects.
“What they want is to sort of unleash the online mob on certain faculty,” said Robert Cassanello, president of the United Faculty of Florida union, and a professor at the University of Central Florida. “That’s what this is all about, scrutinizing what everybody is reading without context.”
The proposed syllabus rule fits into Florida’s broader push to reshape its higher education system under DeSantis — including a prohibition on DEI spending.
Originally, Florida’s proposed syllabus rule aimed even further by requiring professors to post the assignments they give students online. The Board of Governors voted to strip out that measure, agreeing it was a tough ask for university faculty.
State colleges, however, could still be facing the full syllabus transparency policy, assignments included, under a rule in development by the Florida Department of Education.
Notably, State Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas pushed to keep assignments in the university system rule when it was first considered last month.
“I think to the extent we can provide the greatest level of transparency to students, I’d advocate for that,” Kamoutsas said during the Sept. 11 meeting.
“We have had a scenario or scenarios, where assignments have been provided that students may feel uncomfortable as a result of those assignments. And so, the idea of giving them full transparency on the front end so that they can decide whether or not that’s a course they’d like to take is something that I do think is needed and something appreciated by the students.”
Outside of academic freedom, faculty have other misgivings about the syllabus rule, namely its 45-day deadline.
Professors are questioning, for example, how they could assign readings on new research published during a semester without breaking the rule. If that wasn’t allowed, it “risks weakening the quality of teaching,” according to one comment.
The Board of Governors said it would be up to universities to determine a timeline for such updates.
“I think our only suggestion would be as there are changes to syllabi, that those get updated and included in the repository that’s posted online, just so that students, the future students, if they wanted to take the class the following term, could have that information,” Emily Sikes, vice chancellor for academic and student affairs, said during the Sept. 11 meeting.
Additionally, some faculty noted they typically aren’t under contract 45 days before some semesters start, raising questions about how to fulfill the criteria. Conversely, Georgia’s policy requires syllabus information to be posted one week ahead of classes this year, and at the time of registration starting in fall 2026.
Florida’s syllabus rule change could be considered as soon as Nov. 5 at the next Board of Governors meeting.
