FIU professor speaks out on state law creating uproar, fear among educators at public universities
MIAMI - Florida International University is among the latest battlegrounds in a growing debate over state restrictions on university courses.
The Florida Board of Governors has flagged 22 FIU courses, including nine in the university's Global and Sociocultural Department, for review under a new state law targeting general education courses addressing systemic racism, sexism, oppression and privilege.
"We cannot have these restrictions on what can be taught or what can't be taught based on what politicians want," said Professor Katie Rainwater, who heads the Global and Sociocultural Department at FIU.
Rainwater, a sociologist who has taught at the university for four years, said one of her courses, Sociology of Genders, is no longer eligible to count toward general education requirements.
The statute, passed earlier this year, requires public universities to revise their general education offerings to comply with new state guidelines. Critics argue the law suppresses academic freedom and limits student exposure to diverse ideas.
"These courses are considered a threat to the status quo," Rainwater said.
Students expressed similar concerns.
"I feel like those courses are important; they help you be more diverse in knowledge," said FIU student KC Claude. Another student, Andre Enclasans, added, "Students should have a choice in taking a class or not taking a class."
FIU issued a statement confirming that it had reviewed courses as part of a compliance process guided by the Board of Governors.
While some classes were removed from the general education list, the university emphasized that all courses would remain available to students within their respective majors.
"Through a multi-step process, that included feedback from Florida Board of Governors staff to help ensure compliance with the law, some courses were updated while others were recommended to be taken off the list of classes that help fulfill the general education requirement," the statement read.
"However, all classes will continue to be available to students in the respective majors."
Rainwater fears the changes could have long-term implications. She noted that if FIU fails to comply with the law, it risks losing funding from Tallahassee.
Asked whether she is concerned about her job security, she said, "Certainly, I worry about my future as a sociologist in Florida."
CBS News Miami reached out to the Florida Board of Governors for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.
