PENSACOLA, Fla. (CBS12) — The State University System Board of Governors voted Thursday to remove sociology courses from Florida’s public university education catalog.

During a meeting in Pensacola, CBS12 partners at the South Florida Sun Sentinel say board members approved the change to eliminate “Introduction to Sociology” from general education offerings, shifting the course to an elective beginning in the 2026–2027 academic year.

This will affect a dozen state universities, including: Florida State University, Florida Atlantic University, University of North Florida, University of Florida, Florida International University, and University of South Florida.

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The proposal was not listed on the public agenda and was introduced roughly 40 minutes into the meeting by Chancellor Ray Rodrigues.

In a statement backing up his decision, Rodrigues argued the course was better suited as an elective:

The path to preserve academic freedom and preserve compliance with Florida statutes is clear: remove Sociology 1000 and 2000 courses from all general education classifications. Leave these courses as electives, free to compete in the marketplace of ideas, and leave them as the majors and the minors for the students who choose to study them.

The decision is reportedly part of a broader push by state leaders to limit diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives within Florida’s public university system.

The move follows an earlier decision in 2024, when sociology was removed from the state’s list of core courses after board members argued it did not meet Florida’s civics requirements.

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“When you look at the concepts that are discussed in sociology, they’re very theoretical,” said board member and then–state Education Commissioner Manny Diaz at the time. “While that field was very scientific, at one point, it has moved away from that.”