MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Changes to Florida’s higher education system remained front and center in the political arena Wednesday as Gov. Ron DeSantis addressed state college and university leaders at the Florida Education Commissioner’s Summit in downtown Miami.
DeSantis spoke at Miami Dade College’s Wolfson Campus, where he outlined his administration’s reforms, including efforts to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and push back against what he described as ideological conformity in higher education.
“We are not trying to create the imposition of ideological conformity, and that’s what you see in so many different places around this country,” DeSantis said. “We want our students to be able to think for themselves.”
The summit took place at the college’s Idea Center, just days after DeSantis’ former lieutenant governor, Jeanette Núñez, was officially named president of Florida International University.
DeSantis used the opportunity to deliver a message to state university presidents and board members in attendance, criticizing accreditation agencies and reinforcing his stance on defunding DEI programs.
“These accreditation cartels have worked to create universities behaving in certain ways,” DeSantis said. “I mean, the whole DEI concept was something that was embedded in the accreditation. You weren’t doing that, then they would threaten to pull your accreditation.”
The summit comes as Florida continues to implement sweeping changes to its public education system, drawing national attention and sparking debate over the direction of state policy on issues like school choice, parental rights and curriculum content.
