Universities since the 60s have always been subject to conservative scrutiny. The emergence of neoconservative thought in the 70s and 80s led famous right-leaning thinkers to declare that higher education at the time was plagued with “nihilism” and “egoistic hedonism.” This animosity largely manifested out of the generational tension between differing conceptions of morality as a result of contrasting ideologies.
Today the animosity has evolved into a more aggressive and antagonistic form, yet it is still rooted in a moralistic and ideological tension. Universities have always been at the forefront of questioning the status quo. Progress is dependent on questioning everything in order to discover where change is needed.
What is interesting about the right’s criticism of universities is that it confuses this critical journey that students go through with “indoctrination.” The paternalistic tone associated with this understanding is rather confusing.
These same Republicans, who think some of the country’s brightest young minds are prone to indoctrination, also think 18-year-olds are developed enough to fight our wars and own assault rifles. It is important, therefore, to understand that these incompatible beliefs signal a more obscured frustration on behalf of the GOP.
Whether it is Critical Race Theory or Marxism or any other critical framework that can be applied to society at large, Republicans continuously use these trigger words to scare their electorate into thinking that their traditions are at stake. Ron DeSantis exemplifies this trend, and his attacks on the lower education system prove that the GOP is already on the offensive.
DeSantis has already attacked a new AP African American studies course by banning it from being taught in Florida’s high schools. His cabinet’s reasonings behind the move center around the “lack of educational value” the course has along with the “fact” that it is a “vehicle for a political agenda.” The idea of indoctrination is baked into his argument, and it is already being used to restructure the state’s higher education system.
The New College of Florida, a small public liberal arts college in Sarasota, has recently undergone a leadership restructuring at the behest of DeSantis. After replacing 6 of the 13 trustees on the board, all of which are conservative allies of DeSantis, the president of the college was voted out and replaced with the governor’s former education secretary. To top it all off, the new president’s salary was more than doubled to a staggering $699,000 a year.
The agenda that DeSantis has set for the transformation of the liberal arts college is quite alarming. Not only does he want to weaken faculty tenure protections, but he also intends to get rid of diversity and equity programs as well as mandate courses on Western civilization.
For one, by chipping away at the tenure protections of professors, the gate is opened to fire academics who do not align with conservative beliefs. On top of that, getting rid of diversity and equity programs means perpetuating the lack of communication among identity groups that has plagued American history and reinforced oppressive structures.
The case of the New College of Florida is particularly important because it creates a framework that Republicans across the country can utilize in other public universities and colleges. The book-banning epidemic in high schools that swept the nation is an example of how politicians tend to replicate successful policy strategies. There is no reason why this can’t apply to what DeSantis has done.
What we see with these Republican efforts in relation to education is a last-ditch effort to hold onto a reality that is gradually slipping away. Generation Z is currently the least religious generation in American history. America’s demographics are also expected to be comprised of a majority of non-white people by the year 2045.
These statistics are particularly troubling for a party where 81% of their voters are white and 79% are self-identified Christians. Instead of having party leaders re-orient the direction of the party to adapt to the country’s changing demographics, Republicans would rather focus on raising the next generations with an outlook on the world that is in harmony with outdated conservative ideology.
The coming years will show us how successful and influential the work of Ron DeSantis is, but, in the meantime, all I can beg of students and academics is to pursue the truth. As a college student, I am grateful to be surrounded by professionals who scrutinize every detail before deciding on its accuracy.
What I have experienced over the past two years is not “indoctrination,” but rather an environment that begs me to question everything. Success in the world of academia doesn’t mean conforming. It means interacting with ideas in a critical manner while at the same time allowing your preconceived notions to be malleable.
