The Political Right has Public Higher Education in its sights. A series of actions undertaken by Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature lead the way, and similar actions are underway in North Carolina, Virginia, Texas, and Ohio, among other states. The legislative overreach includes reconstituting governing boards, restricting/delisting campus-based Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and Critical Race Theory (CRT). A proposal before the Ohio Legislature would mandate what and how American history is taught to all state public university students. The incursion is akin to what is happening in K-12 education. School board races have become one of America’s most highly contested political sectors, and battles rage nationally about censoring books in public libraries. There is much to discuss, and we are pleased to have a panel of experienced educators with us today. Marty Ambrose completed her M.Phil. at the University of York (England) and has taught English at Florida Southwestern State College for over three decades. Her specialty is nineteenth-century British literature, and she has authored many historical fiction books set around the Byron/Shelley circle. Roger Barbee, a retired educator from North Carolina, has extensive experience as a public and private school English teacher and administrator. He has contributed to the Washington Post and Birmingham Arts Journal, and his poetry chapbook, Applewood Street (2022), was published by Plan B Press. Cindy Banyai earned a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and graduate degrees (master’s and Ph.D.) from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University. A program evaluator, community developer, and community organizer, she has served as president of the international Community Development Society and was a candidate (Democratic Party) for the U.S. House of Representatives (FL-19) in 2020 and 2022. Banyai was an outspoken critic of the Trump Administration and is now speaking out against the DeSantis Administration. Nathan Rousseau is an associate professor of sociology at Indiana University Purdue University Columbus. He has published widely on various topics associated with social change, emphasizing neoliberalism's impact on individuals and society. He is the author of the forthcoming book, Between Past and Future: The Struggle to Transform Race Relations in the United States. Rubén O. Martinez will host today's program. A professor emeritus of sociology and former director of the Julian Samora Research Institute at Michigan State University, his scholarly interests include environmental justice, neoliberalism, academic freedom, and institutional and societal change. Frank A. Fear, emeritus professor at Michigan State University, produced today's program for FutureU, Conversations about Values and Change in Higher Education. (The program was taped on March 29. 2023)
