Transparency or Targeting? Florida’s Plan to Publish College Syllabi Sparks Faculty Backlash

Florida’s public universities could soon be required to publish detailed syllabi for most courses online, including all textbooks, instructional materials, and readings, as part of a new proposal aimed at increasing transparency for students.

The move, supported by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state’s Republican leadership, is the latest in a series of efforts to reshape Florida’s higher education system and tighten oversight of what is taught in classrooms. It follows a 2024 law that required a review of hundreds of general education courses across the state’s 12 universities and prohibited spending related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

Florida already asks professors to make some course information publicly available, such as curriculum and goals, objectives and expectations for students. The new proposal from the state Board of Governors would go further — requiring syllabi to list all textbooks, instructional materials and readings at least 45 days before classes begin. Certain courses like directed individual studies, internships, thesis, dissertation defense and performance would be exempt.

The change, according to the Board of Governors, is intended to “provide greater transparency for students and to allow them to make informed decisions prior to course registration.”

Some outfits, such as the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal, have long advocated for schools to publicly post syllabus information, heralding benefits for students and schools, such as making it easier to determine transfer credits and aiding in research sharing. And, the organization contends, it can “expose a professor’s deviation from normal expectations or acceptable academic standards.”

The push in Florida comes amid a similar crackdown in Texas. Six public university systems there recently have ordered reviews of curriculum, syllabi and course descriptions after a Texas A&M University professor taught a lesson on gender identity in a children’s literature class. This incident triggered wide fallout, with Texas A&M firing the professor and demoting two administrators before the president was ultimately forced out as the school garnered negative attention from conservatives. At the University of Texas, another professor claims to have since been yanked from an administration post allegedly over “ideological differences” with school leaders.

Faculty groups warn that the measure could expose professors to political harassment and ideological scrutiny, especially in courses touching on gender, race, or diversity.

“What they want is to sort of unleash the online mob on certain faculty,” said Robert Cassanello, president of the United Faculty of Florida union. “That’s what this is all about — scrutinizing what everybody is reading without context.”

Academic leaders also raised concerns about the 45-day posting requirement, arguing it limits flexibility to include new research or updated readings during the semester and could weaken teaching quality.

Originally, the proposal went further, requiring professors to post student assignments online as well, but that provision was dropped after faculty pushback. The Florida Department of Education, however, may still include such a mandate in a parallel policy for state colleges.

The rule could be voted on as early as November 5 at the next meeting of the Board of Governors.