Should the ‘New’ New College Lose Its Accreditation?
Preview:
In a recent piece in The Atlantic, Tom Nichols argues that “Florida has a right to destroy its universities.” Governor Ron DeSantis, he writes, “has decided to root out wrong-think at one of Florida’s public colleges”—New College of Florida—“and his harebrained meddling will likely harm the school, but he has every right to do it.” I’m inclined to disagree with Nichols: even if a majority of Floridians approve of DeSantis’s emulation of Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, it is not clear that this majority is either legally or ethically entitled to limit the speech of the minority or to dictate what they may or may not study.
Originally published: February 13, 2023
Author: Brian Rosenberg
Position: President Emeritus
Institution: Macalester College
Published by: Inside Higher Ed