Florida State University canceled a “Race, Class and Gender” course less than a week before the start of the fall semester.
“Please drop it from your schedule when drop/add opens,” Melanie Presnel, FSU College of Social Sciences and Public Policy’s academic program specialist, told students in an Aug. 24 email to notify them.
The fall semester began Aug. 28.
FSU senior Laura Arrieta — a criminology and political science major who was excited about taking the course — says she was unhappy about the sudden notice.
“The class would have taken place in the BSU (Black Student Union) house on campus, and I knew it’d be the first class I’d take at FSU that would truly be inclusive and safe for conversation,” 21-year-old Arrieta, a Fort Lauderdale native, told the Tallahassee Democrat Wednesday.
“I also knew that it’d be the most diverse class I’d take as I often struggle to find people who look like me in my classes,” she added. “Out of all of the classes I registered for, I was looking forward to this one the most.”
The class is an African American Studies course for undergraduate students.
The university said that the reason behind the decision was related to enrollment issues.
“They cancelled the class because of low enrollment since only two people were enrolled in it,” an FSU spokesperson said. “There’s a possibility that it’ll be offered in the spring again to see if more people are interested in it.”
A list of Tallahassee Community College’s classes for the fall semester shows that 22 course sections have been cancelled due to low enrollment, including one of TCC’s African American History course offerings that would have been taught in the evening .
A similar list of this semester’s cancelled classes at Florida A&M University and FSU has not yet been provided.
Related news:A breakdown of what was removed or changed in the AP African American Studies framework
Normally, a minimum of eight to 10 students is the targeted enrollment number for a special topic class to become an approved course at FSU.
But Arrieta recalls that there were not many open seats left while she was registering for the course, which usually means that a class is close to reaching capacity.
After being notified about the change, she says she immediately had a different thought in mind about why the Race, Class and Gender course was cancelled just days ahead of the fall semester.
The cancellation comes after a law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in May aimed to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion programs and instruction — such as ethnic studies — from public colleges and universities.
“I’d seen the bill passed and was devastated, but did not think that it would affect me so soon,” Arrieta said.
More on DEI law:HB999: What does proposed Florida bill contain and how does it affect state universities?
The course classified as a special topics class — instead of a general education course — would have been taught at the university for the first time this semester. But an FSU spokesperson says its cancellation is not tied to impacts of the DEI law.
FSU President Richard McCullough told the Tallahassee Democrat in August that the State University System is still waiting for the Board of Governors to develop specific guidance on how the law should be implemented.
More:Students want answers as FSU president waits on DEI guidance from Board of Governors
After scrambling to find a class to replace the cancelled course, Arrieta says she ended up in a philosophy class.
Although the Race, Class and Gender course will potentially be offered in the spring, many students like Arrieta — a pre-law student who plans on practicing criminal law in the future — will not have the chance to enroll again as she is currently completing her last semester at the university.
Contact Tarah Jean at tjean@tallahassee.com or follow her on twitter @tarahjean_.
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