Summary

New College of Florida has reinstated a controversial course on “wokeness,” led by British media personality Andrew Doyle, amid criticism over its one-sided portrayal of “wokeness” as a cult.

The course’s reading list includes Doyle’s own books and works by rightwing figures like Christopher Rufo, who has claimed that antiracist government policies would bring about “an end to the constitutional order.”

The college, under Governor Ron DeSantis’s influence, is undergoing a conservative transformation that has sparked backlash from students and staff, who report discomfort with the new administration’s ideological agenda.

The course’s reinstatement reflects the college’s shift toward rightwing educational reforms.

  • @irotsoma
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    207 days ago

    "Woke"just means logic- and fact-based now. So it’s as much a “cult” as scientists were called a “cult” by religions in the past.

    • @[email protected]
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      17 days ago

      didn’t Disantes ban like 40% of math books for being woke? literally MATH. In programming that’s like beefing with a spelling issue on a variable that’s used 2 times.

      Oh and after they changed our math books we found a mistake or issue about every 3 days. We’re on like the 3rd edition (1st edition was the year after don’t say gay) and there’s still issues.

  • ElcaineVolta
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    207 days ago

    to the right, all education is “wokeness” when it represents a sincere effort to understand reality.

  • @9point6
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    7 days ago

    Isn’t state controlled re-education another one of these big bad things that only evil commies do according to these knuckle-draggers?

    Imagine the cinemas we’d have if this lot were running the show after a life of everything they do being projection

  • @RunawayFixer
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    57 days ago

    I remember from an older article that it’s a very small college and the new republican dean/president/chairman (I forgot what he was) is being paid $ 700 000 per year, about $1000 per student. I’m certain that he isn’t the only person making bank from this. It seems to be a grift to funnel tax money into the pockets of friends and sycophants, and while the college board tries to make itself relevant in the eyes of their maga public, the future of the students appears to not be a consideration, because they’re not the ones paying for this circus.

    Apparently fighting the republican culture war is very profitable for republican grifters.

  • @RagingRobot
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    17 days ago

    Who are the kids they expect to sign up for these classes?

    • circuitfarmer
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      177 days ago

      We’re at about 1933. Hitler is about to consolidate power, surround himself with only the most loyal, and purge the military of anyone outside of the ideology.

      The propaganda machine will need to expand rapidly to support that effort.

      • @TexasDrunk
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        37 days ago

        When do the generals start plotting an assassination? I’m not calling for one, I’m just wondering where that is on the timeline.

        • circuitfarmer
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          7 days ago

          You know, it is kind of interesting (and I know this wasn’t the point of your comment). Most of them were not by generals, but assassination attempts on Hitler numbered more than 40, and the first one was the year before he took national office.

          The first by a known perpetrator was from Bavarian politician Ludwig Aßner, who sent Hitler a poisoned letter in 1933.

          • @TexasDrunk
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            27 days ago

            That’s super interesting! And the point of my comment was actually to find out interesting things so yeah, your reply was totally in the spirit of things.

  • Ragdoll X
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    led by British media personality Andrew Doyle

    The course’s reading list includes Doyle’s own books

    So this is just state-sanctioned propaganda from some random guy

    Maybe they should pay the crazy dude in the street corner who’s shouting about the end of the world to give a course as well

    I wonder if Doyle is even going to give an actual definition of the term ‘woke’

    • @dhork
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      257 days ago

      So he’s basically a real-life Gilderoy Lockheart, teaching Defense Against the Woke Arts.

  • @Alteon
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    447 days ago

    Ah yes, kindness, compassion, and empathy being considered “wokeness”. Can’t have that. Much better to have hate, disgust, and cruelty.

    • @samus12345
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      127 days ago

      Unironically yes. They just call those things “traditional family values.”

  • Flying Squid
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    287 days ago

    When my brother went to New College, it was an extremely progressive school with non-standard ideas. He is neurodivergent, so being able to structure his college education was really helpful to him and his degree got him into a standard graduate school program at a Big 10 university. He now has an MFA.

    All of that has been crapped away by DeSantis for the sake of his ideology.

    • @[email protected]
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      77 days ago

      A dear friend of mine went there as well. He was the first trans person I knew, almost 20 years ago now, and I know he loved New College and the support he got through his transition there.

      As hard as it is to see this for me, I expect it’s heartbreaking for him, and that makes me sad.

    • @Pieisawesome
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      27 days ago

      The really unfortunate thing is that this transformation will “taint” degrees from there

      • Flying Squid
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        17 days ago

        Absolutely. It will be associated with places like Liberty University and Bob Jones University.

  • @[email protected]
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    227 days ago

    “British media personality”. Until 5 seconds ago, I had forgotten the pointless prick existed.

    • @[email protected]
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      57 days ago

      I had to look him up. Seemingly,he’s a cheap ham mannequin in a bad suit, and using the word “personality” in connection with him is really stretching it past the point of credibility

  • frustrated_phagocytosis
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    57 days ago

    Might be worthwhile to take the course for the ability to go into class and just call out ‘No it’s not, dumbass’ etc every day. I’ve taught undergrad, you can harass, annoy, and physically threaten a professor and you still won’t be kicked out of a course in a public university. You might even get extra privileges like make up exams for grades you disagree with.