Florida universities to review courses for antisemitism, anti-Israel bias, reports say

    WEST MIAMI-DADE, Florida (WSVN) -- Controversy has erupted in Florida’s higher education system as state universities are ordered to review their course materials for any indications of antisemitism or anti-Israel bias, according to reports.

This directive, affecting all 12 of Florida’s higher learning institutions, comes amidst escalating tensions related to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Ray Rodrigues, chancellor of the state university system, communicated the new mandate to university presidents in an email sent on Friday, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

The email reportedly outlines a two-pronged approach focusing on courses that cover topics such as Israel, Palestine, and Zionism. Rodrigues did not define what constitutes antisemitism or anti-Israel bias in his message.

Faculty members are responsible for the review process, with the state university system guiding to ensure that course materials do not cross a defined line. Universities are to report any instances of antisemitism or anti-Israel bias to the state university system, according to the email obtained by the Orlando Sentinel.

The mandate follows a controversy at Florida International University, where, according to the website Coral Springs Talk, a professor’s online quiz included anti-Israel content, provoking outrage among Jewish students and prompting calls for better oversight of academic materials.

The multiple-choice questions included, “When Israelis practice terrorism, they often refer to it as (blank),” with possible answers like “proactive attacks” and “terrorist defensive strategy.”

Another question on that quiz asked, “In which country did the Zionists purchase land to create their new homeland?” Students were prompted to choose between “Persia” or “Oman.”

Shlomi Dinar, dean of FIU’s Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs, said in a statement to X in June that they were made aware of the test questions and that “the problematic questions referenced were automatically generated from a bank of over 1,500 questions that come with the textbook Terrorism and Homeland Security (10th edition).”

Dinar’s statement went on to say that the “faculty member did not select or write the questions.”

According to the email obtained by the Orlando Sentinel, the directive requires universities to complete their reviews by the start of the fall semester. Faculty members must verify that they have reviewed their course materials to ensure compliance with the new standards.

The ongoing Israel-Hamas war has further fueled the urgency of this notice, with increasing tensions between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protesters on college campuses across the country.

Rodrigues’ email, according to the Orlando Sentinel, calls for the establishment of faculty committees to review course materials and for a process where faculty members can attest to having reviewed their courses.

“Moving forward, I am taking steps to ensure that across all departments in the college, instructors carefully review all course materials and assignments, including test bank questions, to ensure the highest academic standards are maintained in our classes,” Dinar said in his statement.

The Board of Governors will flag courses for review based on keywords related to Israel, Palestine, and Judaism, according to the Orlando Sentinel.