Students return to campuses changed by a rightwing campaign, but advocates say the fight for academic freedom is far from over

The rightwing campaign to remake American higher education has transformed campuses from Texas to Florida, stripping away diversity programs, reshaping governance, and chilling classroom debate. As students return this fall, they find closed multicultural centers, layoffs of DEI staff, and new curriculum limits that narrow what can be taught. Yet amid this bruised campus climate a growing coalition of students, faculty, and free speech advocates is mobilizing to defend academic freedom and restore open inquiry. Here is how the campaign reshaped universities, what it means for campus life, and how communities plan to push back.

What changed while students were away

Since 2023 at least 20 states enacted laws to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion offices, training, or hiring statements. Texas SB 17, in effect January 2024, bans DEI offices and mandatory trainings at all public universities, while Florida SB 266 prohibits DEI spending and curbs general education courses deemed too political [PEN America]. In Florida, trustees appointed by Governor DeSantis reshaped New College of Florida’s board, ousting presidents and overhauling curriculum in a test case for political control of public higher education [PEN America].

At the University of Texas at Austin roughly 49 DEI staff lost their jobs, the multicultural center closed, and an undocumented student scholarship program ended to comply with SB 17 [Texas Tribune]. Texas A&M dissolved its diversity office entirely and warned campus groups to avoid any hint of preferential treatment [Texas Tribune]. In Florida, universities pared back courses on systemic racism and gender studies as faculty grapple with vague language in SB 266 that chills course design [Chronicle of Higher Education].

Campus climate: protests, arrests, and fear

The fall 2024 semester opened amid lingering tensions from the Spring 2024 pro-Palestinian encampments. More than 3,600 arrests were recorded across U.S. campuses during 130 documented encampments. UCLA saw over 250 arrests in a single operation to clear protesters [Harvard Ash Center]. At Columbia University an encampment launched April 17, 2024 lasted weeks, drawing national attention and prompting police interventions [Wikipedia].

At the same time a conservative group sent “doxxing trucks” to Harvard, Columbia, and Penn, displaying the names and photos of students labeled “leading antisemites.” Civil liberties groups warned the tactic chills free speech and endangers student safety [Forbes], [Harvard Crimson], [Columbia Spectator]. The Professor Watchlist also expanded, naming over 1,200 faculty accused of anti-Israel rhetoric and fueling fears of public targeting.

Surveys reveal this environment has students walking on eggshells. A 2024 Knight Foundation poll found 59 percent of students avoid discussing controversial topics for fear of backlash. FIRE reported a 38 percent rise in self-censorship compared to 2022 as anxiety over classroom speech grows [Knight Foundation], [FIRE].

Congressional pressure, donor power, and federal scrutiny

House hearings and resignations

In December 2023 the House Education Committee held tense hearings on antisemitism at Harvard, Penn, and MIT. Under fire for failing to condemn calls for genocide, University of Pennsylvania president Liz Magill resigned days later after donors threatened to withhold a $100 million gift [PBS News], [NYT]. Harvard’s president Claudine Gay stepped down in January 2024 amid criticism of her testimony and plagiarism allegations [Axios].

Title VI investigations expanded

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights opened Title VI investigations into more than 60 universities over alleged antisemitic and Islamophobic harassment by mid-2024. Institutions received letters warning of enforcement if they failed to address harassment and update policies [DOE press release]. A federal task force formed in 2025 is coordinating with the Justice Department to ensure compliance.

The legal fight: where courts and watchdogs drew the line

Federal courts block Florida’s Stop WOKE Act

A federal court enjoined key provisions of Florida’s Stop WOKE Act, finding they violate the First Amendment by discriminating against disfavored viewpoints. Judge Mark Walker wrote, “This is positively dystopian… Florida is attempting to create its own Ministry of Truth” under the guise of protecting individual freedom [Law & Crime]. The Eleventh Circuit has upheld injunctions on classroom speech and employment restrictions while the case proceeds [Jackson Lewis].

Accreditation warnings and AAUP investigations

Accreditors flagged Florida institutions for political interference, warning that board takeovers at New College of Florida could threaten accreditation. The AAUP launched investigations into governance changes and academic freedom violations, highlighting a systemic threat to university autonomy [PEN America], [Chronicle of Higher Education].

What supporters of the changes say

Proponents argue DEI programs are costly bureaucracies that prioritize ideology over merit and burden taxpayers. Florida governor Ron DeSantis called DEI offices “a drain on resources and a threat to academic freedom” and vowed to refocus universities on workforce training and core subjects [Higher Ed Dive]. Think tanks like the Heritage Foundation claim DEI enforces ideological conformity and should be dismantled to restore viewpoint diversity [Heritage Foundation].

The counterpoint from civil liberties advocates

Civil liberties groups warn that sweeping restrictions from gag orders to governance takeovers undermine free inquiry on every campus. As PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel said, “The greatest casualty in this battle may be neither progressive nor conservative ideas, but the principle of free speech itself” [PEN America]. They argue reforms chill speech across the political spectrum and erode the open debate essential to higher education.

Quick definitions for clarity

A DEI ban prohibits public universities from maintaining dedicated diversity, equity, and inclusion offices, training, or related hiring criteria. Title VI refers to civil rights protections barring discrimination based on race, color, or national origin at institutions receiving federal funds. Academic freedom is the principle that faculty and students may research, teach, and debate ideas without political or institutional interference.

How advocates plan to fight back

Litigation will continue testing constitutional limits on speech regulation and curricular controls, building on the Stop WOKE injunctions [Law & Crime]. Faculty senates and unions are adopting formal policies to protect classroom debate, while accreditors monitor political meddling that risks institutional standing [AAUP]. Student coalitions are demanding transparent protest rules, anti-doxxing protocols, and fair discipline standards. Grassroots campaigns urge communities to attend governance meetings, review campus policies, and hold leaders accountable.

A bruised semester and a blueprint

Students and faculty return to campuses marked by policy battles and tense protest memories. DEI bans, board takeovers, arrest waves, and doxxing campaigns have left lasting scars. Yet court rulings, advocacy networks, and organized student power offer a path forward. Protecting free speech and safety requires insisting on viewpoint-neutral standards, rejecting public shaming as political weaponry, and demanding transparent governance. The campus you save might be your own—start by reading your protest policy, joining a faculty senate meeting, or supporting a lawsuit that upholds academic freedom.