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MONDAY, MARCH 30, 2026

VOLUME 120 - ISSUE 26 Not officially associated with the University of Florida

Published by Campus Communications, Inc. of Gainesville, Florida

‘Deliberate attack’: Sociology’s removal from Florida general education draws criticism THE STATE VOTED TO REMOVE SOCIOLOGY FROM GENERAL EDUCATION AT PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES MARCH 26

By Alexa Ryan Alligator Staff Writer

Zach Levenson didn't plan to study sociology. He entered college as a math major but took an Introduction to Sociology class to fulfill a general education requirement — and it changed his academic path. He switched majors, eventually earning three degrees in the field, and he now teaches as an associate professor of sociology at Florida International University. There, he has taught the same course that drew him in as an undergraduate. Levenson’s experience isn’t uncommon. For many students, introductory sociology courses have long served as an entry point into the discipline. However, that pathway may soon disappear. The State University System’s Board of Governors voted March 26 to remove Introduction to Sociology from general education across Florida’s 12 public universities. The change will go into effect for the 202627 school year. Students will still be able to take the course as an elective or as part of their individual degrees. “This is part of a really shocking and kind of terrifying trend,” Levenson said. “Students across Florida should be really concerned.” Almost 1,500 students were enrolled in the class during the 2025-26 academic year, according to public records obtained by The Alligator. In 2024, the board removed sociology from a list of six “state core” classes students could use to fulfill their social science requirement. Earlier this year, Florida began requiring the use of a new state-approved text-

SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT The Avenue: Music

Story description finish with comma, Read The Alligator’s coverage from pg# the four-day Okeechobee Music Festival. Read more on pg. 6.

book in sociology courses. The new version omits topics on race, gender and sexuality present in an earlier, much longer version of the text. “What we have are nonacademics trying to control a curriculum and impose it on academics, which just feels bizarre and even surreal,” Levenson said about the series of decisions. The motion to remove sociology from general education wasn’t listed on the meeting agenda and wasn’t open for public comment. Rather, it was a surprise vote initiated by Ray Rodrigues, the State University System chancellor. Before the vote, Rodrigues read feedback from sociology faculty submitted through unions and media outlets, saying it informed his recommendation to make the course an elective rather than a requirement. All of the faculty feedback opposed the board’s decisions regarding sociology. “They couldn’t even find a single faculty member to be neutral on this issue, let alone support their position,” Levenson said. During the March 26 meeting, Rodrigues said sociology as a discipline has become a form of social and political advocacy in recent years, adding he learned about concepts like racism and the gender pay gap without indoctrination when he took sociology courses in college. These issues have not been seen in other disciplines like history and political science, he said. “The path to preserve academic freedom and preserve compliance with Florida statutes is clear,” Rodrigues said. “Leave these courses as electives, free to compete in the marketplace of ideas, and leave them as the

SEE SOCIOLOGY, PAGE 4

Michael Angee // Alligator Staff

Gary Neal, assistant pastor at New Beginning Christian Worship Center, embraces two attendees of a “No Kings” protest, Saturday, March 28, 2026, at Cora P. Roberson Park in Gainesville, Fla. Read more on pg. 3.

Gainesville homeless shelter to close after 46 years St. Francis House will close April 16 due to business model, funding concerns By Kaitlyn McCormack Alligator Staff Writer

Since 1980, St. Francis House has served Gainesville’s homeless community with shelter and hot meals. Prioritizing women and families, it has served over 5,000 guests since 2016 alone. But in under a month, the shelter will permanently close its downtown facility due to funding and staffing challenges. Some fear the closure will result in a resource gap for one of Gainesville’s most vulnerable populations. “I think that we all grieve,” said Lauri Schiffbauer, the organization’s executive director of five years. “It's been a challenge when you've been working really hard to make something successful, and then it doesn't come to

fruition.” The shelter’s planned April 16 closure is largely due to an unsustainable business model, Schiffbauer said. Providing three meals a day to shelter residents, she said, became costly and unproductive for staff. In the future, she hopes to pursue a model with multiple kitchen spaces and an in-facility pantry to allow residents to prepare their own meals. “I think that's a great model, because it really works towards teaching people the skills they need to be able to sustain themselves,” Schiffbauer said. Rising operating costs also contributed to the closure, she added. After selling the downtown location, the organization will use the funds to buy another building

K-12 education

Meet the candidates running for the Alachua County School Board, pg. 5

UF administration

UF College Republicans push back against chapter disbandment as lawsuit continues, pg. 2

and resume services, she said. The new location will ideally provide more space to serve more guests. “We'd like to be able to accommodate, because we feel like there's a much larger program, much larger need for family shelter than what our community sees,” she said. The shelter’s current residents won’t be abruptly cut off from resources, she added. St. Francis House is working with the TaskForce for Ending Homelessness to provide alternative placement for those currently residing in the shelter. The task force's North Central Florida Chapter, Keys to Home, approved $35,000 in rapid rehousing dollars to Family Promise, a local organi-

SEE ST. FRANCIS, PAGE 4

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