Florida became the first state in the country to submit a formal response to the federal government’s National Call to Action on higher education, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday.
DeSantis hand-delivered a joint statement to the U.S. Department of Education signed by the leaders of all 40 public higher education institutions in the state, including 28 Florida College System presidents and 12 State University System presidents. The signed document outlines the state’s commitments to academic standards, research, and public service.
“Florida’s colleges and universities offer world-class opportunities for learning, research, and career pathways. We’ve ignored the noise and focused on merit, and the results speak for themselves,” DeSantis said in a statement. “Today, we led the way in answering the call from the Department of Education to affirm Florida’s commitment to rigorous instruction, groundbreaking research, and service to our country in higher education.”
The federal initiative, introduced by Education Secretary Linda McMahon, asks all U.S. postsecondary schools to post public statements on their websites by the end of 2026 detailing commitments across seven target areas. Those priorities include merit-based admissions, free speech protections, faculty hiring practices, affordability and cost controls, academic standards in the age of artificial intelligence, protections against foreign influence, and prioritizing domestic workforce demands.
State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues praised the federal effort, stating that it reinforces the core mission of higher education.
“The State University System of Florida is proud to affirm the principles that have made our universities a national model for higher education,” Rodrigues said. “Florida remains focused on academic excellence through merit-based admissions, rigorous teaching and scholarship, meaningful public service, and a belief that intellectual diversity is critical to a marketplace of ideas. Our institutions will continue to offer a world-class education at the most affordable price in the nation.”
Florida Commissioner of Education Henry Mack called the federal directive an opportunity for colleges nationwide to reaffirm their foundational goals.
“American higher education was founded to form free citizens capable of self-government and to advance the common good—not to chase fads, inflate credentials, or serve ideological capture,” Mack said. “Secretary McMahon’s Call to Action is an overdue opportunity for institutions across the country to return to those roots and make those commitments clear and measurable. In Florida, we expect our postsecondary institutions to uphold rigorous academic standards, protect free expression and open inquiry, control costs, safeguard our institutions from foreign influence, and prepare students for meaningful careers and genuine service to the nation.”
State education officials confirmed they have also distributed letters to private higher education institutions under the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (ICUF) and the Commission for Independent Education (CIE), urging private colleges and universities across the state to adopt the same federal guidelines.
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