Almost one year after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law changing certification requirements for Florida public employee unions, one UF union is gone, and two are struggling to survive. The law, from Senate Bill 256, requires public sector unions boost the rate of members paying dues to 60% or else be decertified.
House Bill 7 went into effect July 1, 2022. The bill, nicknamed the “Stop WOKE Act,” wanted to protect individuals from specific concepts that can be seen as “discrimination based on race, sex and national origin.” The bill also states that students or employees cannot be considered inherently racist or oppressive based on their race and sex.
Bob Graham’s enduring influence on UF is reflected in his advancement of environmental initiatives and his advocacy for public education — as well as having a playful and nurturing personality, according to those who knew him. The two-term Democratic Florida Governor, former United States Senator and UF alumnus died April 16 in Gainesville. He was 87.
A UF administrator was trespassed from all UF properties for three years on charges of battery after police received a complaint of a fight at a RaceTrac in Citrus County.
The click of a Zoom link brought over 30 people together April 17 for a discussion of academic freedom through the lens of UF professors, students and Gainesville community members.
A regulation amendment traveling through the Florida Board of Governors will increase students’ options to complete the civic literacy requirement added in 2017 to state education statutes.
Couples walked hand in hand and children sat on their parents’ shoulders as gusts of wind blew past, lending a reprieve from the hot sun. While they strolled past the art festival booths, wind chimes rang and live music played. Santa Fe College hosted its 52nd annual Spring Arts Festival April 13 and 14, which featured planetarium shows, a zoo booth and works from local artists.
Heavyweight boxing champion Sid Foreman was murdered the night of the party at 6:48 p.m. At 6:52 p.m., partygoers ran out of napkins to go with their pizza. Both catastrophes were treated with similar levels of concern by the group of 30 UF students who gathered in a lecture hall classroom for a Great Gatsby-themed murder mystery dinner.
In Florida, there are three different species of tussock moth caterpillars: the fir tussock moth caterpillar, the white-marked tussock moth caterpillar and the definite tussock moth caterpillar. They have many shared characteristics, such as protruding hairs and spines, but can be visually distinguished by color.
Former UF Chief Diversity Officer Marsha McGriff will join the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in July under a similar title to the one she was fired for in Florida.
Anyone who stays in Gainesville for more than a few days will probably see rain. Anyone who stays in Gainesville a few minutes after that rain starts will inevitably hear someone call the city “Rainesville.” UF students often believe — perhaps due to the inescapability of the “Rainesville” pun — that its frequent showers make Gainesville wetter than other Florida cities. But though Gainesville does rain often, it doesn’t stand out in Florida, which is a rainy state in general, said UF geography professor Esther Mullens.
In the heart of Women’s History Month, the UF Women’s Student Association unveiled a different approach to celebrating March: implementing self-care.
As the academic year comes to a close, rapper Nelly is scheduled to speak and perform April 9 during a Student Government Productions and ACCENT Speakers Bureau event.
The UF Student Government Senate elected two members-at-large during its Tuesday night meeting, Sen. Roman Quattrocchi (Vision-Off Campus) and Sen. Catherine Isakson (Vision-Off Campus).
The Florida Chinese Faculty Association organized a protest in response to the Florida Board of Governors meeting taking place at UF Tuesday and Wednesday in the Reitz Student Union.
Moving on a set of skates is not unusual to the members of the Gainesville Roller Rebels. With helmets and heavy padding on their elbows and knees, they look like a cavalry in armor. Each skater has an infectious passion and, more importantly, a clever nickname.
Being a parent and a Ph.D. candidate at the same time is synonymous with having a full plate. However, graduate students at UF make it work.
A new Florida law requiring all humanities General Education core courses include “selections from the Western canon” will take effect Fall 2024. The requirement was added to Florida statutes in May as part of Senate Bill 266, the same sweeping education reform bill that cut state funding for diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
UF will adopt an early action plan to the admission process, UF President Ben Sasse announced this morning.
As spring break kicked off, college students rushed to Florida beaches for a week of partying and relaxation. But the idyllic image of spring break fails to resonate with everyone. Beaches are left littered, crime spikes and excessive partying disrupts some students who are looking for a laid back beach day at home.
Solutions by The State News
