Governor DeSantis taps Claremont's Scott Yenor for the University of West Florida Board of Trustees.

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Dear Friend,

Last week, Governor Ron DeSantis announced five appointments to the University of West Florida Board of Trustees, signaling a bold move to reform another Florida public university influenced by progressive ideologies.

Among the newly appointed conservative reformers is Claremont’s own Scott Yenor, our Senior Fellow For State Coalitions at Claremont’s Center for the American Way of Life, who has long been at the forefront of higher education reform.

​​Yenor has been a key figure in identifying and addressing the rise of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in academia.

His landmark 2020 DEI report ([link removed] ) on Idaho’s universities has served as a model for uncovering similar issues nationwide. Since then, he has authored influential reports examining higher education systems in Maine, North Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, and Texas, helping catalyze efforts to defund DEI offices in several states.

“It was important to diagnose the problem accurately so adequate solutions could be found,” said Yenor, “For years conservatives focused on symptoms rather than causes. Finally, we are getting to the causes of academic rot.”

As Yenor has helped to excise DEI administration, he has also sought to point the way to the next stages of higher education reform in his research. He has advised on legislation that would regulate schools of education, establish centers dedicated to liberal learning and Western civilization, rewrite strategic plans at the university level, conduct program reviews on campus, and reform education more generally. His writings have appeared in establishment higher education journals like Inside Higher Education and The Chronicle of Higher Education, as well as conservative outlets like Law & Liberty, City Journal, and The American Mind.

“It will be an honor to help restore the confidence of the American people in higher education through undertaking reforms targeted specifically at the situation in Pensacola,” Yenor concluded.

Governor DeSantis’s appointment of reform-minded leaders to Florida universities follows his 2023 decision to place prominent conservatives—including Claremont’s Dr. Charles Kesler—on the Board of Trustees at New College of Florida. This latest move underscores his commitment to reshaping Florida’s higher education landscape and ensuring its institutions align with the principles of academic excellence and intellectual diversity. This approach should serve as a model across the states.

Ryan Williams

President, The Claremont Institute

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