Global: How a Florida Law Could Chill Speech on China

Campus-speech legislation could extend China’s policing of speech into American classrooms. ADVERTISEMENT [Academe Today Logo]( Did someone forward you this newsletter? [Sign up free]( to receive your own copy. First Thought Insights drawn weekly from Karin Fischer’s global-education newsletter, latitude(s). [Subscribe here](. Campus-speech legislation could extend China’s policing of speech into American classrooms. Florida’s Gov. Ron DeSantis earlier this year signed a controversial “[viewpoint diversity]( bill, permitting students to make video or audio recordings of classroom lectures for educational purposes or for reporting violations of university policy. The bill was supported by conservative groups, who said it would promote free expression by allowing students at Florida’s public colleges to document supposed political bias in the classroom. But it also could put students and faculty members at risk of running afoul of Chinese national-security law, said Thomas A. Breslin, a professor of politics and international relations at Florida International University. China’s National People’s Congress last year passed a national-security law for Hong Kong that makes speech deemed critical of the Hong Kong or Chinese governments unlawful — regardless of the citizenship or location of the offender. Recordings made under the auspices of the Florida law could also serve as documentation of statements perceived to be anti-Chinese, Breslin told me: “It allows China to potentially reach into Florida classrooms.” [Read more from Karin Fischer in this week’s latitude(s).]( ADVERTISEMENT The Reading List - A federal court won’t put a DACA court case [on hold]( while the Biden administration puts in place a [new regulation]( shoring up legal protections for undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. - Some [students detained in protests]( against Myanmar’s military coup say they were tortured in prison. - Interest in [studying in Canada]( is soaring, with applications for study permits through August running 27-percent higher than the same period in 2019. Featured on Chronicle.com “Though it would be premature to say that college-entrance tests are fading away, their grip on higher education is weakening, which will continue to affect the bottom line of two testing titans.” —Dan Bauman and Eric Hoover writing in The Chronicle about revenue losses from ACT Inc. and the College Board, which oversee the ACT and SAT exams, respectively. The declines come during a time of upheaval in the standardized-testing industry, as the pandemic has prompted hundreds of colleges to [suspend their ACT and SAT requirements](. Read more from Dan and Eric in The Chronicle: “[America’s Standardized-Testing Giants Are Losing Money Fast]( SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to essential news, analysis, and advice. CAMPUS HEALTH [Biden’s Vaccine Order Is Broad. These Campuses Are Trying to Apply It Narrowly.]( By Francie Diep [STORY IMAGE]( Public colleges in particular are caught between the wishes of different employees, state politicians, and the federal government. SPONSOR CONTENT | Gale [Providing Gen Z students with credible content to navigate the future.]( TEACHING AND LEARNING [What Really Goes Into Making the Grade]( By Beckie Supiano [STORY IMAGE]( Everyone wants to know how freshmen are doing. But academic performance is hard to unpack — even without a pandemic. ADVERTISEMENT SPONSOR CONTENT | vitalsource [Can Learning Science Make Online Learning Easier?]( Having a transformative impact on education, learn how accessible tools, materials and technology based on research are creating effective learning environments for students. JOB OPPORTUNITIES Apply for the top jobs in higher education and [search all our open positions](. NEWSLETTER FEEDBACK What did you think of today’s newsletter? [Strongly disliked]( | [It was ok]( | [Loved it]( This newsletter was sent to {EMAIL}. [Read this newsletter on the web](. [Manage]( your newsletter preferences, [stop receiving]( this email, or [view]( our privacy policy. © 2021 [The Chronicle of Higher Education]( 1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037