State-level critical race theory restrictions and faculty flight at public PhD-granting universities in the US

• In Event: Sociology of Education Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 4. Contemporary Dilemmas in Higher Education

Abstract

Since the early 2020’s, political attacks on academic freedom, science, and women and minoritized groups have emerged in state-level legislation and policies in the United States. Restrictions regarding teaching about race, ethnicity, gender, and inequality received particular nationwide attention when, for instance, Florida passed the Stop WOKE Act (2022), targeting tenets of critical race theory and diversity and inclusion training. While laws and policies like these often focus on K-12, higher education has increasingly become a target, and survey data shows that this has led professors to apply for jobs in less restrictive states. However, research has not examined whether these patterns emerge broadly in higher education employment data. The current study utilizes data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) to assess whether the number of faculty at universities decreased, remained stable, or grew from 2022 to 2024 at 216 PhD-granting public universities in the United States. Findings show that universities located in states with critical race theory restrictions were significantly more likely to see faculty loss from 2022 to 2024 while controlling for state and university political and financial indicators.

Author

• Kait Boyle, University of South Carolina-Columbia