Professor claims SUNY colleges are 'brainwashing' students with several mandatory diversity courses

State University of New York (SUNY) system requiring new students to take social justice and diversity, equity, and inclusion courses starting fall 2023

From Florida to now New York, public universities and colleges are requiring new students to take diversity and inclusion courses in order to graduate – but one State University of New York (SUNY) professor is labeling it as "brainwashing."

"We're seeing it all throughout the country," professor and Campus Reform fellow Nicholas Giordano said. "And if we look at it, it's not just the college that we have to worry about. We also see it in the K-12 system, that it's being infused into curriculums throughout that system as well. That's why I say it's moved beyond indoctrination. Now, it's just full-out brainwashing."

Giordano sounded off on "The Evening Edit" Monday after Members of the SUNY Board of Trustees passed a resolution outlining the addition of several required courses, which included a new social justice category.

While the resolution was passed in November 2021, the social justice course requirement goes into effect for all new students seeking a bachelor's degree beginning in the fall of 2023, and will begin in the fall of 2024 for first-time students obtaining an associates degree.

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The Suffolk Community College professor claimed he doesn’t believe that most Americans are "aware of what’s happening" inside classrooms.

Students walk on college campus

State University of New York (SUNY) system schools are "brainwashing" students with new degree course requirements to address diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice, professor Nicholas Giordano said on "The Evening Edit." (Getty Images)

"In order to graduate, you're going to have to take these diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice courses. In addition, courses are currently being revised at colleges throughout the country to incorporate this, as well," Giordano explained. "So it's not just one course that you're going to be taking, it may be several courses. And this is going on in every degree program that exists out there."

The addition of these programs has been proven to cost state taxpayers millions, with other states such as Florida reportedly spending $28 million during the 2022-2023 calendar year to incorporate diversity and inclusion and critical race theory (CRT) curriculum.

"When we look at what they're trying to do, if you look at the learning outcomes," Giordano pointed out, "it's basically set in stone that equity and inclusion and social justice, it's a political agenda that's being pushed. They're stating that the system is institutionally, inherently racist, always has been, always will be; they're promoting the idea of social justice."

"But we all know," the professor continued, "that they're not going to promote sane and legal immigration policies or social justice, or limited government or fiscal responsibility. It's about promoting a political agenda as opposed to thinking critically and getting students to think for themselves as we prepare them to go into the workforce."

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While the SUNY system today includes a total of 64 schools throughout the state of New York, Giordano predicted enrollment to decline following the inaugural semester of these required classes, which according to the memorandum, will "analyze the role that complex networks of social structures and systems play in the creation and perpetuation of the dynamics of power, privilege, oppression, and opportunity."

"Colleges have to realize that they're facing enrollment declines. The business sector, the employers, are now saying that there's no degree requirements because they see what's going on at colleges," Giordano said.

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Fox News’ Adam Sabes contributed to this report.