On March 12, 2025, New College of Florida fired Kevin Wang, an adjunct professor of Chinese language and culture, citing a state law barring public universities from hiring staff and faculty from several “countries of concern.”

Prior to working at New College, Wang was a university professor in China. After losing his position for criticizing Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party’s policies, he came to the United States in May 2022 and opened an asylum claim.

New College hired Wang in July 2023, three weeks after the state passed SB 846, a law that bars state higher education institutions from entering into agreements with colleges or universities in one of several “countries of concern,” including China, Cuba, Iran, Russia and Venezuela. It also prevents public colleges and universities from entering into partnership with a “foreign principal,” defined as someone “who is domiciled in a foreign country of concern and is not a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States.” Guidance from the Board of Governors defines a “domicile” as “a physical presence in a foreign country of concern with an intent to return thereto.” It further notes that “intent to return” may be demonstrated by “an absence of seeking citizenship in the United States.” As an asylum seeker in the United States, Wang presumptively does not meet the definition of someone domiciled in a foreign country because he has claimed an inability to return safely to China and an intent to remain lawfully in the United States.

On March 10, 2025, Wang wrote to his department chair to let them know that he had not received any paychecks for the current semester and to ask whether he needed to do anything to resolve the issue. It turned out that Wang’s department chair had forgotten to submit his employment agreement at the beginning of the semester. However, his inquiry prompted New College’s human resources’ department to realize that Wang came from a country named in SB 846.

On March 12, New College fired Wang. The dismissal letter stated that his dismissal was not due to misconduct and did “not constitute a dismissal for cause or disciplinary action.” Rather, it stated that New College could not employ Wang because of his immigration status. His dismissal was effective immediately.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about the dismissal of a professor solely because of his national origin. In addition to the harm to the immediate victim, dismissals of faculty on other than academic performance undermine academic freedom. Government encroachments on universities’ hiring authority undermine university autonomy and inhibit institutions’ ability to function freely, undermining academic freedom and democratic society generally.

Sources:
https://www.wusf.org/education/2025-03-28/new-college-fires-chinese-professor-florida-countries-of-concern-law
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/29/florida-new-college-fires-chinese-professor
https://academicfreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/AFA-Statement-to-Florida-Board.pdf