Naomi Nerlien studying abroad in Beijing, China. Photo courtesy of Naomi Nerlien.
When I entered college I did not intend to study a language, let alone Mandarin. After taking a few courses, though, I became fascinated with the history and literature of China and committed to studying the language. My first Chinese professor, Associate Professor of Chinese Language and Culture Jing Zhang, was ecstatic when I told her I had confirmed Chinese as my Area of Concentration (AOC). Her first question was, “When are you going to study abroad?”
As a low-income student, I worried about the cost of visiting China, but two other students told me about a program I could afford: a month-long immersion in Mandarin offered by the Consortium for Educational Travel Academic Programs (CET). It happened to fall during the 2025 Independent Study Project (ISP) period in the month of January, so I thought I could receive academic credit for it. I applied with high hopes but soon learned that Florida’s governor and legislature stood in the way.
Florida bill SB 846 took effect on July 1, 2023, and Gov. Ron Desantis called it “the strongest legislation in the nation to counteract the Chinese Communist Party.” Oddly, the word “communist” doesn’t appear in the 10-page bill. Instead, it “prohibit[s] state universities and state colleges from accepting grants from or participating in partnerships or agreements with a college or university based in a foreign country of concern or with a foreign principal unless specified conditions are met.” The bill goes on to define “partnerships” as “a faculty or student exchange program, a study abroad program, an articulation program, a recruiting program, or a dual degree program.”
The law was immediately controversial, yielding a lawsuit from the ACLU. A statement from PEN America declared, “Florida’s students deserve better than to be cut off from opportunities that expose them to other cultures. Programs like these should not be pulled for political motives without due process.”
After discovering that SB 846 might derail my plans, I pleaded my case to an Associate Provost and the General Counsel and had three meetings with the Global Education Coordinator. None gave me cause for hope, citing the “country of concern” law. When I contacted CET, a representative told me they required my school’s approval and were unwilling to make any exceptions, but she said she would keep trying to work something out with New College. Weeks passed.
After talking to other students in the Chinese program, I learned I was not alone. Thesis student Caroline Young faced the same obstacles last year. Young had applied for a program in China and even received funding from New College before getting flagged.
“I submitted a request for SRTG [Student Research and Travel Grant] funds, and they awarded me $1,500 to put towards plane tickets,” Young told Old School Catalyst. “And then they emailed me, and they [the SRTG Committee] were like, ‘Actually, you can’t use this money to go to Beijing at all. It goes against the countries of concern rule. So we have to take it back.’ Which was upsetting because plane tickets were extremely expensive.
“I was also initially told that I would be able to receive credit,” Young continued. “But then when I talked to them again about it, they were like, ‘You can’t receive credit for this at all.’ So I was not able to complete my third ISP like I had originally planned. And I also did not receive any transfer credit.”
Young’s story made me wonder what the school would decide in my case. Finally, after over a month of waiting, I received a message from my CET advisor, who had been doing her best to keep me updated. She had been having conversations directly with New College administrators but refused to share the details with me. Finally, a verdict had been reached.
Photo courtesy of Naomi Nerlien.
My advisor informed me via text that the New College administration granted me permission to go to China but “officially” refused “any support or approval from NCF.” Along with receiving no credit, I was not allowed to apply for the Student Research and Travel Grant (SRTG).
SB 846’s impact goes beyond forcing a couple of students to jump through extra hoops to study abroad. It has had a negative impact on faculty as well. On March 12, New College abruptly fired adjunct Chinese professor Kevin Wang due to his citizenship status and connection to China. Suncoast Searchlight reporter Alice Herman took the lead on this story, explaining, “His letter of dismissal, which was reviewed by Suncoast Searchlight, stated that the school’s decision to cancel his contract as an adjunct professor was “not based on any misconduct and does not constitute a dismissal for cause or disciplinary action.” Instead, it claimed, Wang’s immigration status—and, implicitly, his country of origin—made him ineligible for employment at New College.”
Herman also received a letter from Wang, who wrote, “I faced political repression from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for criticizing Xi Jinping and the CCP’s domestic and foreign policies, resulting in the loss of my teaching position and my freedom to teach, research, and express myself in China.” He “never expected . . . to encounter a somewhat similar situation” in the United States, “a place that claims to be ‘a beacon of democracy.’”
Humanities Chair Maribeth Clark told this Old School Catalyst reporter via email that Wang is “allowed to work in the U.S., but not in [Florida’s] State University System (SUS).”
Young, a student of Wang’s, expressed disappointment about how the administration has acted, given the past successes of students studying Chinese. “I know that a lot of students from the New College Chinese program have gone on to do things like win Fulbrights and do a lot of really cool research and get grants and contracts and stuff like that.” New College’s history of Fulbright recipients is quite impressive, with 92 recipients since 1968 and 10 who studied Mandarin, traveling to China or Taiwan.
With SB 846 affecting both students and faculty, the possibilities for studying Chinese are now more restricted. When asked about the future of the New College program, Young replied, “Honestly, I’m not sure. Especially with how things are politically in Florida at the moment.”
In the end, I was able to go to China in January, paying my own way and receiving no college credit. The trip broadened my mind and deepened my understanding of a foreign language and culture—just what studying abroad is supposed to do. But that’s another story.
