No comment: Ohio's public universities quietly brace for DEI changes

Yahoo

19-02-2025

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Legislators are cracking down on diversity, equity and inclusion programs in higher education, and Ohio's public universities are working to get organized.
President Donald Trump has issued a slew of executive orders threatening funding for universities, and on Tuesday, the Department of Education sent a letter from the Office of Civil Rights requiring all educational institutions to abolish all race-conscious programming within two weeks or lose their federal funding. Ohio's public colleges are also facing pressure to change from Senate Bill 1, a substantial bill that passed the Ohio Senate on Feb. 12 and now heads to the House. See previous coverage of S.B. 1 in the video player above.
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Ohio universities have been relatively quiet as they sort through new and quickly changing requirements regarding DEI. NBC4 reached out to many public universities in Ohio, many of whom did not respond or said they could not comment.
One representative said they were unable to comment and would guess the university would not speak out until legislation became clearer. S.B. 1 passed in the Senate despite overwhelming public opposition but has yet to be scheduled for hearings in the House, where it heads next.
Ohio State chief spokesperson Benjamin Johnson said the university is in close contact with its federal partners to ensure the university is in compliance with federal mandates, particularly regarding research. Johnson said OSU created a webpage to help centralize information and resources pertaining to research so faculty and staff can keep working.
'We are reviewing the relevant executive orders,' Johnson said. 'As always, we will follow the law and work to ensure our students, faculty and staff have the resources needed to succeed.'
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University of Cincinnati students received an email from the university president recently titled 'RE: Recent Policy Announcements' reaffirming the university's values and commitment to a welcoming environment. Ohio University has made similar comments, but neither university has taken a hard stance on the legislation.
Some universities are already making changes. The University of Akron recently decided against funding its annual 'Rethinking Race' series this year and said it was because of federal guidance on DEI.
As for S.B. 1, Johnson said OSU has not taken a stance on the matter. Ohio University released an explanatory message on S.B. 1 but did not state an opinion, just that it would provide updates and were watching it closely. Other institutions do not appear to have released statements.
OSU professor and president of its branch of the faculty advocacy group American Association of University Professors (AAUP) Pranav Jani said when a similar bill, S.B. 83, made waves in the last General Assembly, the Board of Trustees came out against it. Jani said he was disappointed this had not happened for S.B. 1.
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'I'm sure the Board of Trustees is also committed to the program, but it would have been a great support for those of us doing the work on the ground. At the end of the day, without faculty and students, there's no such thing as a university,' Jani said. 'I personally am bearing the brunt of some of the heat from the politicians, and it would have been nice for a huge and powerful institution like the Ohio State University to say our faculty are doing their jobs.'
'The university has not taken a position on Senate Bill 1. We will continue to work with elected officials on both sides of the aisle to advance Ohio State and ensure our students, faculty and staff have the resources and support needed to succeed,' Johnson said. 'Ohio State has an unwavering commitment to free speech and supports the right of our students, faculty and staff to speak out about issues that are important to them.'
When asked about previously coming out against S.B. 83, Johnson said the university often chooses not to comment on legislation, and that any comments occur on a bill-by-bill basis.
'It makes me feel completely unprotected,' Jani said. 'As president of AAUP at Ohio State, it confirms what we felt at S.B. 83: that no one's going to save us but ourselves.'
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