Latest news with #CenterforBelongingandSocialChange
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
I no longer bleed scarlet and gray. OSU on wrong side of history.
One of the proudest days of my life was graduating from THE Ohio State University in 1990. Born and raised in central Ohio, I have bled scarlet and gray for as long as I can remember. The university was instrumental in helping me launch my career, and following its sports teams has been a source of great pride and enjoyment for over 50 years. I have never been embarrassed by Ohio State — until now. Eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and offices, including the Center for Belonging and Social Change, without even trying to fight for them was a cowardly act of compliance in advance. And, more importantly, it will have a negative impact on vulnerable students who relied on these offices and initiatives to help them navigate their college paths and find their places in the university and in the greater world. So far, hundreds of other colleges have signed a letter protesting the 'unprecedented government overreach and political interference' that higher education is facing under the Trump administration. It is extremely disappointing that my alma mater is not one of them. Sadly, I no longer reach for my Buckeyes cap as I leave the house. I have stopped all financial support for the university and have not renewed my season football tickets after 30 years. More: A dozen Ohio university presidents sign letter against Trump's 'political interference' In these tumultuous times, one thing is certain: history will not look kindly on the political, business and higher education leaders who capitulated to Trump without even putting up a fight. Steven Kretzer, Upper Arlington This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: I am embarrassed to be a Buckeye. Respect for Ohio State gone. |Opinion
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The Ohio State University 'sunsets' offices amid ongoing review of diversity, equity and inclusion work
The Ohio State University (OSU) "sunset" its Office of Diversity and Inclusion and Center for Belonging and Social Change on Friday. The office closures reportedly impacted 16 professional staff positions. The school said no worker will lose their position for at least 60 days and that it will help find impacted employees internal jobs where available, WBNS reported. OSU President Ted Carter announced the closures on Thursday, citing federal law that enforces universities to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) measures on campus. "The federal government has signaled its intent to enforce guidance invalidating the use of race in a broad range of educational activities, including by withdrawing federal dollars that are so important to our student, academic and operational success," Carter wrote in a message posted to the OSU website. Ag Bondi Dismisses Dei Lawsuits Brought Against Police, Fire Departments Under Biden Administration "Here in Ohio, a bill barring DEI is also making its way through the legislature, and the Attorney General of Ohio — our statutory counsel — has advised us that his office concurs with the federal government's position regarding the use of race in educational activities," he said. Read On The Fox News App Scholarships administered by the Office of Academic Affairs will adjust their eligibility criteria. The programming and services offered by Student Life's Center for Belonging and Social Change were set to end Friday. "We will sunset the Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) along with some of its services, effective February 28, 2025. Scholarships administered by the Office of Academic Affairs, including the Morrill Scholarship Program and the Young Scholars Program will be maintained with modified eligibility criteria going forward," Carter added. OSU's Hale Black Cultural Center, Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity and "other DEI-related units at the university are currently under the president's review," according to OSU's student newspaper, The Lantern. Group Of Dei Workers Sue To Stop Trump Executive Orders Carter's announcement comes after the Trump administration released a memo Feb. 14 with guidance that colleges and universities end DEI-related mandates, policies and programs. If the institutions fail to comply, they could face the loss of federal funding, per the civil rights office of the Department of Education. Trump in January signed an executive order terminating DEI "discrimination" in the federal workforce, and in federal contracting and spending. Click Here For More Coverage Of Media And Culture The executive order directed every department and agency to end "private sector DEI discrimination," including civil compliance investigations. In December, the University of Michigan announced it would no longer "solicit diversity statements as part of faculty hiring, promotion and tenure." Other universities that nixed DEI include Northeastern University, Missouri State University and West Virginia University. Many proponents of DEI argue that the effort corrects historical injustices and systemic article source: The Ohio State University 'sunsets' offices amid ongoing review of diversity, equity and inclusion work
Fox News
01-03-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
The Ohio State University 'sunsets' offices amid ongoing review of diversity, equity and inclusion work
The Ohio State University (OSU) "sunset" its Office of Diversity and Inclusion and Center for Belonging and Social Change on Friday. The office closures reportedly impacted 16 professional staff positions. The school said no worker will lose their position for at least 60 days and that it will help find impacted employees internal jobs where available, WBNS reported. OSU President Ted Carter announced the closures on Thursday, citing federal law that enforces universities to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) measures on campus. "The federal government has signaled its intent to enforce guidance invalidating the use of race in a broad range of educational activities, including by withdrawing federal dollars that are so important to our student, academic and operational success," Carter wrote in a message posted to the OSU website. "Here in Ohio, a bill barring DEI is also making its way through the legislature, and the Attorney General of Ohio — our statutory counsel — has advised us that his office concurs with the federal government's position regarding the use of race in educational activities," he said. Scholarships administered by the Office of Academic Affairs will adjust their eligibility criteria. The programming and services offered by Student Life's Center for Belonging and Social Change were set to end Friday. "We will sunset the Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) along with some of its services, effective February 28, 2025. Scholarships administered by the Office of Academic Affairs, including the Morrill Scholarship Program and the Young Scholars Program will be maintained with modified eligibility criteria going forward," Carter added. OSU's Hale Black Cultural Center, Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity and "other DEI-related units at the university are currently under the president's review," according to OSU's student newspaper, The Lantern. Carter's announcement comes after the Trump administration released a memo Feb. 14 with guidance that colleges and universities end DEI-related mandates, policies and programs. If the institutions fail to comply, they could face the loss of federal funding, per the civil rights office of the Department of Education. Trump in January signed an executive order terminating DEI "discrimination" in the federal workforce, and in federal contracting and spending. The executive order directed every department and agency to end "private sector DEI discrimination," including civil compliance investigations. In December, the University of Michigan announced it would no longer "solicit diversity statements as part of faculty hiring, promotion and tenure." Other universities that nixed DEI include Northeastern University, Missouri State University and West Virginia University. Many proponents of DEI argue that the effort corrects historical injustices and systemic inequities.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio State cuts diversity offices, programming
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio State University announced its next steps in reviewing the institution's diversity, equity and inclusion policies, which will include discontinuing the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and modifying scholarships geared toward students of diverse backgrounds. In a message to students, faculty and staff on Thursday, Ohio State President Ted Carter laid out initial steps to comply with new state and federal directives about higher education. To start, Carter said, the university is closing its Office of Diversity and Inclusion, discontinuing the programming and services under Student Life's Center for Belonging and Social Change, and renaming the Office of Institutional Equity to the Office of Civil Rights Compliance. Carter said these decisions will not affect current student scholarships or financial aid. It will modify the eligibility for scholarship programs like the Morrill Scholarship or Young Scholars Program. The Morrill Scholarship is historically awarded to students who will actively engage in diversity-based leadership, and the Young Scholars Program is geared toward first-generation, low income underrepresented students. Fort Rapids waterpark may finally be sold after legal hurdle cleared Carter also said the university will work with anyone employed under discontinued departments, student or staff, to find new university employment opportunities. He also confirmed all students would be offered alternative jobs. However, the university acknowledged these decisions will result in some position eliminations. Carter said the decision came because of federal threats to withdraw funding if DEI programs continued, including a memo from President Donald Trump's administration with a Friday deadline to eliminate diversity programs. He also said Ohio's Senate Bill 1, which would ban DEI on college campuses and passed in the Senate on Feb. 12, is making its way through the legislature. 'The Attorney General of Ohio – our statutory counsel – has advised us that his office concurs with the federal government's position regarding the use of race in educational activities,' Carter said. Senate Bill 1 has not yet passed in the House of Representatives, and teachers unions are challenging Trump's directive, alleging it violates the First and Fifth Amendments. Ohio State's Office of Diversity and Inclusion oversees the university's Black cultural center, Bell National Resource Center on the African American Male, Women's center and a variety of diverse programs geared toward uplifting minority students. It also housed the Morill and Young Scholars programs, which will be transferred to the Office of Academic Affairs. The Center for Belonging and Social Change offered workshops, grants and networking opportunities to ensure all students live and learn on a welcoming campus, according to its website. According to the website's 'About Us' page, which does not mention diversity, race or gender, the center discussed civic engagement and social change. Fort Rapids waterpark may finally be sold after legal hurdle cleared Ohio State faculty and students have spoken out against legislation like S.B. 1, telling lawmakers, Ohio State officials, and NBC4 that they felt legislation barring DEI would harm higher education. 'If S.B. 1 succeeds in Ohio, it will embolden politicians everywhere to kill higher education under the guise of 'neutrality,'' Sabrina Estevez, a second-year student at Ohio State, said. 'This is a warning: the fight for academic freedom isn't just Ohio's fight, it's America's fight.' 'These are difficult conversations, as we knew they would be. All of higher education is facing a challenging environment,' Carter said. 'Nonetheless, I continue to believe that the best course for our university is to take actions proactively so that we can manage this new landscape in ways that best uphold the values of excellence, access and opportunity that we hold dear.' The Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Center for Belonging and Social Change will both be discontinued starting Friday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
