Senate Bill 1 would ban diversity and inclusion efforts, prevent faculty from striking, set rules around classroom discussion, put diversity scholarships at risk, shorten university board of trustees terms from nine years down to six years, and require students take an American history course, among other things.
Regarding classroom discussion, it would set rules around topics involving controversial beliefs such as climate policies, electoral politics, foreign policy, diversity and inclusion programs, immigration policy, marriage, or abortion.
Bobby McAlpine, Ohio States undergraduate student body president, discussed the results of a campus survey where more than 80% of the 1,574 student respondents said Ohio States diversity and inclusion initiatives were meaningful in some way.
A resounding 96% of respondents said that DEI at Ohio State was extremely meaningful to their college experience, McAlpine said.
S.B. 1 does not contain a definition of DEI, noted Gary Daniels, an ACLU of Ohio lobbyist.
Whether by design or oversight, the end result is the same that is with almost nothing to limit anyone or everyones interpretation of DEI it means everything is on the table for banishment, Daniels said.
As an Ohioan I'm not surprisedThis. I've grown sadly accustomed to my state being pure garbage.