Ohio University President Lori Stewart Gonzalez sent a campus-wide email Monday addressing student concerns regarding potential federal and state legislative changes aimed at eliminating approaches to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
Student concerns have heightened following actions by both the Trump administration and the Ohio State Legislature to roll back DEI initiatives. The Trump administration set a Feb. 28 deadline for universities to eliminate race-based programs or risk losing federal funding.
Meanwhile, Ohio Senate Bill 1, which would eliminate DEI-focused programs and offices or risk losing their stake in the state's $2 billion for higher education, has passed the Senate and is currently being reviewed by the House.
These concerns were demonstrated during a protest outside Cutler Hall Thursday, where hundreds of students, faculty and staff gathered to voice their opposition to SB1 and other university DEI efforts.
Senate Bill 1, if passed, would ban DEI programs and offices at state-funded universities, including Ohio University. The bill would also prohibit training or orientation on DEI and remove DEI-related language from job descriptions.
Although the university is monitoring the bill closely, no actions can be taken until the legislative process is complete, reassuring OU remains committed to its core values of inclusivity and accessibility, Gonzalez said in the email.
“Without question, should this bill pass the House in its current form and be signed into law by the Governor, it will bring changes for all of us,” Gonzalez wrote in the email. “However, to define today the specific changes we might make would preempt the legislative process on a bill that is not finalized.”
Gonzalez also addressed recent federal changes, including the Department of Education’s Feb.14 "Dear Colleague" letter, which questioned the legality of DEI initiatives that might favor specific racial groups.
She assured students the university is “reviewing select University policies and published language around awards and services and will continue to make adjustments as needed.”
In her email, President Gonzalez also commended the students for organizing a peaceful and well-executed demonstration. She acknowledged the concerns surrounding the transparency of the bill's potential impact on the university and said she was proud of the student leaders who participated.
“Hopefully, you all remember my advice at freshman convocation included a charge to always attend class, and I know a few of you set that advice aside on Thursday,” Gonzalez wrote. “Ohio University has always valued and supported freedom of expression and encouraged our students to speak up and speak out.”
