With Senate Bill 1, a bill which includes a ban for diversity, equity and inclusion in recruitment, training and scholarships, and the Trump administration's two-week notice to remove DEI programs, college students around the state are feeling the impact of the removal of some of their most devoted and supportive programs.
Notable colleges in Ohio have already started removing programs and firing staff of DEI programs. Ohio State University is the most notable having eliminated 16 staff positions, giving its Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and its Center for Belonging and Social Change 60 days to “sunset its programs and services,” which began on Feb. 28. In addition, the university renamed it’s Office of Institutional Equity to the Office of Civil Rights Compliance.
The University of Cincinnati has seen a string of protests since it announced its ending of its DEI programs.
Here at OU, we’ve seen students protest including a student walkout, the E.W. Scripps's School of Journalism’s response to the White House’s ban on The Associated Press, OU President Lori Gonzalez’s email to try to ease student tension and inform faculty about the next steps if SB 1 passes.
Despite all of this, we are still as clueless as we were when the legislation first made it to our door – with countless neighboring schools already seeing the negative effects of the unpassed legislation, it seems like the inevitable is coming closer.
President Gonzalez wants to hold out until the legislation is officially passed, but it means nothing if it is already being soft-launched. This week, the Black Alumni Reunion hosted by the Alumni Association was put on hold due to the possible DEI ban. The affected departments are pulling out of usually partnered events and pausing on promoting some of their annual programs. So what does holding out mean, if it is already being implemented?
President Gonzalez’s attempt to delay what will be a complete overhaul of our student experience while being in a difficult position, as our school needs federal funding, is not taken for granted — the need to start planning and implementing counter initiatives is already here.
Waiting for the bill to be passed, and hoping for no emergency clause to be added so we have an unguaranteed 90-day grace period is naive.
We need a plan. SB 1 will affect scholarship programs, majors, university-offered resources and events. This will erase resources. However, this will also create opportunities for students to take the reign on their student experience.
Student organizations such as the Black student union, ADJEI dance team, the Asian American/ Pacific Islander Union and many more identity-inclusive groups will be forced to run without backing from the university. This means we, the student body, have to support each other and our peers' endeavors.
Fundraising and collaboration, which have been foundations for many groups already, are now going to be even more important — so start having conversations with your friends and peers now. Start making a plan for how your organization, if affected, and other organizations whose events you frequent can flourish under the support of their community.
Although this is a scenario that many never thought would happen, we will not and can not depend on our university administration to pivot with us. The line in the sand for diverse identities has started to be drawn in the sand, and it is up to us to find a way to get past it.
We have to call our state legislators. We have to support each other. We have to make our student experience because we are our student experience.
Delayed planning is wasted time when we can have community-led solutions already being implemented. We are head first in an era where our autonomy in our higher education is being challenged. There is no option to fold under the pressure. It is up to us to love our fellow bobcats and create a new but rewarding diverse student experience.
Nyla Gilbert is a sophomore studying Journalism: Strategic Communication at Ohio University Please note the opinions expressed in this letter do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Nyla Gilbert about their letter? Email them at ng972522@ohio.edu.
