Des Moines, Iowa — A bill that’s cleared the House Education Committee would dismantle the diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Northern Iowa.
Republican Representative Taylor Collins of Mediapolis says these programs at the three state universities push a woke agenda on faculty, staff, and students.
Kyle Clare, a sophomore at the University of Iowa, says it’s time for Republicans in the legislature to take a stand.
Lauren Saxe, an Iowa State University senior who has applied to ISU’s veterinary school, says she was recently required to attend a diversity, equity, and inclusion training session.
Chris Esperson of Des Moines, who is white, told lawmakers those five hours of training weren’t wasted and may help Saxe better understand her biracial son who’s an ISU student.
Keenan Crow of One Iowa, a group that advocates for LGBTQ Iowans, says it’s outrageous to close down programs that help students gain a better understanding of one another.
Officials from the Board of Regents told lawmakers the colleges of medicine, dentistry, nursing and pharmacy could lose accreditation if the bill becomes law.
They also warned the athletic programs at Iowa, Iowa State, and UNI could be placed on the restricted status by the NCAA. That means teams could not compete in NCAA championships, like the upcoming men’s and women’s Division One basketball tournaments.
The bill is not an outright ban on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, but instead, it forbids the universities from hiring staff to run the programs.
