DES MOINES – The Iowa Board of Regents today approved recommendations from its three-member Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Study Group on handling handling diversity, equity and inclusion on campuses.
The DEI Study Group, which includes Regents David Barker, Jim Lindenmayer and Greta Rouse, presented its report to the full Board on November 16 on Cedar Falls, Iowa for discussion and consideration. Ten of the DEI Study Group’s recommendations were approved. The study group was formed last March to study DEI programs and efforts at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa. They gathered information from a variety of campus leaders and solicited public input online to form its report.
The report identifies 10 recommendations divided into four broad categories: current structure of DEI and compliance functions, human resources, academic and curricular matters, and free speech and related matters.
In June, Governor Reynolds signed into law Senate File 560. Division V of SF 560 directs the Board of Regents to conduct a comprehensive DEI study and review of Iowa’s public universities. Included in the report are assessments of the following elements from each university:
- Current diversity, equity and inclusion programming, curricula, training and related activities.
- The salary, benefits and any other compensation paid to employees or individuals tasked with furthering an institution of higher learning’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
- Compliance with required applicable federal and state laws, rules, regulations, court orders, settlement agreements, or executive orders related to diversity, equity and inclusion.
- Contracts or grants requiring diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, and the requirements of third-party accreditors or similar entities to assess whether and to what extent these efforts are aligned with the overall mission and purpose of the institution.
One Iowa Action Executive Director, Courtney Reyes, condemned the vote in a statement:
“The Regents chose to align with an extremist group of House Republicans, showing blatant disregard for the compelling evidence from data, research, and the desires of the campus community.
“Eliminating these crucial diversity, equity, and inclusion programs will devastate our universities’ capacity to attract, retain, and prepare students for their future careers.
“In the report, students, faculty, and staff all overwhelmingly support these initiatives and consider DEI training ‘critically important.’
“We wish the Regents would’ve listened to the experts rather than politicians. Instead, they bowed to the pressure of those in power rather than supporting their students with the greatest need. We call on our fellow Iowans to stand with these students and go above and beyond the bare minimum. These students are the future of our state. We should treat them with the respect they deserve.”