Regents consider new policy barring DEI, CRT course requirements at universities

IOWA CITY — On the heels of a Legislative session replete with proposals to direct what can and cannot be taught across Iowa’s public universities — specifically related to diversity topics and civics education — the Board of Regents next week will consider a new policy barring “diversity, equity, and inclusion” and “critical race theory” requirements for majors, minors, or certificates.

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Per the proposed policy, “A student shall not be required to take a course that has substantial content that conveys DEI or CRT to satisfy the requirements of a major, minor or certificate unless the board has approved it as an exception.”

All three of Iowa’s public universities in the past have had diversity-related general education core areas and requirements for bachelor degrees — although they’ve renamed and reframed those with the recent DEI crackdown from Republican lawmakers and the Board of Regents.

“During the fall 2024 semester, two general education requirement areas will be renamed,” the University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences reported last year. “‘Diversity and Inclusion’ is being renamed ‘Understanding Cultural Perspectives’ and ‘Values and Culture’ is being renamed ‘Values and Society’.”

Iowa State University also last year renamed its U.S. Diversity course requirement to U.S. Cultures and Communities. And the University of Northern Iowa still lists “diversity & commonality” among the learning objectives of its gen ed requirements.

The campus changes appeared related to one proposed bill in the last session that would have ensured the universities’ general education courses “do not distort significant historical events or include any curriculum or other material that teaches identity politics or is based on theories that systemic racism, sexism, oppression, or privilege are inherent in the institutions of the United States of America or the State of Iowa.”

Gov. Kim Reynolds in January also weighed in on the campus-DEI issue in a letter to the universities noting that while a DEI-prohibition law passed last year carved out exceptions for accreditation requirements, President Donald Trump’s “illegal discrimination” executive order removed “any justification for retaining illegal DEI offices, policies, or staff within your universities.”

The new board policy to be considered next week defines DEI and CRT as:

Some UI faculty have expressed concern about the proposed policy, asking administrators whether any faculty were involved in developing the proposal, what courses will be affected, and how the policy change will be communicated — among other things.

Per the new policy, the universities every other year can submit requests to the board for “majors, minors or certificates that require an exception for courses that have substantial DEI or CRT content.”

A “gender, women’s, and sexuality studies” major at the University of Iowa, for example, requires courses like, “Introduction to Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies” and “Diversity and Power in the U.S.”

Other courses meeting that major’s requirements include, “LGBTQ/Queer Studies,” “Transnational Feminism,” and “Introduction to Social Justice.”

Core requirements for UI African American Studies majors include courses like “Black Culture and Experience: Contemporary Issues,” and “History of Slavery in North America.”

Courses that meet the renamed “understanding cultural perspectives” requirement for UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences students include, “Diversity in American Culture,” “Introduction to the Politics of Race,” and “Race and Ethnicity.”

And courses that meet Iowa State’s renamed “U.S. Cultures & Communities” requirement include “Ethnic and Race Relations,” “Identity, Diversity and the Media,” and “Women, Gender, and Leadership.”

Vanessa Miller covers higher education for The Gazette.

Comments: (319) 339-3158; vanessa.miller@thegazette.com