Regents promise university compliance with new DEI law by year’s end

AMES — Just under a year from the July 1, 2025, deadline for Iowa’s public universities to comply with a new state law restricting their diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts and staffing, Board of Regents President Sherry Bates on Thursday promised the campuses will be fully compliant six months early — by Dec. 31.

“We are aware there have been instances, events or programs that can be perceived as going too far,” Bates said. “As we learn of them, we review them in light of the law and address them appropriately.”

The board — in collaboration with each of its university presidents — over the summer started working on compliance with both regent directives handed down last November and the new law, Senate File 2435, that lawmakers passed in the subsequent legislative session.

Bates said she and regents Greta Rouse, David Barker and JC Risewick have been leading the board’s work with the campuses.

“As I mentioned, these requirements do not take effect until July 1, 2025. However, we have set a deadline of Dec. 31 to complete our work,” Bates said. “And I want to reiterate, we will complete our work by Dec. 31.”

Directives

The Board of Regents DEI directives, which followed strident criticism from Republican lawmakers, require the universities to restructure DEI offices to eliminate functions not necessary for compliance; review DEI positions and cut the ones they don’t deem necessary; and evaluate DEI services to make sure they’re available to all students.

The state law goes further, barring DEI offices and efforts to develop, implement, organize, plan or promote policies, programming, training, practices, activities or procedures related to diversity, equity and inclusion.

It restricts the public universities from spending any money — not just state appropriations but any income, including from tuition, fee, and donations — on a DEI-related office or effort. It requires they submit annual reports on compliance and sets up an enforcement mechanism.

“Any person may notify the attorney general of a public institution of higher education's potential violation,” according to the law, adding, “The attorney general may bring an action against a public institution.”

November update

In providing an update on DEI-related efforts Thursday morning during the board meeting in Ames, Bates said her team first gained a comprehensive understanding of the requirements before taking a “systematic approach of reviewing all state and federal laws and accreditation standards.”

“The board office staff and universities, under direction of the regents I mentioned before, are conducting a unit-by-unit analysis, identifying those DEI units, programs and positions that are provided for by law or accreditation and those that require additional review and potential action,” she said.

Bates said the board expects during its next meeting in November to receive comprehensive reports on the universities’ progress toward meeting the board-imposed deadline of Dec. 31 “for full compliance.”

The last time the board received a report on the campus’ DEI efforts was in April, when both Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa said they’d be closing their DEI offices and the University of Iowa said it would rename its office the “Division of Access, Opportunity and Diversity” to better represent its broader framework.

All three campuses followed up on those commitments — although questions have emerged this fall, with students back in session, about some training and programming being offered.

‘Identity wheel’

Among UI orientation materials provided to incoming students this fall were two DEI-related training videos, including one titled, “Grounding Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.”

“Iowa values the robust exchange of ideas in an inclusive environment in which everyone has the ability to be successful,” according to the video. “Some of you may think that these are words universities use to make them look appealing. But we hope that throughout your time at Iowa, you will experience how our community values diversity, equity and inclusion and just how committed we are to your overall success.”

In the video, a trainer urges students to consider their own identity in understanding others by filling out an “identity wheel” that includes nine group bubbles like “race,” “gender,” “sex,” “sexual orientation,” “religion,” “immigration status” and “age.”

Once students fill out the wheel, they’re advised to consider advantages and disadvantages that come with certain identities.

“Identities that have systematically advantaged us are called privileged identities,” the trainer said. “Everyone has privileged identities of some kind. Having privilege doesn’t mean that your life is easier. But it does mean that there are less systemic obstacles related to the identity for you to overcome.”

Recognizing identities can help students actively work toward a more inclusive community, according to the training.

In addition to the UI new-student training, On Iowa — the university’s orientation program — before classes started in August joined a Hawkeye Pride Alumni Network and local LGBTQIA+ nightclub in presenting a drag show on campus, something lawmakers raised concerns about.

Although Bates on Thursday didn’t elaborate on the “instances, events or programs that can be perceived as going too far,” she said the board will review and “address them appropriately.”

“That has been our practice in the past and will continue to be our practice in the future,” she said. “This will not be a static effort. We will continue to ensure we are following the law.”

Vanessa Miller covers higher education for The Gazette.

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