Iowa Regents delay vote again on limiting DEI as professors defend controversial policy
The Iowa Board of Regents has delayed for a second time a vote on a proposal that would prohibit colleges from requiring courses with significant DEI or critical race theory content.
Some professors have criticized the proposal as unconstitutional 'viewpoint discrimination,' while others have continued to defend DEI as essential.
The Iowa Board of Regents has again delayed a vote on its proposed policy change to restrict classes related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).
The president of the Board, Sherry Bates, recently explained that the group will not take up DEI during its July 30 meeting, according to The Iowa Capital Dispatch.
“After numerous thoughtful discussions, we have determined we will not consider the proposed policy at the July meeting,” Bates said. “We will continue reviewing the feedback, and the Board will identify a future meeting to consider this issue.”
The proposal would ensure no students are forced to take classes with a substantial DEI or critical race theory component. “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,” the proposal states.
This is the second time the Iowa Board of Regents has delayed a vote on the proposal, according to The Ames Tribune. Initially, it planned to vote on the proposal on June 12, but then tabled the proposal until the July 30 meeting.
Some faculty at schools in Iowa have criticized the policy and defended DEI. Christopher R. Martin, a professor of communication and media at the University of Northern Iowa, asserted that banning DEI imposes “viewpoint discrimination.”
“The proposed DEI and CRT requirement explicitly violates the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, as it endorses viewpoint discrimination and makes a governmental body — the Iowa Board of Regents — the authority on deciding what kinds of speech topics are appropriate for the classroom,” Martin argued.
Campus Reform has reported about other professors who have expressed support for DEI, despite the nationwide scale-back of the controversial policy. In early March, for instance, a group of law school professors wrote a memorandum that defended DEI.
“DEI initiatives that do not employ racial classifications or otherwise limit opportunity to individuals from certain racial groups remain legally secure,” the memo states.
The memorandum also describes some DEI initiatives as “essential.” One of the letter’s signatories has described the controversial policy as “mission-critical.”
Across the nation, the elimination of DEI policies has continued to ramp up, with schools such as Washington University in St. Louis, Oregon State University, and the University of Wyoming recently cutting back their DEI programs and initiatives.
Campus Reform has contacted the University of Iowa and Iowa State University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
