Ohio State restricts land acknowledgment statements under new anti-DEI policy
Ohio State University has barred most uses of land acknowledgments, citing compliance with a new state law restricting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts.
The move makes Ohio State the only public university in the state to impose such a ban, according to Inside Higher Ed.
Ohio State University has barred most uses of land acknowledgments, citing compliance with a new state law restricting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts.
The move makes Ohio State the only public university in the state to impose such a ban, according to Inside Higher Ed.
The policy prohibits faculty from issuing verbal or written land acknowledgments unless they are directly tied to course subject matter. Statements cannot appear on syllabi, websites, social media, event programs, or be spoken at university-sponsored events.
“Land acknowledgements are considered statements on behalf of an issue or cause and cannot be issued on behalf of a unit, college, department, etc., used at university-sponsored events (virtual or in person) or placed on any university channel or resource such as websites, social media, signage, meeting or event agendas, event programs, etc.,” the university’s compliance office website states.
However, spokesperson Ben Johnson told Inside Higher Ed, “Faculty retain their academic freedom and may address acknowledgements where relevant to the subject matter of the class.”
The move marks the latest step in Ohio State’s journey away from a DEI bureaucracy.
Last year, Campus Reform reported that Ohio State employed 200 DEI staff—more than any other major public university—at a cost of $13 million, with some salaries approaching $300,000, according to Open the Books.
This year, Ohio passed Senate Bill 1, which seeks to eliminate DEI programs, ban related offices and training, restrict job descriptions using DEI language, and impose additional reforms such as limiting faculty strikes and requiring public syllabi.
Following the bill’s passage, Ohio State removed its LGBT resource page as part of compliance efforts. The university administration said programs primarily benefiting specific groups may not be permitted, while other Ohio universities also shut down LGBT-based programming.
In addition, Ohio State lost over $29 million in federal grants after agencies cut DEI-related funding. The cancellations, from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, included projects on LGBT health, minority STEM participation, and Indigenous community development.
“[W]e are closely monitoring and managing federal notifications that have impacted a number of our faculty and laboratories,” said university spokesperson Ben Jonson about the cuts in June.
Campus Reform has contacted Ohio State University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
