Alexa Schwerha on March 15, 2023
An Ohio state lawmaker introduced a bill to reform higher education by increasing course transparency, ending diversity mandates and cutting ties with Chinese institutions, according to its text.
Republican Ohio state Sen. Jerry Cirino introduced the Higher Education Enhancement Act on Wednesday. The billincludes a slew of systemic reforms on campus to bolster free speech protections, end mandatory Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) trainings and statements, publicize course syllabi and sever academic and financial ties to China.
“This bill will move us toward true academic freedom,” Cirino said in the press release. “We need students to be taught how to think not what to think. Now, more than ever, it is vital to preserve the credibility and confidence in our state universities, four-year colleges, and community colleges, by making sure they are not straying from their core mission of education.”
The bill orders the Chancellor of Higher Education to withhold state funding from universities that do not promise not to mandate DEI training for faculty and students or utilize a “political and ideological litmus test” in admissions or hiring. It also requires universities to commit to protecting freedom of speech and intellectual diversity.
Additionally, universities would not be permitted to have a financial or academic partnership with any Chinese-based institution, according to the bill. This would include ending any agreement with Chinese-influenced institutions, including Confucius Institutes, after agreements expire, and refraining from accepting any “gifts, donations, or contributions” from a Chinese-affiliated “organization or individual who may be acting on behalf of the People’s Republic of China.”
The bill requires universities make every undergraduate course syllabus publicly available on its website and would establish post-tenure review, according to its text. It also prohibits college and university employees from striking.
“I consulted with leadership at many of these institutions, and a variety of other experts, to make sure we have a plan that is both practical and ambitious, with the best interests of students as our top concern,” Cirino said. “This sweeping and exhaustively detailed legislation is meant to ensure students get what they pay for – a world-class education that will give them top value in the workforce and the tools needed to help them succeed in life.”
The Higher Education Enhancement Act builds on top of Senate Bill 135, which was introduced by Cirino and signed into law by Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine in July 2022.
Cirino did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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