COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — The bill that seeks to address what conservatives see as “cancel culture” and indoctrination at Ohio’s higher ed institutions is getting another makeover.
For instance, Kilpatrick said the bill still bans certain things that faculty can bargain over.
“And those subjects are fundamental to the terms and conditions of faculty employment, if this bill were to pass. Faculty will leave Ohio. Faculty will be hard pressed to come to Ohio because it essentially would remove any sense of job security for these faculty positions.”
Most student groups at public universities are standing behind the faculty.
“My experience as a student here is that all professors, by and large, are here to facilitate conversation among students, and have students bring their whole selves into the classroom and bring their experiences to connecting that course material and to have fruitful, productive discussion,” said Clovis Westlund, an Ohio State University student and organizer with Honesty In Education, which strongly opposes SB 83. “I feel that kind of perspective of universities being kind of this place of indoctrination couldn’t be farther from the reality of college campuses nowadays.
SB 83 still bans most mandatory DEI training and requires what’s called “intellectual diversity” on topics spelled out in the legislation: “climate policies; electoral politics; foreign policy; diversity, equity, and inclusion programs; immigration policy; marriage; or abortion.”
The bill also prohibits universities from taking public positions on controversial topics, though they can lobby lawmakers on issues. And it includes a ban on financial partnerships with China, but that doesn’t include tuition from Chinese students.
SB 83 passed the Senate mostly along party lines in May, with Sens. Lou Blessing (R-Colerain Township), Nathan Manning (R-North Ridgeville) and Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester) joining all Democrats in voting against it. Republicans added it to the Senate’s version of the two-year state budget, but it was removed in conference committee.