Ohio’s Senate Bill 1, signed by Governor Mike DeWine in March, officially takes effect June 27, banning public colleges from funding DEI programs and prohibiting faculty strikes. The law also mandates post-tenure reviews and requires all undergraduates to take a civics and capitalism course by 2030.
Public universities across Ohio are rapidly implementing changes. The University of Cincinnati is closing its DEI office and repurposing identity centers. Kent State, Ohio University, and others are shutting down diversity, women’s, and LGBTQ+ centers. The University of Toledo is suspending nine undergraduate programs.
Faculty unions and civil rights advocates claim the law endangers academic freedom and could drive top talent out of state. The Ohio AAUP warns that tenure protections are being eroded and predicts a possible “brain drain” as faculty seek more welcoming environments.
State Senator Jerry Cirino, the bill’s sponsor, says SB1 promotes intellectual diversity, protects taxpayer funds, and ensures political neutrality on college campuses. Critics, however, argue it amounts to government-imposed censorship and discriminates against minority communities.
Efforts are underway to place SB1 on the November ballot through a statewide referendum. Petitioners have until June 26 to collect nearly 250,000 signatures from at least 44 counties. Until then, the law stands to reshape Ohio’s higher education system by targeting DEI infrastructure, limiting academic expression, and increasing state oversight.
