Concerns about threats to scholarships, financial aid, campus inclusion and DEI programming are becoming more prevalent for college students. 

This follows a recent executive order given by the Trump Administration requiring colleges to dismember their DEI programs (e.x., the Office of Multicultural Affairs, Accessibility Services, etc.) within 14 days of February 14. Additionally, the pending legalization of Senate Bill 1 brings into question what changes like these could mean for the future of higher education in Ohio. 

 In the past two weeks, The Ohio State University and the University of Cincinnati have dismantled their Offices of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, whereas BGSU and other local universities’ next steps remain unclear. 

According to a statement from the university made last month, BGSU is awaiting federal laws that require them to comply with the law before dismembering any programs. 

“At this point, it is simply too early to know what changes we may need to make. What we do know is we are absolutely committed to providing learning experiences and opportunities for every one of our students,” President Rodney Rogers said.    

Despite the unknown, here – through research – is what we know about DEI initiatives and laws in Ohio, what’s happening to neighboring universities and the state of BGSU’s multidisciplinary programming.

DEI Timeline for BGSU

What happens next for BGSU, largely remains unknown.

Dr. Nicole Kalaf-Hughes, a political science professor at BGSU said that she couldn’t respond to what the university has planned for the future of DEI programming. However, she did explain that future decisions could largely be affected by whether or not S.B. 1 passes. 

The bill is currently awaiting approval in the House, and if passed, would go straight to Gov.  Mike DeWine for approval. Universities in the state would then have 90 days to comply with the law. 

It is assumed that the university may be waiting for state legislation like S.B. 1 to pass before making any decisions to cut multicultural programming. However, as a public university, BGSU is dependent on state funding. 

Anti-DEI legislation timeline

A common misconception is that anti-DEI legislation in Ohio started after the Trump administration, however, some legislation can be tracked to as early as 2023. 

In March 2023, Republican State Sen. Jerry C. Cirino introduced S.B. 83 to the Ohio Senate, a bill that created mandatory diversity training, barred diversity statements and its use in hiring and admissions and prevented institutions from accepting donations that were based in China. 

S.B. 83 was passed by the Senate in 2023 but was never brought to the floor for a vote in the House. 

The introduction of Senate Bill 1 in January 2025 was brought by Cirino. According to a statement released by him, the bill includes the same content as his previous bill.

 “No student should ever be ostracized, canceled, or have to worry about a failing grade for merely daring to have a difference of opinion with classmates or a professor,” said Cirino. “It is essential for students to learn how to think rather than what to think, and how to listen to opposing views with a respectful but critical ear.” 

Universities currently under fire for DEI

According to the US Department of Education, there are currently 45 universities under investigation for allegedly engaging in race-exclusionary practices in their graduate programs and one in Ohio. 

The universities are as follows:                

• Arizona State University-Main Campus  
• Boise State University  
• Cal Poly Humboldt  
• California State University – San Bernadino  
• Carnegie Mellon University  
• Clemson University  
• Cornell University  
• Duke University  
• Emory University  
• George Mason University  
• Georgetown University  
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)  
• Montana State University-Bozeman   
• New York University (NYU)  
• Rice University  
• Rutgers University  
• The Ohio State University-Main Campus  
• Towson University  
• Tulane University  
• University of Arkansas – Fayetteville   
• University of California-Berkeley  
• University of Chicago  
• University of Cincinnati – Main Campus  
• University of Colorado – Colorado Springs
• University of Delaware  
• University of Kansas  
• University of Kentucky  
• University of Michigan-Ann Arbor 
• University of Minnesota-Twin Cities  
• University of Nebraska at Omaha  
• University of New Mexico – Main Campus  
• University of North Dakota – Main Campus  
• University of North Texas – Denton   
• University of Notre Dame  
• University of NV – Las Vegas  
• University of Oregon  
• University of Rhode Island  
• University of Utah  
• University of Washington-Seattle  
• University of Wisconsin-Madison  
• University of Wyoming  
• Vanderbilt University  
• Washington State University 
• Washington University in St. Louis  
• Yale University 

In addition to the schools above, other colleges are currently under investigation for “alleged impermissible race-based scholarships and race-based segregation”.

Those universities are as follows:             

• Grand Valley State University   
• Ithaca College  
• New England College of Optometry   
• University of Alabama at Birmingham
• University of Minnesota, Twin Cities 
• University of South Florida  
• University of Oklahoma, Tulsa School of Community Medicine 

What should students do?

If SB1 was passed by the House and signed into law, Ohio universities and colleges would have 90 days before the law went into effect.

A university professor in BGSU’s Ethnic Studies Department urged students who were upset or wanted a say in a bill to reach out to state representatives, and to constantly work on ensuring their voice is heard by the university.

For active updates on the bill, you can check out the Ohio Legislature’s SB 1 summary.