OPINION: Ohio public universities under attack by Ohio Senate GOP

Julianna Rittenberg is a sophomore studying political science and an opinion writer for The New Political.

Please note that these views and opinions do not reflect those of The New Political.

On March 14, Ohio Senate Bill 83 was introduced by Republican Senator Jerry Cirino. The bill is titled the “Enact Ohio Higher Education Enhancement Act,” and is currently in the Workforce and Higher Education committee, where it has had two hearings. 

The bill makes it illegal to mandate DEI training, establishes “intellectual diversity” rubrics for courses, includes diversity statements and commitments in the definition of ideology, prohibits employees from striking, requires professors syllabi to be available for the public, requires every student to take an American history and government course in their undergrad with listed required readings and limits what interactions universities can have with China. All of these only affect public universities, as the state cannot mandate what private universities. This is just a brief overview of the bill, more can be read in its analysis online. 

According to the financial report, the bill will increase the cost of running public universities. Will this mean tuition increases at schools that are already expensive? 

Cirino said that his bill will ensure free speech on campus. Yet, it seems to me that it limits professors’ freedom to teach their classes the way they wish to. But the concern doesn’t end here. 

Let’s start with prohibiting striking. Wright State University’s Faculty Union President Robert Rubin was asked about this section of the bill. He was said “without that ability to strike the balance of power radically shifts from being equal and balanced and shifts radically to the employer. It's a last resort, but it is also unfortunately sometimes necessary if workers are put in a no-win position.” 

The right to strike and fight for better treatment is essential to the rights of an American worker. Faculty at Ohio’s universities deserve to have this right. 

And when it comes to the restrictions on relationships with China, it stems from hateful rhetoric. The bill could stop exchange programs with Chinese universities and ban Chinese international students from Ohio universities and colleges. This builds on what has become a bipartisan talking point: being anti-China. Hate crimes against Asain-Americans are at an all-time high. We have to start fighting back against this rhetoric.

The bill includes many ways to survey professors at public universities: tenure evaluations based on arbitrary standards of “intellectual diversity,” requiring all syllabi to be public online and requiring student evaluations of professors’ bias.

Many of these standards are not defined in the law. What constitutes bias and who decides that? Who decides if a professor is properly introducing students to intellectual diversity? 

Students deserve more credit than this bill gives them. College is about taking control of your education. Students are typically adults and fully capable of making their own decisions. If something a professor says to you seems off, think about it critically. Learn about your own biases, think about theirs. Make your own decisions, form your own opinions and beliefs. 

Professors also deserve way more credit. I am a political science major and discussion about beliefs, values, opinions and politics are part of pretty much every class I take. For the most part, professors stay in the background and moderate discussion, but give us room to lead the conversation. 

This is important for students to be exposed to - these conversations happen in real life, especially in the jobs that many social sciences students will be taking. We have to know how to think through our beliefs, no matter what those beliefs are.

This bill says it wants to facilitate discussion, but it will do the opposite. If the government is tracking class syllabi, regulating what can be discussed in the name of intellectual diversity and regulating bias, my classes will lose so much of their value.

The people pushing this bill have not been in a classroom for a long time. They do not know how it works. They have no interest in knowing what the classroom is actually like. They just want control and political power. We cannot give in.

Call your state senator and ask them to vote no on this bill. Explain that you are a university student. Write emails. Write letters. Exercise your political power. Do not let your education be diminished because they are scared.