Students and faculty at the University of Cincinnati held a rally on campus Monday against the school's decision to roll back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in response to mandates from state and federal governments.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Education issued a directive demanding that K-12 schools and universities that receive federal funding remove all DEI programs and policies before the end of February or risk losing funding.
Ohio's Senate Bill 104, championed by Ohio Republicans, also takes effect this week. The education bill requires transgender students to use bathrooms that match the gender on their birth certificates. Critics of the bill say it's designed to harass and bully the trans community.
The University of Cincinnati says it's complying with these government mandates and anticipating further reinforcement of these rules under Senate Bill 1, a bill currently being pushed through the Ohio legislature. Republicans say it will stop liberal "indoctrination" in universities by banning DEI, faculty strikes, and requiring schools to have courses focused on American history and capitalism.
Student reaction
Students from several UC campus organizations spoke out against the university's response to political pressure and mandates.
Christian Caffey, a third-year student involved with the African American Cultural & Resource Center and the LGBTQ Center on campus says the government mandates go against what most students want and instead seek to attack the university from afar to suppress student and faculty voices.
"Nobody that's stepped foot on this [campus] has asked for any of this harassment to happen," Caffey told WVXU. "It's coming from outside forces that we don't want. The people that want this aren't paying the tuition that we're paying, they aren't living in the buildings that we're living in — hell, they won't even step foot in Clifton. So, why should we have to listen to it?"
UC President Neville Pinto released a statement Friday stating that the university has started removing references to DEI principles from its websites, social media, and other materials. Pinto also said university leaders have begun evaluating DEI-related jobs and programs to ensure compliance with the new mandates.
"I recognize that these decisions are weighty, and these actions are a departure from decades of established practice within academic communities," Pinto's statement read. "I also continue to ask for your patience and understanding as we do the hard work that will be required to unwind many years of DEI efforts under an extremely compressed timeline."
Several speakers at the rally criticized Pinto and UC's administration for quickly abandoning their long-held stance on DEI. A student who goes by the name Genesis A. said Cincinnati's heavy promotion of diversity was part of the reason why he decided to attend UC. He says now, the university's leadership is showing its true colors.
"These universities are following trends rather than morals, and because of that, we are seeing that the university didn't really care. If President Pinto really cared, if the Board of Trustees really cared, then I feel like we would see a little bit more communication," he said.
The effects of the mandates are already being felt on campus. Students say the university has put up new signs in front of some on-campus bathrooms that read, "biological men."
A spokesperson for UC told WVXU's news partner WCPO, "The legislation specifics the requirements for updated signage."
Another student, Ruby Kirmer, says these steps that UC has already taken go beyond just complying with state laws and Trump administration orders.
"It's leading into actual enforcement of these policies, and without all of these diverse identities the university doesn't have a student body," Kirmer said.
Students and faculty plan to hold another on-campus demonstration Tuesday morning during UC's Board of Trustees meeting over what they call "government efforts to destroy higher education."
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