The Ohio House of Representatives is currently voting on whether to pass Senate Bill 1 (S.B. 1), which could greatly affect higher education throughout the state. I have spent the past few weeks looking into the possibilities of this bill and what it could mean for college campuses across Ohio. On the surface, the bill did not seem so bad; however, when reading deeper into the bill, it suggests the opposite.
One of the main aspects of this bill is to discontinue diversity, equity and inclusion programs (DEI) throughout higher education. The goal of DEI is to create more diversity in the classroom, while the equity aspect shifts classroom priorities to hopefully reach equality. Therefore, a professor should work to accommodate the students who are behind to reach equal knowledge of a topic.
The main things S.B. 1 targets include a ban on faculty strikes, neutrality on controversial topics, elimination of low-enrolled majors, increased trustee power with shorter terms, online syllabi and a civics course requirement.
The possible ban on faculty strikes would greatly affect Miami University’s current teacher’s union. The union recently reached a tentative agreement for its first contract.
The bill would also not allow universities to have public opinions on predetermined “controversial topics,” such as climate change. It is a good idea for universities to refrain from publicly demonstrating an opinion on controversial topics. However, when big companies do the same, society tends to assume the worst. Whether universities refrain from sharing their opinions or not, prospective students may subconsciously make their college decision based on these political factors.
The ban on controversial topics would also prevent professors from teaching about those subjects as fact. Students would have the ability to report professors if they felt they were addressing these topics, essentially eliminating free speech within the classroom.
Furthermore, while eliminating low-enrolled majors is understandable, Miami and other universities should try to increase enrollment before discontinuing the major. The departments can hold events to attract new students to the program.
The bill also plans to tamper with the trustee boards. The board would gain more power over university administrators. Yet, with the increased power, the terms will also be shortened. The increased power would allow for more influence over how the university conducts its affairs. Professors already have such limited resources through the university, and this would only lessen their impact.
Most professors at Miami already have their syllabi available online through Canvas; however, the bill would make this required for all. While I agree that all students in the class should have easy access to the syllabus, this seems an unnecessary added requirement for professors.
The bill would also require all students, regardless of major, to take an American Civics course. This would only add to the lengthy graduation requirements some students struggle with. While not every high school education is equal, many students already have this basic knowledge that is constantly repeated throughout high school history classes. It should be an optional course, not a requirement
Some points of this bill may be helpful to some universities. Ultimately, this bill could change how Ohio higher education is viewed throughout the country too greatly, and likely in a negative light.
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Jamie Gowans is a first-year student in the Farmer School of Business. She is a marketing major with a history minor. She is a first-year writer for The Miami Student.
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