By Linda Marie Rouillard
Well, it’s Groundhog Day here in Ohio with SB 83, a proposal brought to the floor of the Ohio Senate last week.
Remember SB 5 from 2011 when President Jacobs testified in favor of eliminating collective bargaining rights from Ohio institutions of higher education? Jacobs “estimated” he could save $10 million if he didn’t have to deal with the UT-AAUP. Ohio voters rejected this in an Oct. 2011 referendum.
Below are SB 83 highlights, but the devil is in the details.
- In its current form, SB 83 would outlaw strikes by unions in higher ed. It would also end Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives, and forbid collaborations with institutions in China
- SB 83 would insist that institutional mission statements contain no reference to controversial beliefs defined as: “any belief or policy that is the subject of political controversy, including issues such as climate change, electoral politics, foreign policy, diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, immigration policy, marriage, or abortion.”
- SB 83 would require the development of “intellectual diversity” rubrics (aka “difference of opinion”) for approval of curriculum.
- Under SB 83, students would be required to take a 3-credit hour course in U.S. history or government with a required cumulative final exam for graduation.
- Faculty would be obliged to post class syllabi to a public website one week before the start of classes.
The first hearing on SB 83 is scheduled for Wednesday, March 22 at 11am in the North Hearing Room (2nd Floor), Ohio Statehouse in Columbus.
For more information, see the attached bill, and consult the following links:
https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2023/03/20/ohio-campus-culture-war-sb83
UT-AAUP Executive Board