Rule 3341-1-14 | Avdancing Ohio Higher Education - Institutional Prohibitions and Affirmations.
(A) Policy statement and purpose
Pursuant to Ohio law, the board of trustees is required to adopt a policy incorporating the following prohibitions and affirmations to prevent unlawful discrimination, reaffirm constitutionally afforded rights of free expression, and ensure academic freedom and intellectual diversity at Bowling Green state university.
(B) Definitions
(1) The term "intellectual diversity" means multiple, divergent, and varied perspectives on an extensive range of public policy issues.
(2) The term "controversial belief or policy" means any belief or policy that is the subject of political controversy, including issues such as climate policies, electoral politics, foreign policy, diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, immigration policy, marriage, or abortion.
(C) Policy
(1) Prohibitions
(a) The university will not conduct any orientation or training course regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion, unless approved for an exemption by chancellor of higher education because all aspects of the orientation or course are required to do any of the following:
(i) Comply with state and federal laws or regulations;
(ii) Comply with state or federal professional licensure requirements;
(iii) Obtain or retain accreditation.
(b) The university will not maintain or create a diversity, equity, and inclusion office or department.
(c) The university will not use diversity, equity, and inclusion in job descriptions.
(d) The university will not contract with consultants or third-parties whose role is or would be to promote admissions, hiring, or promotion on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.
(e) The university will not establish any new institutional scholarships that use diversity, equity, and inclusion in any manner. For any institutional scholarships existing prior to June 26, 2025, the university, to the extent possible, will eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion requirements. If the university is unable to do so because of donor requirements, the university may continue to offer those institutional scholarships. However, the university shall not accept any additional funds for the operation of institutional scholarships that have diversity, equity, and inclusion requirements.
(f) The prohibitions of this paragraph do not apply to agreements or contracts regarding any research grants entered into prior to June 26, 2025. In the event that the requirements to obtain a research grant conflict with the prohibitions, BGSU will take steps to comply, to the extent possible, while retaining eligibility for the research grant.
(2) Affirmations
(a) BGSU's primary function is to practice, or support the practice, discovery, improvement, transmission, and dissemination of knowledge and citizenship education by means of research, teaching, discussion, and debate.
(b) BGSU shall ensure the fullest degree of intellectual diversity.
(c) Faculty and staff of BGSU shall allow and encourage students to reach their own conclusions about all controversial beliefs or policies and shall not seek to indoctrinate any social, political, or religious point of view.
(d) BGSU will demonstrate intellectual diversity for course approval, approval of courses to satisfy general education requirements, student course evaluations, common reading programs, annual reviews, strategic goals for each department, and student learning outcomes.
(e) BGSU will not endorse or oppose, as an institution, any controversial belief or policy, except on matters that directly impact the institution's funding or mission of discovery, improvement, and dissemination of knowledge.
(f) BGSU will not encourage, discourage, require, or forbid students, faculty, or administrators to endorse, assent to, or publicly express a given ideology, political stance, or view of a social policy, nor will the institution require students to do any of those things to obtain an undergraduate or post-graduate degree.
(g) BGSU will not require political and ideological litmus tests in any hiring, promotion, and admissions decisions, including diversity statements and any other requirement that applicants describe their commitment to any ideology, principle, concept, or formulation that requires commitment to any controversial belief or policy.
(h) BGSU will not encourage, discourage, require, or forbid students, faculty, or administrators to endorse, assent to, or publicly express a given ideology or political stance in any hiring, promotion, or admissions process or decision.
(i) BGSU will not use a diversity statement or any other assessment of an applicant's political or ideological views in any hiring, promotions, or admissions process or decision.
(j) BGSU will not encourage, discourage, require, or forbid students, faculty, or administrators to endorse, assent to, or publicly express a given ideology or political stance in any process or decision regulating conditions of work or study, such as committee assignments, course scheduling, or workload adjustment policies.
(k) BGSU will seek out invited speakers who have diverse ideological or political views.
(l) BGSU will post prominently on its web site a complete list of all speaker fees, honoraria, and other emoluments in excess of five hundred dollars for events that are sponsored by the university.
(3) Commitment to academic freedom
Essential to the atmosphere of a university is academic freedom, the freedom of speech, freedom to teach, to learn, and to conduct inquiry in a spirit of openness necessary to the acceptance of criticism, the expression of differing opinions, and the pursuit of truth. The exercise of academic freedom by faculty and students carries with it responsibilities for the good of the academic community and society.
(a) Nothing in this policy prohibits faculty or students from classroom instruction, discussion, or debate, so long as faculty members allow students to express intellectual diversity.
(b) Nothing in paragraphs (C)(2)(a) to (C)(2)(d) of this policy applies to the exercise of professional judgment about how to accomplish intellectual diversity within an academic discipline, unless that exercise is misused to constrict intellectual diversity.
(c) Nothing in paragraph (C)(2)(e) or (C)(2)(f) of this policy applies to the exercise of professional judgment about whether to endorse the consensus or foundational beliefs of an academic discipline, unless that exercise is misused to take an action prohibited in paragraph (C)(2)(e) of this policy.
(4) Accessibility services and student organizations
Nothing in this policy prohibits BGSU from complying with any state or federal law to provide disability services or to permit student organizations, including fraternities and sororities.
(D) Violations of policy by university employee
(1) Reporting a complaint
(a) Students, student groups, faculty or staff may submit a complaint about an alleged violation of this policy by an employee of the university. A complaint can be submitted to the "See It. Hear It. Report It." incident reporting portal at: https://www.bgsu.edu/report-incident.html.
(b) A complaint must be reported within thirty calendar days of the alleged violation. The complaint must provide the date of the incident, a description of the alleged violation, and the name of the university employee alleged to have violated the policy. Although an anonymous complaint is permitted, the university may have limited ability to investigate it and/or effectively address the complaint.
(2) Investigation and hearing process
(a) A complaint alleging a faculty member violated this policy will be investigated by the office of the provost. This includes an instructor of record engaged in instructional duties for a course that is the subject of a complaint. The provost (or designee) will investigate the complaint and conduct a fair and impartial hearing regarding the alleged violation. If the hearing determines, by a preponderance of evidence, that this policy was violated, the provost (or designee) shall determine the appropriate remedy to address the violation and prevent any further violation of the university policy. Potential disciplinary actions include, without limitation, oral reprimand, written reprimand, suspension or termination.
(b) A complaint alleging a staff member violated this policy will be investigated by the office of human resources. The chief human resources officer (or designee) will investigate the complaint and conduct a fair and impartial hearing regarding the alleged violation. If the hearing determines by a preponderance of evidence, that this policy was violated, the appointing authority for that staff member shall determine the appropriate remedy to address the violation and prevent any further violation of the university policy. Potential disciplinary actions include, without limitation, oral reprimand, written reprimand, suspension or termination.
(c) During the process, the faculty or staff respondent may have one individual of their choice to serve as their advisor. The advisor may not impede or interfere with the investigatory meeting. If the advisor is an attorney, the university requires at least forty-eight hours' notice be given to the investigator.
Last updated August 20, 2025 at 7:37 AM
Supplemental Information
Amplifies: 3341.