Rule 3362-2-23 | Diversity, equity, and inclusion and other concepts.
(A) Purpose
The purpose of this rule is to set forth the rule of the Ohio general assembly as defined by the advance Ohio higher education act of the 136th General Assembly, codified in section 3345.0217 of the Revised Code, and to keep the university eligible for state operating subsidy payments, state capital improvement funds, and other state appropriations to the fullest extent possible.
(B) Definitions
(1) As used in this policy, the following definitions shall apply.
(a) "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.
(b) "Intellectual diversity" means multiple, divergent, and varied perspectives on an extensive range of public policy issues.
(C) Prohibitions - diversity, equity, and inclusion
(1) The university prohibits the following:
(a) Any orientation or training course regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion, unless the university submits a written request for an exception to the chancellor of the Ohio department of higher education because the university determines the orientation or training course is exempt from the prohibition on the basis that all aspects of the orientation or course are required to:
(i) Comply with state and federal laws or regulations; or
(ii) Comply with state or federal professional licensure requirements; or
(iii) Obtain or retain accreditation.
(b) The continuation of existing diversity, equity, and inclusion offices or departments;
(c) The establishment of new diversity, equity, and inclusion offices or departments;
(d) The use of diversity, equity, and inclusion in job descriptions;
(e) Contracting 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;
(f) The establishment of any new university scholarships that use diversity, equity, and inclusion in any manner.
(D) Existing scholarships
For any university scholarships that were in existence on June 26, 2025, the university shall, to the extent possible, eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion requirements. If the university is unable to do so because of donor requirements, the university will continue to offer the scholarships but will not accept any additional funds for the operation of the scholarships.
(E) Bar on renaming programs to avoid prohibitions
The university will not replace any orientation, training, office, or position formerly designated for diversity, equity, and inclusion with an orientation, training, office, or position under a different designation that serves the same or similar purposes, or uses the same or similar means.
(F) Exception for certain research grants
(1) If the requirements to obtain a research grant conflict with any of the prohibitions listed in paragraphs (C)(1)(a) to (C)(1)(f) of this rule, the university will attempt to the extent possible, to comply with paragraphs (C)(1)(a) to (C)(1)(f) of this rule while retaining eligibility for the research grant, including by consulting with the general counsel. If the university is unable to comply with paragraphs (C)(1)(a) to (C)(1)(f) of this rule with respect to a research grant, a written request for an exception will be submitted to the chancellor of the Ohio department of higher education.
(2) The exception request referenced in paragraph (F)(1) of this rule, will explain the circumstances and the effort made by the university to comply with paragraphs (C)(1)(a) to (C)(1)(f) of this rule while retaining eligibility for the research grant.
(3) Agreements or contracts regarding research grants entered into prior to June 26, 2025 will not be subject to paragraphs (C)(1)(a) to (C)(1)(f) of this rule. However, any renewal of such agreements or contracts after June 26, 2025 shall be subject to paragraphs (C)(1)(a) to (C)(1)(f) of this rule.
(G) Affirmations and declarations
(1) The university affirms and declares that:
(a) Its 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) To fulfill the function described in paragraph (G)(1)(a) of this rule, the university shall ensure the fullest degree of intellectual diversity.
(c) University faculty and staff 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) It will not endorse or oppose, as a university, any controversial belief or policy, except:
(i) On matters that directly impact the university's funding or mission of discovery, improvement, and dissemination of knowledge.
(ii) The university may endorse the congress of the United States when it establishes a state of armed hostility against a foreign power.
(iii) The university may recognize national and state holidays and may support the constitution and laws of the United States and the state of Ohio. Display of the United States or Ohio flag does not violate paragraph (G)(1)(d) of this rule.
(e) The university 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 university require students to do any of those things to obtain an undergraduate or post-graduate degree.
(f) No hiring, promotion, or admissions process or decision shall encourage, discourage, require, or forbid students, faculty, or administrators to endorse, assent to, or publicly express a given ideology or political stance.
(g) The university 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.
(h) No process or decision regulating conditions of work or study, such as committee assignments, course scheduling, or workload adjustment policies, shall encourage, discourage, require, or forbid students, faculty, or administrators to endorse, assent to, or publicly express a given ideology or political stance.
(i) The university will seek out invited speakers who have diverse ideological or political views.
(H) Permissible activity
(1) Paragraphs (G)(1)(a) to (G)(1)(c) of this rule, do not apply 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.
(2) Paragraphs (G)(1)(d) and (G)(1)(e) of this rule do not apply 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 (G)(1)(d) of this rule.
(I) Curriculum requirements
The university 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.
(J) Hiring, promotions, and admissions
The university prohibits political and ideological litmus tests in all 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.
(K) Speaker fees
(1) The university 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. That information shall be:
(a) Accessible from the main page of the university's web site by use of not more than three links;
(b) Searchable by keywords and phrases; and
(c) Accessible to the public without requiring user registration of any kind.
(L) Complaints under this policy
The university will respond to complaints from any student, student group, or faculty member about an alleged violation of the prohibitions and requirements included in the policy adopted under this chapter using the process established under procedure 5.10:2.
Last updated October 6, 2025 at 8:09 AM
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