Iowa, ISU and UNI to terminate DEI programs, positions [Video]

Three Iowa universities introduced their plans to terminate their current diversity equity and inclusion programs to the Board of Regents on Thursday.

DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa’s three public state universities are eliminating their diversity equity and inclusion programs.

The decision comes just over a week after the state legislators passed the Department of Education’s budget, including a proposal to ban DEI programs.

The University of Iowa restructured its central Iowa Office and created two new Central Divisions, one focusing on state compliance requirements and the other on accreditation requirements. It also eliminated five open DEI positions, redeploying roughly $360,000 to student success initiatives.

University of Iowa President Barbara J. Wilson shared that the university intends to reimagine the current system.

“What I want to emphasize in all of this is our goal is education and research and complying with the laws that we have,” Wilson, said.

Iowa State Universitypresident Wendy Wintersteen told the Board of Regents the …