Ohio Universities Close DEI Offices Amid New State Law

Ohio University and Ohio State University are closing their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices and programs in response to Ohio's new Advance Ohio Higher Education Act, also known as Senate Bill 1, which prohibits DEI initiatives at public universities. Ohio University will phase out its Multicultural Center, Pride Center, Women’s Center, and the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Office of Inclusion, while support for various scholarship and student support programs will be reassigned to other university departments. Employees in affected DEI offices will have the opportunity to apply for other positions or receive separation benefits. Ohio State University is closing its Center for Belonging and Social Change, with staff being reassigned to new roles. Some student groups and unions have protested these closures, arguing they were implemented before the legal mandate, and efforts to repeal the law have begun. Offices such as the Office of Accessibility Services and Veterans and Military Students Service Center are not impacted by the new law.