Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - Research and Resources: Iowa

In April 2024, State Sen. Jeff Taylor, a Republican, introduced an amendment to an education appropriations bill that would prohibit public universities from establishing, maintaining, or staffing a diversity, equity, and inclusion office. The bill would also bar public colleges from requiring diversity statements and giving preferential treatment to anyone based on such statements. The bill passed the Senate and the House on the same day, and Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the bill into law on May 9. A provision in the bill codifies recommendations that the Iowa Board of Regents made in November 2023 following a new law that directed them to review DEI efforts at the three public universities under their control. The law will go into effect on July 1, 2025.

In January 2023, State Sen. Sandy Salmon, a Republican, introduced a bill that would prohibit colleges from using a variety of concepts related to racism and sexism as part of mandatory diversity and inclusion trainings. The bill failed to advance before the Iowa legislature's 2023 "funnel" deadlines.

This year, Drake will begin its Bulldogs Belong: Resilient and Thriving initiative, aimed at creating a support network for Drake students and a greater sense of belonging for the campus community. The initiative came out of the Quality Initiative for student retention that began two-and-a-half years ago.

In February 2023, State Rep. Skyler Wheeler, a Republican, introduced a bill that would prohibit public colleges from spending money to establish or support a diversity, equity, and inclusion office or hire diversity, equity, and inclusion officers. In March 2023, the bill was replaced by House File 616. It failed to advance before the Iowa legislature's 2023 legislative deadlines.

In February 2024, State Rep. Taylor Collins and 34 other House Republicans introduced a bill that would expand the powers of the state’s Board of Regents to include directing public universities to structure campuswide diversity, equity, and inclusion offices so that they offer only services and programs that are necessary for compliance with state and federal law, or to maintain accreditation. The bill also calls for regents to “take reasonable steps to assure” that diversity statements aren’t required as part of the hiring or admissions process, and to develop a policy for public universities that prohibits the "consideration of race and other protected class characteristics during the admissions process” and that is consistent with current law. The bill codifies recommendations the regents made in November 2023 following a new law that directed them to review DEI efforts at the three public universities under their control. On February 15, the bill was replaced by House File 2558. On February 29, it was passed by the House. However, the bill failed to advance before the Iowa legislature's second 2024 legislative deadline, on March 15.