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

This guide serves as a starting point to learn about anti-oppression, inclusion, and privilege, as well as to provide resources to key social justice issues.

Senate

Colleges Affected by DEI Legislation

Iowa State University

Details: Iowa State University will close its DEI office and eliminate five DEI-related positions. The university previously renamed a curricular requirement from “U.S. Diversity” to “U.S. Cultures and Communities.”
 

In the Media

House

What it means

In 2023, Iowa's House File 616, the successor to House Study Bill 218, was introduced and placed on the calendar for a first reading. Had it passed, the bill would have prohibited colleges and universities governed by the Iowa State Board of Regents from funding diversity, equity, and inclusion offices and officers. However, the bill failed to pass before the end of the legislative session.

This April, a budget bill (Senate File 2435) was introduced in Iowa that includes a provision banning DEI offices at state colleges and universities and limiting the types of positions and viewpoints an institution can promote. Viewpoints that schools cannot promote include allyship, antiracism, microaggressions, systemic oppression, gender theory, transgender ideology, and more.

SF 2435 was enrolled by the end of the month and officially signed into law by Governor Kim Reynolds on May 9, 2024.