The outcome of a significant, contentious higher education bill just passed by the Ohio Senate will have a significant impact on where 16-year-old Michelle Huang attends college.
Huang, a junior at Delaware County’s Olentangy Liberty High School, stated that she had always thought of attending Ohio State University to pursue a degree in political science, but she is now unsure due to Ohio Senate Bill 1.
Contributing to campus diversity is one of the conditions for the Ohio State Morrill Scholarship, a merit-based scholarship program that she hopes to obtain. However, among other things, S.B. 1 would end diversity and inclusion initiatives and put diversity scholarships in jeopardy.
My decision to apply to Ohio State and other Ohio universities that provide comparable scholarships is significantly hampered by the fact that S.B. 1 jeopardizes (diversity) scholarships, Huang said.
In an email, Ohio State University spokesman Ben Johnson stated that the Morrill Scholarship Program would continue to be available to students from all backgrounds.
In order to progress Ohio State and make sure that our faculty, staff, and students have the tools and support they need to thrive, we will keep collaborating with government representatives from both parties, Johnson stated in an email. Right now, it’s too early to make any more comments.
Among other things, S.B. 1 would shorten the terms of university boards of trustees from nine to six years, prohibit faculty strikes, restrict classroom discussion, end diversity scholarships, and mandate that students take an American history course.
It would provide guidelines for classroom discourse on contentious issues like marriage, abortion, diversity and inclusion initiatives, foreign policy, climate policies, electoral politics, and immigration policy.
Less than a month ago, State Senator Jerry Cirino, a Republican from Kirtland, presented S.B. 1. The Ohio Senate passed it last week, and the bill is now on its way to the Ohio House for review. Only Ohio’s public universities and community colleges are covered by S.B. 1.
To become law, it must be approved by the Ohio House and signed by the governor. In the event that Governor Mike DeWine vetoed it, lawmakers would need to overcome it with a 3/5 majority in each chamber.
Ohio State has always held a special place in my heart, thus it truly saddens me to see one of the main reasons to attend removed. Huang stated.
Huang stated that she still intends to apply to Ohio State as well as other universities including Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and Ohio Wesleyan University, a private institution.
Huang remarked, “I just have this looming sense of not knowing.” I sincerely hope that this bill doesn’t go too far.
Huang was one of 837 witnesses who spoke in person and filed opposing testimony during the lengthy, eight-hour Ohio Senate Higher Education Committee meeting last week.
Numerous more students said that if the revamp is passed into law in Ohio, they will leave the state.
She is also worried about how the measure would affect class discussions, particularly in government and history subjects.
It will be much more difficult for students to learn about our history from a nuanced perspective and to have these crucial discussions that are quite necessary to our understanding of society and our governance, Huang said, if the measure is signed into law.
According to the bill’s text, one of the numerous clauses in S.B. 1 would abolish undergraduate degree programs if the institution awarded an average of less than five degrees in that program yearly over any three-year period.
According to Gretchen McNamara, a senior lecturer of music at Wright State University, it’s an arbitrary figure that suggests things aren’t working as they should, but it doesn’t necessarily give a good picture of what’s happening in the program.A purely data-driven perspective does not provide the complete picture.
She is also worried that if a university program is discontinued, tenured faculty will lose their positions.
McNamara, who is also the president of the Ohio conference of the American Association of University Professors, stated that tenure is simply very harmful to the profession and that it is pointless if it can be so easily terminated without a clear metric and understanding of that particular number that they have chosen.
According to John Huss, chair of the philosophy department at the University of Akron, there are a variety of reasons why a program might be tiny.
According to him, it might be challenging, which makes students decide not to major in it or drop out because it’s simply too challenging. Even though it’s a specialized program that holds great significance, its numbers will never be substantial. For instance, I consider strategic languages.
Huss said that this clause would make Ohio’s public institutions less competitive.
“Students at public universities have less flexibility than students at private schools in our state or at state schools in other states,” he said.
Follow Megan Henry, a reporter with the Capital Journal, on Bluesky.
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Eliot Pierce is a dedicated writer for ChiefsFocus.com, covering local crime and finance news. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, Eliot aims to provide his readers with clear and insightful analysis, helping them navigate the complexities of their financial lives while staying informed about important local events. His commitment to delivering accurate and engaging content makes him a valuable resource for the community.