Oklahoma governor prohibits college diversity, inclusion initiatives

 OKLAHOMA CITY — Gov. Kevin Stitt signed an executive order Wednesday that prohibits state agencies, colleges and universities from using state funds to support diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

The order will effectively end campus diversity, equity and inclusion offices, University of Oklahoma President Joseph Harroz Jr. said in an email to students, faculty and staff.

“We are disappointed that today’s executive order reaches into college campuses across Oklahoma and eliminates offices of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion,” the university said in a statement. “While we are obligated to comply, the University of Oklahoma will always remain committed to its core principles that make OU a place of belonging where the American Dream is available to all.”

The order bans state-funded diversity programs “to the extent they grant preferential treatment based on one person’s particular race, color, ethnicity or national origin.”

It also requires all state agencies and public colleges and universities to conduct a review of their diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and eliminate functions that are unnecessary for compliance, accreditation, or student and employee support services.

Standing behind a lectern adorned with a sign stating, “defunding discrimination,” Stitt said in a news conference his executive order takes politics out of education.

“I’m signing this executive order today to remind all state-funded institutions that we see all Oklahomans as equal regardless of race, color, sex, ethnicity or national origin,” he said.

Campus diversity and inclusion initiatives range from programs dealing with race and gender identity to services for veterans, disabled people, international students, single mothers, nontraditional students and low-income students.

Rep. Annie Menz, D-Norman, said trying to prevent college students from interacting with and understanding the diversity that surrounds them is absurd and futile.

“This action will have a negative impact on faculty and staff at our universities but also on students with disabilities, international students, veterans, and so many others who rely on these services to support their education,” she said in a statement. “As state leaders we should be invested in preparing our students for the realities of the workplace they’ll one day join, not using them to score some cheap political points with a handful of extremists.”

Stitt and state Superintendent Ryan Walters have taken aim at diversity programs for the past year. Their criticism coincides with a national conservative push to defund and eliminate public diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Walters previously requested a 10-year review of campus diversity, equity and inclusion expenses at Oklahoma colleges and universities that showed just 0.29% of all higher education spending this year would fund such programs. He celebrated Stitt’s executive order, saying these inclusion efforts should be known as “discrimination, exclusion and indoctrination.”

Oklahoma State University said officials are reviewing Stitt’s order.

“We are in the process of reviewing the executive order to ensure we meet our legal obligations while continuing to cultivate a welcoming environment for all students, faculty and staff,” the university said in a statement.

GOP state lawmakers appear ready to enshrine parts of Stitt’s executive order in state law.

Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman, who has criticized diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at colleges and universities, filed four pieces of legislation on Wednesday to stop such initiatives.

Universities’ accreditation and their compliance with federal law can hinge on having diversity and inclusion programs. Loss of accreditation could cost students their federal financial aid, their option to transfer class credits to other schools, and their ability to meet employer or licensure requirements, Oklahoma Higher Education Chancellor Allison Garrett told lawmakers in October.

Asked whether his executive order could affect federally funded programs at universities, Stitt said accreditation officers are constantly imposing requirements on higher education institutions.

“We’ll cross that bridge when it comes, whether it’s accreditation or not,” he said.

State Regents for Higher Education spokesperson Angela Caddell said Oklahoma’s system of colleges and universities will comply with the order.

“We will continue to focus on supporting all Oklahoma students as they pursue college degrees and prepare to join our workforce,” she said.

Stitt’s order does not apply to programs for members of the military, veterans, first-generation college students, Pell Grant recipients, students from low-income families and underserved student populations.

The directive comes about two years after Stitt signed controversial legislation that limits K-12 lessons on race and gender and bans colleges from requiring diversity training.

State agencies and universities must be in compliance with the order by May 31, 2024. All agencies will have to submit reports detailing their diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and which functions were restricted or eliminated.