Education

Kent State University is closing its LGBTQ+ Center, Women’s Center and Student Multicultural Center because of a new state law banning diversity efforts that is set to take effect at the end of the month. 

Kent State’s LBGTQ+ Living-Learning Community will cease to exist because of Senate Bill 1 going into effect, according to a statement from KSU. Kent State’s Stark Campus will also close its LGBTQ Resource Center.

“Although the centers are closing, the Division of Student Life remains deeply committed to fostering student success, student belonging and ensuring continued access to resources, benefits students have consistently associated with the centers,” Senior Vice President for Student Life  Eboni Pringle said in a statement Monday. 

Senate Bill 1 also prohibits faculty strikes, regulates classroom discussion of “controversial” topics, creates post-tenure reviews, puts diversity scholarships at risk, creates a retrenchment provision that blocks unions from negotiating on tenure, shortens university board of trustees terms from nine years down to six years, and requires students take an American history course, among other things.  

S.B. 1 has affected other public and community colleges in Ohio, where some are taking administrative action and others are attempting to fight the measure. 

Ohio University is closing its Pride Center, the Women’s Center and the Multicultural Center. 

Ohio State University is closing its Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Office of Student Life’s Center for Belonging and Social Change. 

The University of Toledo is suspending nine undergraduate programs in response to S.B. 1. 

Miami University announced it will close the Office of Transformational and Inclusive Excellence and the Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion. 

Youngstown State University faculty are collecting signatures to get a referendum on the November ballot to block S.B. 1.