Universities across the country have recently come under fire for a perceived liberal bias on campus, ranging from issues related to the war between Israel and Hamas to issues such as diversity, equity and inclusion.
Some politicians, such as Republican Senator Jerry Cirino of Ohio and Kirtland, view universities as places where students are immersed in liberal teachings without exposure to other viewpoints.
That’s why Cirino and fellow Republican Rob McColley, also a senator from Ohio, drafted Senate Bill 117, which was included in and passed in the state budget last year. The bill led to the creation of centers for intellectual diversity at five public universities: Ohio State University, Miami University, the University of Toledo College of Law, Cleveland State University and Wright State University.
The centers must value intellectual diversity, educate students through rigorous intellectual inquiry, help them draw their own conclusions on legal, social, and political issues, and welcome disagreement. They will also try to hire more conservative or libertarian faculty, but these decisions are up to the individual center directors.
There has been criticism of the need for these centers, including from college professors. A history professor at Ohio State University said the move was “government overreach,” and a professor at the University of Cincinnati said, “Ultimately, it will be a waste of resources.”
The centers will operate independently of their universities.
Guest:
-State Senator Jerry Cirino(R-Kirtland), co-signer of the bill
