Kansas House Republicans stirred an academic hornet’s nest Tuesday with a bill imposing a ban on diversity, equity and inclusion as well as critical race theory in most classes counted toward degree requirements at the state’s public universities.
House and Senate budget negotiators agreed to anchor $36 million to a requirement that university administrators affirm they had abandoned diversity, equity and inclusion programs. KU could lose $8.35 million.
The Kansas House tentatively approved legislation Wednesday imposing a $10,000 fine for every instance in which a public university or college tied student admissions or faculty hiring to an ideological pledge or statement related to diversity, equity and inclusion.
A Kansas House committee plans to move ahead Wednesday with a bill exposing universities and colleges to $100,000 administrative penalties and lawsuits for compelling students or employees to pledge allegiance to diversity, equity and inclusion.
The Kansas House’s budget committee delivered bipartisan condemnation Monday of unusual $3 million payouts to Emporia State, Fort Hays State and Pittsburg State universities intended to stabilize operating budgets during a period of enrollment decline and rising costs.
An audit instigated because of Republican suspicion over state public universities’ equity programs found the programs used $9 million in state dollars during the 2022-2023 school year.
Fort Hays State University / Courtesy Photo
Most universities in Kansas are offering cash or prizes for students and employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 — but it’s unclear whether those incentives work.
