BUZZ
New policy approved as undercover videos show campus officials admit to secretly advancing DEI
Professors at public universities in Iowa may no longer give students just one side of the story — a new board policy requires that scholars avoid “indoctrination of one perspective.”
The Iowa Board of Regents approved the policy on Tuesday, scaling back an earlier and controversial proposal that would have prohibited mandatory courses filled with diversity, equity, and inclusion and critical race theory. That proposal had prompted massive protests and was accused of violating academic freedom.
Instead, the revised policy states faculty “may teach controversial subjects when they are relevant to the course content” but instruction “should be presented in a manner that fosters critical thinking and avoids indoctrination of one perspective.”
“Faculty are expected to … present coursework in a way that reflects the range of scholarly views and ongoing debate in the field,” the new policy states, adding grades must reflect students’ “mastery of course content and skills, not their agreement or disagreement with particular viewpoints expressed during instruction or in their work.”
“If some controversial policy is taught, students should be informed that this is controversial and they should have an understanding of both sides of it,” Regent David Barker said during the meeting. “But this policy is not about censoring. It’s not about saying there is anything that shouldn’t be taught. It’s that things should be taught in a balanced manner.”
Regent Nancy Dunkel, the sole vote against the revisions, said the policy still restricts academic freedom and raised questions about what can be considered controversial, according to Iowa Public Radio.
“If a professor has to present both sides to an issue, does that mean a marketing professor must also include anti-capitalist arguments to students? Do anti-evolution arguments have to be presented in biology classes? How do we present both sides of the Holocaust?” Dunkel said.
To ensure the new regulations are followed, at least every two years an audit must be conducted under the policy; syllabi must also be made public, and universities must remain institutionally neutral.
The new policy was approved as Iowa State University and the University of Iowa have been thrust into controversies recently due to undercover videos in which some campus officials admit DEI programming is occurring on campus despite a 2024 state law prohibiting public funding for DEI programs and a 2023 regents policy abolishing DEI initiatives at public universities.
Fox News, Townhall and Accuracy in Media obtained and reported on the videos, which show campus officials saying they hide and disguise their DEI efforts by changing the language they use.
As for the undercover videos, they are heavily edited and apparently filmed without campus officials realizing it. They have prompted an investigation by state leaders.
In one video released by Fox News, a University of Iowa official is surreptitiously recorded saying “we’re essentially finding ways to operate around [the DEI bans].” In a second undercover video of a different University of Iowa official released by Townhall, the staffer said DEI is still occurring on campus but the language has been changed to accommodate demands from state lawmakers.
The two employees have been placed on paid administrative leave while the university investigates the content of the videos, KCCI Des Moines reported Aug. 1.
A third video released by Accuracy in Media appears to have been filmed sometime in the fall of 2024 but only released recently. It “seems to feature a former Iowa State University employee talking about finding loopholes in the new laws,” KCCI reported. “The university stated that the individual’s position was eliminated in December 2024, prior to the deadline for compliance with the diversity, equity, and inclusion restrictions that were law at the time.”
“We’ve all seen the videos that were released recently,” Regent Barker said during Tuesday’s meeting. “And I know people differ on what those videos show. I think it’s clear at least until very recently a culture existed to some exist that was in conflict with board directives, state law and federal policy. And that culture was intent on subverting these policies — if not always the letter of them, certainly the spirit.”
But the board did not take any direct action regarding the videos, KCCI reported.
MORE: AG launches probe into University of Iowa after official admits defying DEI ban
