Bill would bar Missouri colleges from requiring DEI statements for admission or employment

A state senator is taking aim at colleges and universities in Missouri who ask prospective students or job candidates to explain how they would contribute to an institution’s diversity, equity and inclusion goals.

The legislation would prohibit schools from requiring the submission of a diversity, equity and inclusion statement for admission or employment. It would also prohibit the preferential consideration of applicants on the basis of an unsolicited submission of a DEI statement.

According to a guide from Notre Dame University, DEI statements are short essays that describe the candidate’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Bill sponsor Sen. Ben Brown, a Republican from Washington, called these statements “DEI loyalty oaths” and said they are used as a political litmus test for candidates.

“(Candidates) are expected to commit to shaping their teaching and research priorities around DEI’s radical ideology,” Brown said in a committee hearing on the bill Tuesday.

The University of Missouri does not currently require these types of statements for admission or employment. However, provisions of the bill that deal with “unsolicited statements” could have consequences for MU. The bill would bar universities from giving preferential treatment to applicants for jobs or admission who submit a DEI statement anyway.

“There would have to be proof that someone was given preferential treatment due to the statement that was submitted,” Brown said in an interview. “So absent that evidence, it wouldn’t really have any impact on current practices.”

Sen. Maggie Nurrenbern, a Kansas City Democrat, questioned whether any of these practices were currently taking place at universities in the state. Brown said he hadn’t looked since presenting the bill last year and that many universities, including Missouri State University, could have changed their policies since then. Still, Brown said the legislation is needed regardless of how many schools currently require the submission of DEI statements.

“It is something that has been required,” Brown said, “and I imagine would be in the future as well as things change and something that I feel we need to prevent now.”

Nurrenbern called the bill the “epitome of big government” before concluding her questioning.

James Harris,  testified in favor of the bill on behalf of Cicero Action and Do No Harm Action, a pair of advocacy groups who say on their websites that they oppose “destructive” and “divisive” ideologies. He said requiring DEI statements can force applicants to look for work elsewhere, ultimately harming the state’s colleges and universities.

Critics of the bill included Paul Wagner with the Council on Public Higher Education, which represents Missouri State University, Truman State University and other public colleges in the state. MU is not a member of the council. During his testimony, he called into question the bill’s vague language.

“It just opens (universities) up to so much legal liability on the basis of things that are really just vague and could just be hearsay,” Wagner said. “It puts the state and our institutions at risk.”

Brown said in an interview he was open to the input given during Tuesday’s hearing and would look into tightening the language.

This story originally appeared in the Columbia Missourian. It can be republished in print or online. 

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