Iowa State University still pushes DEI principles on job listings after crackdown

(Daily Caller News Foundation) – Iowa State University (ISU) appears to still be pushing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) principles in multiple job listings, despite a move by the Iowa Board of Regents in November to eliminate DEI from state universities.

The Iowa Board of Regents voted to abolish all DEI programs, requirements for DEI statements in hiring, and mandatory DEI training in November. However, multiple job listings on ISU’s website request that applicants “demonstrate a contribution” to DEI or encourage applicants from “diverse” backgrounds to apply, the Daily News Foundation has learned. 

“Some universities make DEI a part of their stated criteria for hiring without explicitly requesting a separate statement on DEI,” John Sailer, director of university policy at the National Association of Scholars, told the DCNF. “This seems to be the case” with several job listings from ISU, he continued.

One job listing for a professor of small animal surgery says that the university seeks applicants who desire to build an “inclusive” community.

“The university has an expectation that all employees will demonstrate a contribution to diversity and inclusion as embodied in Iowa State University’s Principles of Community,” the job listing reads.

Another listing for an adjunct assistant professor of integrated pest management lists the ability to “contribute” to the university’s “efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion” among its preferred qualifications.

One job listing for an assistant professor of weed science encourages “candidates from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds to apply.”

The Iowa Board of Regents DEI study group found that diversity statements could “limit the applicant pool” and said that the university system should adopt a prohibition against “department or unit-level requirements related to DEI statements in hiring,” according to the November report.

Several other job listings had what appeared to be diversity statements or requirements to push the tenets of DEI.

One listing for an assistant professor of sustainable food packaging says the university “has an expectation that all employees will demonstrate a contribution to diversity and inclusion,” while another listing for an assistant professor of food safety states that employees are expected to “demonstrate a contribution” to the tenets of DEI.

“If DEI is a stated criterion, it will factor into the job decision, which is no different than asking for a diversity statement. Policymakers who don’t see this will create a glaring loophole as they try to end ideological gatekeeping,” Sailer told the DCNF.

Several states have outlawed the use of DEI in public universities, including Texas and Florida. Other states have also introduced bills to address DEI, including South Carolina, Indiana and Kentucky.

Republican Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt issued an executive order in December banning the usage of DEI at public universities. Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed a similar bill in January which outlawed the usage of diversity statements in hiring.

ISU and the Board of Regents did not respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.