Iowa Regents to Examine General Education Courses for DEI Content

The Iowa Board of Regents has approved a new policy requiring regular reviews of undergraduate general education courses at Iowa’s three public universities for substantial diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) or critical race theory (CRT) content.

The policy, approved in a 5-3 vote on June 16, directs Regents staff to review general education courses every two years at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Northern Iowa. Reviews are expected to begin during the 2026-27 academic year.

Regents President Robert Cramer said the policy is intended to provide greater transparency about what is being taught in required courses and may help address concerns raised by state lawmakers.

However, Cramer also suggested the reviews may reveal that DEI and critical race theory content are far less prevalent than many critics believe. “We are going to look and see what the DEI content is, but we’ll probably find out that there’s not nearly as much as what the legislature thinks,” Cramer said.

No Classes Will Be Eliminated

According to Regents leaders, the policy will not eliminate courses, add graduation requirements, or allow students to opt out of classes.

An earlier proposal considered by the board would have allowed students to avoid certain courses containing substantial DEI or CRT content, but that provision was removed before final approval.

Instead, the new policy focuses on reviewing course content and reporting findings to the board.

Part of Iowa’s Broader DEI Debate

The policy follows Iowa’s 2024 law restricting diversity, equity, and inclusion offices and activities at the state’s public universities.

Under that law, Iowa’s universities eliminated or restructured DEI offices and redirected more than $2.1 million previously dedicated to DEI-related positions and programs.

Supporters of the new review process argue that taxpayers, lawmakers, and university leaders should have a clearer understanding of what is being taught in required courses.

Critics question whether reviewing individual courses is an appropriate role for the Board of Regents.

Concerns About Academic Oversight

Regent Nancy Dunkel voted against the proposal, arguing that universities should encourage students to engage with difficult subjects rather than avoid them.

“A strong university does not avoid difficult subjects,” Dunkel said. “It teaches students how to engage them thoughtfully.” Dunkel also expressed concern that reviewing course content could blur the line between governing universities and directly managing academic programs.

She warned that the policy could create additional bureaucracy while increasing board involvement in classroom matters traditionally handled by faculty and academic departments.

What Happens Next?

Regents staff are expected to begin reviewing undergraduate general education courses during the 2026-27 academic year.

The reviews will provide the first formal assessment of how frequently DEI and critical race theory concepts appear in required coursework across Iowa’s public universities.

The results could influence future debates over higher education, academic freedom, curriculum oversight, and the role of state government in Iowa’s public universities.

Our Take

The most interesting part of this story may not be the new review process itself. It may be what Iowa Board of Regents President Robert Cramer said while defending it.

After years of political debate about diversity, equity, inclusion, and critical race theory in higher education, Cramer suggested the reviews will likely find that DEI and CRT content are far less prevalent in required university courses than many lawmakers and activists believe.

If that turns out to be true, it raises an obvious question of why Iowa’s universities are subjected to another layer of oversight to investigate a problem that may not exist on the scale critics have claimed?

Supporters argue the reviews will provide transparency and reassure the public about what is being taught in university classrooms. Transparency is generally a good thing. But transparency can easily become surveillance when political bodies move beyond oversight and begin examining academic content course by course.

Regent Nancy Dunkel raised a concern worth considering. Universities should expose students to difficult subjects, competing viewpoints, and complex ideas. The goal of higher education is not to shield students from controversial topics. It is to teach them how to evaluate evidence, challenge assumptions, and think critically.

A strong university does not avoid difficult conversations about race, history, inequality, culture, or public policy. It teaches students how to engage in those conversations responsibly.

Perhaps the reviews will ultimately confirm what Cramer predicts that DEI and CRT are not nearly as widespread in required coursework as many critics assume. If so, Iowa may discover that years of political controversy were driven more by perception than reality.

Either way, the results will be worth watching. Because the larger question is not simply what is being taught in Iowa’s universities. It is whether political oversight is gradually replacing academic judgment in determining what higher education should be.