The day after the November 2024 election, staff with the Iowa Board of Regents announced plans to expand the board’s “freedom of expression” policy to address social media and to align with a new state law barring diversity, equity and inclusion work and spending.
“The proposed revisions clarify expectations regarding university management and oversight of institutional social media accounts,” according to a summary of the changes, which went before the board for approval in February. “The universities are generally expected to refrain from issuing statements on political, social, or public policy matters.”
The policy’s existing language — which staff didn’t change with their revisions and additions — affirms the universities’ duty to support and encourage freedom of inquiry by fostering “expression of differing views regarding many issues in multiple areas of study, research, and debate, including current political, social, and public policy issues.”
Although university leadership shouldn’t do anything to require or pressure members of their campus community to express or adopt a particular political, social or public policy view at a personal level, according to the untouched language, the universities “may speak, as an institution, on political, social, or public policy matters when such matters are central to the mission or critical operations of the university.”
A new section immediately following, however, now states: “The universities should refrain from making statements on political, social or public policy matters.”
Although the public universities in recent years have steered clear of issuing politically-charged statements, the campuses and their administrators have done so in the past.
UI College of Dentistry Dean David Johnson in fall 2020 sent a mass email “strongly” condemning an executive order during the first Trump administration banning entities that get federal funds from providing diversity-related training involving race and sex “stereotyping” and “scapegoating.”
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The email, signed by more than 30 college leaders, said, "We are concerned about the effects the order may have on College of Dentistry students, residents, postdoctoral fellows, faculty, staff, and patients, and especially individuals from minority and diverse backgrounds.”
A week earlier, then-UI President Bruce Harreld, Provost Kevin Kregel and diversity head Liz Tovar sent a message about the order's “chilling effect.”
“We are deeply disappointed in both the intention behind and the language used in the executive order, which carries the force of law,” Harreld wrote.
Under the new policy language, the state’s three public universities now must meet three conditions if one were to issue a statement on political, social or public policy matters:
“Any question as to whether a proposed statement or position conflicts with board position, policy, or the law will be resolved by the Executive Director of the Board of Regents (Mark Braun),” according to the new policy.
The board’s new social media policy — which affirms employees’ individual First Amendment rights to express personal opinions on personal social media accounts — comes amid a legislative session involving heightened scrutiny of Iowa’s higher education system among Republican lawmakers.
Proposed legislation still alive this session includes a bill to create a new University of Iowa School of Intellectual Freedom; one requiring students complete certain American history and civil government courses to graduate; one preventing the campuses from using accrediting body requirements to skirt last year’s DEI mandates; and another that imposing more DEI restrictions — this time on what is required in the classroom.
“The proposed revisions clarify expectations regarding university management and oversight of institutional social media accounts,” according to a summary of the changes, which went before the board for approval in February. “The universities are generally expected to refrain from issuing statements on political, social, or public policy matters.”
The policy’s existing language — which staff didn’t change with their revisions and additions — affirms the universities’ duty to support and encourage freedom of inquiry by fostering “expression of differing views regarding many issues in multiple areas of study, research, and debate, including current political, social, and public policy issues.”
Although university leadership shouldn’t do anything to require or pressure members of their campus community to express or adopt a particular political, social or public policy view at a personal level, according to the untouched language, the universities “may speak, as an institution, on political, social, or public policy matters when such matters are central to the mission or critical operations of the university.”
A new section immediately following, however, now states: “The universities should refrain from making statements on political, social or public policy matters.”
Although the public universities in recent years have steered clear of issuing politically-charged statements, the campuses and their administrators have done so in the past.
UI College of Dentistry Dean David Johnson in fall 2020 sent a mass email “strongly” condemning an executive order during the first Trump administration banning entities that get federal funds from providing diversity-related training involving race and sex “stereotyping” and “scapegoating.”
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The email, signed by more than 30 college leaders, said, "We are concerned about the effects the order may have on College of Dentistry students, residents, postdoctoral fellows, faculty, staff, and patients, and especially individuals from minority and diverse backgrounds.”
A week earlier, then-UI President Bruce Harreld, Provost Kevin Kregel and diversity head Liz Tovar sent a message about the order's “chilling effect.”
“We are deeply disappointed in both the intention behind and the language used in the executive order, which carries the force of law,” Harreld wrote.
Under the new policy language, the state’s three public universities now must meet three conditions if one were to issue a statement on political, social or public policy matters:
- First, it must be in line with the official position of the nine-member Board of Regents — which is appointed by the governor and currently includes five Republicans, one Democrat and three registered as politically independent.
- It must be consistent with relevant state and federal laws, including Iowa Code 261J — which the Legislature passed last year explicitly barring Iowa’s public universities from having DEI offices, employing DEI officers or compelling anyone to provide a DEI statement.
- And it must align with the board’s policy manual — which has four chapters, including one on academic policies and procedures and another governing the mission and scope of the regent institutions, specifically that they “offer diversified and high-quality programs of undergraduate, graduate, professional, and postgraduate study at reasonable cost.”
“Any question as to whether a proposed statement or position conflicts with board position, policy, or the law will be resolved by the Executive Director of the Board of Regents (Mark Braun),” according to the new policy.
The board’s new social media policy — which affirms employees’ individual First Amendment rights to express personal opinions on personal social media accounts — comes amid a legislative session involving heightened scrutiny of Iowa’s higher education system among Republican lawmakers.
Proposed legislation still alive this session includes a bill to create a new University of Iowa School of Intellectual Freedom; one requiring students complete certain American history and civil government courses to graduate; one preventing the campuses from using accrediting body requirements to skirt last year’s DEI mandates; and another that imposing more DEI restrictions — this time on what is required in the classroom.
Board of Regents adopts social media policy for universities
“The proposed revisions clarify expectations regarding university management and oversight of institutional social media accounts,” according to a summary of those policy revisions, which came back before the board for approval in February. “The universities are generally expected to refrain...
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