Ball State makes adjustments in response to Trump order on DEI
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The Ball State University board of trustees on Thursday approved a resolution making certain changes related to diversity, equity and inclusion in response to an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in January that bans “illegal discrimination” among higher education institutions.
The resolution, recommended by Ball State President Geoffrey Mearns, outlines revisions to the university’s Freedom of Expression Statement and 2012 Values Statements.
Additionally, the board said it is terminating “any current diversity, equity, and inclusion program that violates any applicable federal or state discrimination law,” though specific examples of such programs were not given.
Trump’s executive order gave institutions until April 21 to comply, and Mearns said the resolution followed a 12-week, comprehensive process to ensure Ball State is in compliance.
“Our process included preparing to reassign a small number of employees to new responsibilities and confirming that our funding decisions are based solely on permissible criteria,” Mearns said. “We also modified some programs to ensure that it’s clear that these programs are available to every student.”
Mearns said in the past, Ball State has received similar guidance from previous presidential administrations and has consistently changed its policies to comply with the most recent guidance.
“It would be difficult, even hypocritical, to defy the Trump administration’s order and guidance simply because some people disagree with the administration’s legal analysis or its policy positions,” he said.
Additionally, Mearns noted that failure to comply with the executive order could lead to “significant adverse consequences” for the university and its students.
“For example, the administration could unilaterally suspend or terminate federal research grant contracts. The administration could also prohibit our faculty from receiving any future federal research grants all the way through January 2029; that would significantly impede faculty development and the impact of their research,” He said. “And if the administration were to conclude that we had failed to comply with the president’s executive order, the Department of Education could conceivably determine that our students are no longer eligible for federally funded financial aid—things like Pell grants and federal student loans.”
Freedom of Expression and 2012 Values Statement changes
The Ball State board approved certain changes to language in its Freedom of Expression Statement. The statement’s first clause originally said, “Our University endeavors to maintain a culture and community that will inspire our members to pursue knowledge with rigor and curiosity, to speak with care, and work so that even the quietest or most under represented voices among us are heard.”
The updated version now reads, “”Our University endeavors to maintain a culture and community that will inspire our members to pursue knowledge with rigor and curiosity, to speak with care, and work so that the perspectives of all people are heard.”
Another updated clause of the statement removes references to “inclusive excellence,” and defining inclusiveness as “a commitment to respect and embrace equity, inclusion and diversity in people, ideas, and opinions.”
In its 2012 Values Statement, the board also removed several references to diversity and inclusion. In one example, the board updated a sentence that says, “We are committed to the pursuit of excellence by being inclusive of individuals without regard to race, religion, color, sex (except where sex is a bona fide qualification), sexual orientation, gender identity/gender expression, physical or mental disability, national origin, ancestry or age.”
The sentence now simply reads, “We are committed to the pursuit of institutional excellence by welcoming all people.”
Next steps
The board also included a provision that empowers Mearns, as president, “to take any further action necessary to comply with state or federal laws, executive orders, or regulations applicable to the University.”
Mearns said the resolution also concludes the 2019-2024 iteration of the university’s strategic plan, and he will be recommending the next iteration to the board in the near future.