Iowa and Indiana have moved to reshape college general education requirements, with Iowa mandating new core civics courses and Indiana targeting low-enrollment academic departments for consolidation or closure.
Explainer The Controversy Over DEI In Education: Legal Battles and Policy Shifts
The changes reflect a broader push by Republican-led states to limit the influence of identity-focused and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) courses in public higher education, while critics argue such moves threaten academic freedom and curricular breadth.
In Iowa, a law passed by the legislature and signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds requires all public college students to complete one course in U.S. history and one in American government. According to the law, these courses must be introductory, broad in scope, and cover central events and features of American history and government. At the University of Iowa, the courses will be designed and administered by the new Center for Intellectual Freedom, rather than traditional academic departments, as detailed in the Iowa Legislature bill text.
Iowa Law Advocates Core Curriculum
Supporters of the Iowa law argue it restores a traditional core curriculum and prevents students from graduating without exposure to foundational topics such as the Bill of Rights, the Civil War, and the Great Depression. The law also restricts courses that focus on a single identity group or what proponents describe as "tendentious topics."
"No longer can students get a degree and not encounter the Bill of Rights, the Civil War, the Pilgrims and Puritans, and the Depression."
— Mark Bauerlein, emeritus professor and board member, Center for Intellectual Freedom
Iowa State University Course Offerings
At Iowa State University, the current list of approved general education courses includes 379 offerings in Arts and Humanities alone, ranging from broad surveys to specialized topics such as "Racism in American Popular Media" and "Science Fiction." University of Iowa students can choose from dozens of courses in categories like "Understanding Cultural Perspectives" and "Values and Society," including both traditional and niche subjects. The new law is intended to narrow these options to ensure a common civic foundation.
Indiana has taken a different approach, with the state’s Commission for Higher Education moving to consolidate or eliminate academic departments that graduate fewer than 15 majors per year. The policy, presented as a cost-efficiency measure, shifts the focus from course enrollments to the number of students who complete degrees in each field. According to the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, this process requires public colleges to seek approval for new programs and justify the continuation of existing ones based on graduation data.
Departments such as African American and African Diaspora Studies at Indiana University, which graduated only four students in the 2024-25 academic year despite offering 21 general education courses, face heightened scrutiny under the new rules. Critics of the policy argue it threatens programs that serve broader educational purposes beyond major counts.
The restructuring in both states comes amid a national debate over the role of DEI and identity-based curricula in higher education. Some universities, such as Rutgers and U-Mass Amherst, have established diversity requirements that include courses on discrimination, social justice, and cultural forces. Proponents say these courses foster understanding and inclusivity, while opponents contend they promote political agendas and sustain departments with low major enrollment.
A recent Washington Post report noted that actions in Iowa, Indiana, Texas, and Kansas have led to the closure or merger of African American Studies departments, with only 700 students nationwide graduating in the field over the past three years. The article observed that protests against these cuts have been limited, possibly due to the low number of majors involved.
Mark Bauerlein, an emeritus professor and board member of the Center for Intellectual Freedom, argues that the reforms in Iowa and Indiana represent a more effective strategy for conservatives seeking to influence higher education than past efforts to expose bias or political correctness.
"Students are voting with their feet, and with legislators acting accordingly, general education may no longer support the progressive agenda, but instead oppose it."
— Mark Bauerlein, emeritus professor and board member, Center for Intellectual Freedom
Officials and supporters of the affected departments have not publicly responded to the new laws and policies. The Iowa and Indiana measures are being closely watched as potential models for other states considering similar reforms.
