USG members and unaffiliated students gather for the 57th General Assembly Meeting Wednesday to discuss proceedings following the passage of SB 1 through the Ohio Senate. Credit: Kaitlan Harlan | Lantern Reporter
Ohio State’s Undergraduate Student Government passed an emergency resolution Wednesday evening in response to the passage of Senate Bill 1 through the Ohio Senate.
The emergency resolution — titled “A Resolution to Urge the Ohio House of Representatives to Vote NO on Senate Bill 1” — was unanimously passed by the USG Senate and called on the House to strike down the bill due to its “lasting negative consequences for students, faculty, and staff across the state,” according to the resolution.
SB 1 aims to make significant changes to Ohio’s public higher education system, namely by overhauling programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion. The bill — which would also eliminate student trustees’ voting power and ban faculty from going on strike — has sparked a passionate response from the university’s student body, per prior Lantern reporting.
USG’s resolution stated the removal of the student trustee “undermines the principle of shared governance;” DEI programs are “vital” in fostering inclusive academic spaces and Ohio State — as the state’s largest public higher education institution — has a “responsibility to lead the way in innovation and success, ensuring that all students receive the support necessary to thrive.”
“Senate Bill 1 passed the Senate [Wednesday], despite the thousands of students across Ohio who have made it clear the bill does not represent us,” USG President Bobby McAlpine said at Wednesday’s meeting. “It doesn’t represent our values or the future we envision for higher education. The removal of student trustee voting power, the dismantling of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and the erosion of academic freedom are not steps to progress, and I want to let every student know that [USG Vice President Justin Robinson] and I will not sit down, period.”
Brielle Shorter, a third-year in psychology, said she feels the passage of SB 1 disregarded the voices of Ohio’s college students. Notably, Shorter, alongside McAlpine and Robinson, were three of roughly 210 people who testified against SB 1 in person Tuesday.
“I am for the resolution to urge the Ohio House of Representatives to vote no on Senate Bill 1,” Shorter said at Wednesday’s meeting. “I was at the Senate house today, and they passed SB 1 without reading over 800 written testimonies, along with the survey created by [McAlpine] and [Robinson] with over 2,000 participants.”
McAlpine, also a fifth-year in regional planning and political science, said an overwhelming 94% of the 2,000 students who took the aforementioned survey reported DEI programs were meaningful to them in some way.
“[DEI] initiatives are not about division,” McAlpine said. “They are about opportunity. They are about ensuring that every student — whether a Black student, white student, Jewish student, Christian student, Muslim student, a student from Ohio or a student not from Ohio — no matter their background, has access to the resources they need to thrive.”
Robinson, also a fifth-year in strategic communication, said the passage of SB 1 raises personal concerns about the future of academic integrity, freedom and accessibility through the Young Scholars Program — a program under the Office of Diversity and Inclusion designed to support low-income, first-generation students in academic and career endeavors, according to its website.
“We wouldn’t be here without these types of programs,” Robinson said. “It’s not just people like me, it’s everyone on this campus. It allows us to thrive; the programs and initiatives allow us to come here despite financial challenges.”
Another point of contention surrounding SB 1 is its provision to remove voting rights from student trustees. This provision is understood by many as a direct assault against student legislature and representation, further fueling opposition, Shorter said.
McAlpine agreed.
“Ohio State students do not want their student trustees to be stripped of their right to vote, period,” McAlpine said.
McAlpine said despite how the legislature reacts, Ohio State students will stand their ground about their concerns regarding SB 1.
“Let me be clear, no matter how much any legislator, no matter how much anyone refuses to listen to us, we are here and we will remain,” McAlpine said. “Students are here, we are resilient and we will continue to rise.”
