Kansas universities are getting $35.7 million in state funding reinstated after complying with the Legislature’s new restrictions on certain diversity, equity and inclusion practices.
Blake Flander, CEO of the Kansas Board of Regents, indicated to the State Finance Council on Tuesday that university administrators have eliminated any DEI statement requirements that may have existed for students and staff.
“We seek restoration of state funding, $35.7 million to the state universities for their operations,” Flanders told the council, comprised of top legislators and Gov. Laura Kelly. “This is not new money; it’s money from FY 2024 base budgets. I’m certifying that the 2024 House Bill 2105 took effect as of July 1, 2024, and that was part of the proviso on those funds.”
Kansas lawmakers put anti-DEI proviso in budget
Lawmakers wrote the anti-DEI mandate into the budget in a way that universities would lose a portion of their funding unless they certified that DEI statements are not used in hiring and admissions.
Specifically, the budget proviso in Senate Bill 28 prohibited “asking for statements of commitment to or requiring examples of past, current or future experience with diversity, equity and inclusion” in hiring of employees or volunteers, admissions, tenure review, annual review, promotions and research proposals.
Universities are also prohibited from having “training requirements in diversity, equity and inclusion” for any employee, volunteer or student.
The budget law also included language that certification would not be required if House Bill 2105 became law, but the State Finance Council would still have to restore the funding. Kelly allowed that bill to become law without her signature, telling lawmakers, “I don’t believe the conduct targeted in this legislation occurs in our universities.”
More:Millions in funding for Kansas higher education leveraged against DEI practices
That law similarly prohibits DEI statements hiring and admissions. But the law also specifically noted that federal and state anti-discrimination laws must still be complied with, and that it should not be construed to restrict academic freedom of faculty.
The law requires universities to share publicly on their website all training materials for students and faculty on nondiscrimination, DEI, race, ethnicity, sex or bias plus any university policies or other guidance.
Violations of the law can result in an investigation by the Regents or Attorney General Kris Kobach’s office and could ultimately lead to a court ordering compliance plus civil penalties.
More:From hiring decisions to budget cuts, anti-DEI legislation targets Kansas universities
Kansas universities have complied with anti-DEI law
Flanders said the universities have complied with the website requirements. However, Pittsburg State University and Fort Hays State University haven’t yet added the Title IX training to the website because they have not yet done the training, but “as that training becomes executed, they will put that in those links.”
Links to trainings at the University of Kansas are on the webpage for the office of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. Kansas State University has links to its training on the page for the office of the vice president for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
Had universities not complied, the funding cuts would have been 5% of their state general fund accounts. That would have been:
- $8.4 million at KU.
- $6.4 million at K-State.
- $5.9 million at The University of Kansas Medical Center.
- $4.9 million at Wichita State University.
- $3 million at K-State Research and Extension.
- $2.3 million at Pitt State.
- $2 million at FHSU.
- $2 million at Emporia State University.
- $866,000 at K-State veterinary medicine center.
Flanders also said the Board of Regents has complied with a separate proviso on student financial aid and asked for restoration of $21.8 million. That funding was cut until the regents certified that they complied with a legislative requirement splitting the comprehensive grant distribution 50-50 between state institutions, including Washburn University, and nonprofit private schools.
Jason Alatidd is a Statehouse reporter for The Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at [email protected]. Follow him on X @Jason_Alatidd.
