Roegner Joins Higher Education Reform Press Conference

COLUMBUS—State Senator Kristina Roegner (R-Hudson), Chair of the Senate Higher Education Committee joined State Senator Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland) and State Representative Tom Young (R-Dayton) to announce the introduction of the Advance Ohio Higher Education Act at a news conference this morning.

This legislation has been designated Senate Bill 1 and will help ensure academic excellence at Ohio’s public colleges and universities for generations to come, as they respond to changing student demographics, workforce demands, and higher costs.

"As chair, I am committed to ensuring that our universities are offering the highest caliber education, where students are able to reach their full intellectual potential, where research and critical thinking are promoted, free speech is encouraged, where innovation is nurtured, and performance is rewarded. To be the best, we must be a meritocracy. We want Ohio’s students to be educated…not indoctrinated.”

In sum, Senate Bill 1:

• Ensures intellectual diversity in the classroom and among the faculty.
• Provides free speech protections for students, faculty, and staff.
• Allows an education of free, open, and rigorous intellectual inquiry to seek the truth.
• Eliminates DEI programming, staff, consultants, titles, and all spending.
• Requires full syllabus transparency.
• Bans political and ideological litmus tests in all hiring, promotion, and admissions decisions.
• Installs a number of other worthwhile provisions including eliminating labor strikes by any university or community college faculty, establishing post-tenure periodic review, and requiring full disclosure of any donations made by any affiliate of the People’s Republic of China.
• Engages trustees more in governance matters.

"Higher education is, without a doubt, one of the most powerful tools that we have to ensure the continued success and progress of our society. As legislators we must ensure that our public higher education institutions uphold the standard of excellence that enable our graduates to thrive in their chosen fields," said the senator.

You can watch the full press conference here.