OSU requires DEI statements from mechanical, aerospace engineer job applicants | The College Fix

University officials ask applicants to provide a statement that describes their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, along with “specific examples such as teaching and/or mentoring students from underrepresented backgrounds, outreach activities to underrepresented groups, or conducting research that address social inequities,” according to a copy of the application rubric recently tweeted by John Sailer with the National Association of Scholars.

The hiring parameters were shown through current open positions within OSU’s College of Engineering, which includes a tenure-track faculty position in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department as well as a tenure-track faculty position as an assistant professor in the Knowlton School of Architecture and Administration.

These positions are hiring for OSU’s nuclear engineering programs and its urban design Race, Inclusion, and Social Equity, or RAISE, initiative, respectively.

The application also states scholars are expected to participate in and support DEI efforts, which has drawn concern from liberty advocates and state lawmakers.

Ohio state Sen. Jerry Cirino, a Republican, introduced Senate Bill 83 on March 14 that seeks to prohibit political and ideological litmus tests in all hiring at public universities, among other measures.

“This is not a political issue for me. This is not conservative or liberal,” Cirino told the Columbus Dispatch. “This is making sure students are exposed to different theories.

via www.thecollegefix.com

It's surprising to me that it takes legislation for this to be considered illegal in a state. But you've got a lot of state court judges I suppose unwilling to stand up against the tide without express legislation.