EKU adopts ‘institutional viewpoint neutrality’ policy under KY’s new anti-DEI law
Eastern Kentucky University passed a new campus policy mandating “institutional viewpoint neutrality” one month before Kentucky’s anti-diversity, equity and inclusion law will go into effect.
The new policy is the latest move on the part of Kentucky’s public higher education institutions to fall in line with House Bill 4, a Republican priority bill this past legislative session that requires public colleges and universities to dismantle and defund all DEI offices, programs and initiatives on their campuses.
EKU’s Board of Regents adopted the neutrality policy Wednesday, effective immediately, which states the university will not require students or employees to “endorse or condemn a specific ideology, political viewpoint, or social viewpoint” in order to be eligible for admission, graduation, promotion or hiring.
“Eastern Kentucky University is committed to fostering a learning environment where all students feel valued, respected and supported,” university spokesperson Sarah Baker said. “In compliance with House Bill 4, recently enacted by the Kentucky General Assembly, the university has adopted a policy on institutional viewpoint neutrality to align with state requirements.
“The university continues to evaluate other areas where further adjustments may be necessary,” Baker said. “EKU remains focused on providing opportunity, access and a high-quality education for all students.”
The policy states the university “affirms its commitment to fostering an environment that promotes intellectual diversity and upholds the free exchange of ideas.”
Staff and students are encouraged to “participate in civil discourse in their personal capacities, ensuring that the university remains a space where a wide range of perspectives can be expressed and debated freely,” and that it “values . . . robust dialogue and the free exchange of viewpoints to contribute to an intellectually diverse campus community.”
Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear vetoed House Bill 4, characterizing the premise behind the policy as being rooted in “hate,” but the GOP supermajority legislature overrode his veto.
EKU’s new policy states that its president also must “abide by the principle of institutional neutrality and shall not make any official statement on political, social or cultural matters that are not directly related to the operations, mission or legal obligations of the university.”
Kentucky’s colleges and universities must comply with the law by the time it takes effect June 27.
The state’s GOP has threatened to outlaw DEI in K-12 schools and universities since 2024.
That year, the majority party proposed three bills to that end, with only one making it nearly to the finish line. The lead sponsor of that bill, Rep. Jennifer Decker, R-Waddy, successfully revived a variation of her bill in the 2025 legislative session.
A related GOP-backed bill aiming to outlaw “discriminatory concepts” in K-12 classrooms was filed but ultimately didn’t become law.
The University of Kentucky was the first to dismantle its Office of Institutional Diversity last year, prior to HB 4’s introduction and passage, followed shortly by Northern Kentucky University. Republicans at the time praised those decisions.
Last summer UK also announced a related standard that it would no longer make statements on political or partisan events or issues, including on the university website, months after UK’s President Eli Capilouto called the legislature’s mobilization to dismantle DEI programs “deeply concerning.”
