What Ohio’s Senate Bill 1 Means for Students
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Written by Helaina Rucinski
It starts like any normal day on Cleveland State’s campus. You wake up, head to class, open your laptop and prepare to take notes. But today, something’s different, it’s not just another normal day. Your professor announces changes to the syllabus — fewer open discussions and more restrictions on what can be covered in class. It’s not just a policy change; it’s a sign of a broader shift. In Ohio, this is becoming the new reality. Under Ohio’s Senate Bill 1, the state is stepping further into the classroom — and the effects are already here.
Background on SB1
Senate Bill 1, also known as SB 1, passed through the Ohio House earlier this year and was signed into law by Gov. Mike DeWine on March 28, 2025. The bill is set to reshape campus life and college curriculum in significant ways.
At its core, SB 1 prohibits diversity, equity and inclusion programs in public colleges and universities. It also bans faculty from striking, requires a new American civics course for all undergraduates and directs universities to remain neutral on “controversial” topics.
Sociology professor Michael Skladany, who has taught at Cleveland State for 10 years and has more than 40 years of experience in higher education, said the instruction to remain neutral on controversial topics is a misguided attempt to suppress academic exploration.
“I don’t think we’re indoctrinating anyone. I think if we go with the critical thinking model, it all comes down to evidence,” Skladany said.
Skladany believes true education requires engaging with complex, sometimes uncomfortable topics, through critical analysis.
The bill also ensures there are consequences for institutions that fail to comply with the new laws. Universities could risk losing state funding if they do not meet the requirements outlined in the bill. We saw this happen in April with the prestigious Ivy League, Harvard University. The university faced penalties for refusing to comply with government demands that the university argued infringed on academic freedom and the First Amendment.
What Changes are Coming?
Students are expected to see the most visible effects in campus programs and services. Gender and women’s support centers, multicultural centers and LGBTQ+ support centers are all at risk of being shut down. This is something Cleveland State has already seen with its Office of Inclusion Multicultural Engagement, The Mareyjoyce Green Office of Women’s Support Services and LGBTQ+ Student Services being removed from the university’s website.
Sophomore Dylan Shaw, who has researched SB 1 extensively, said the removal of such centers creates deep challenges for students.
“How do you expect students to even be willing to attend class, let alone learn and engage with each other, if they don’t have places where they can gather and have people they’re familiar with?” Shaw said. “When you don’t have these centers, students are alone again. They’re isolated again.”
Changes will also be felt inside the classroom. Since universities must remain neutral on certain political and social issues, professors may begin to self-censor when discussing topics that could be seen as controversial. This is expected to play a distinct role in departments like sociology, where professors often cover a wide range of complex and socially charged subjects.
Classroom dialogue is not the only thing being inspected, the course syllabus is also being evaluated.
“Never before in 40 years of teaching have I seen so much scrutiny on course syllabi,” Skladany said. “With all the attention on syllabi and course content, it keeps you away from further investigations and scholarly development of a given topic, because it’s deemed controversial.”
He added, “I wish that rather than scrutinizing syllabi, politicians would look more at some of the constraints that students face whereby they’re denied the opportunity to reach their full potential.”
With the sweeping changes that are to come with SB 1, professors could also adjust how they teach.
Skladany said when it comes to his own teaching style, he plans to keep all the course material the same, but is checking himself more carefully when it comes to statistical details.
“I’ll say something like the divorce rate is 50%, and that’s something I’ve been using for years, but now I’ll actually go and recheck it and make sure that’s what it is,” Skladany said.
American Civics Literacy Course
One of the clearest and highly debated changes in SB 1, particularly among students, is the addition of a mandatory three-credit-hour American Civics Literacy course. The class, which is planned to be in place by 2030, is to emphasize the history of the American government and the value of capitalism. Every undergraduate student at public universities will be required to take it as a graduation requirement.
Shaw explained that while he understands the importance of the topics that are discussed in the course, he questions the motive behind the requirement.
“I don’t view it as inherently negative… however, I feel that it’s more ideologically pointed than that.”
Shaw said he believes this course isn’t just for the sake of educating, but rather “for the sake of pushing students down a particular line of thought.”
At the same time, Shaw acknowledged that “these are things that, especially in college, are good to know.”
Student Response on Campuses
Protests and student movements are expected to increase across Ohio campuses. This is because, for many students, the loss of DEI resources means losing spaces that provided them with necessary support. At Cleveland State, students may notice changes in campus activities and programs or centers offered to students.
Shaw noted that while he sees student response on surrounding campuses, he does not see much student response at CSU. Shaw, a commuter himself, believes this is partly because of the school’s commuter identity.
“I don’t blame most people for saying I’m coming here to get my work done and then I just want to go home,” he said. “I think we need a lot more awareness, support and energy. People are exhausted, people are lost, and some people genuinely don’t care.”
Although Senate Bill 1 is already in place, its rollout will take years. Students today may only see the early stages, while future classes will feel its full effects.
Students who are eager to make a difference and want to follow how SB1 is carried out at their school can join existing campus organizations and stay informed through university updates and local media.
