Written by Aria DeAguiar and Savannah Sanchez
This year, when students logged into Canvas, a pop-up disclaimer overtook the screen, asking students to acknowledge the new Idaho Law, which affects courses related to diversity and critical theory. Students simply clicked acknowledge and moved on with their day, though some had mixed emotions.
This disclaimer prompts students to take a moment to “scroll through and read” about Section 5909D, known as the “Freedom of Inquiry in Higher Education” law. Enacted in early July, the law places restrictions on certain diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) activities at Idaho universities.
“Boise State is committed to free expression, academic freedom and academic responsibility, as outlined in existing University policies and guidance. In this course, your instructor is dedicated to fostering open, respectful conversations and promoting the exploration of different perspectives,” the pop-up reads. “Our goal is to create an environment where you are empowered to engage and think critically about the content and topics covered in this course. You are not required to agree with everything you read, hear or discuss; ultimately, you get to decide what to believe. However, we hope you will remain open to listening, reflecting, learning and asking insightful questions along the way.”
“It popped up at the beginning of the semester and I thought it was like a terms and service for the app,” Creative Writing major Jay Rebeles said.
Sonography major Allison O’Kelly said she felt “annoyed” when she saw the new disclaimer.
“I don’t know that I necessarily support the DEI [law],” O’Kelly said. “Especially in a place like a university, you’re here to learn about different viewpoints and different topics and form your opinions from there.”
The notification also includes a reminder to students that they have the “freedom to choose” courses in alignment with their specific academic goals and a link to more information, provided by the Office of the Provost, regarding Section 675909D.
The law makes changes to the university’s curriculum in various ways, with one of the most significant changes affecting mandatory University Foundations 200 (UF200) courses. The General Education Committee, a faculty committee responsible for making decisions about general education requirements at Boise State, voted to suspend the diversity University Learning outcome from UF200.
Following this suspension, the word “diversity” is now completely omitted from the original class course title, now called “Foundations of Ethics in Society”.
Freshman Sydney Hieson, a Film major, who is taking a UF foundation course in film, noted how her studies often center on topics of diversity.
“We talk a lot about diversity. Almost every one of the movies we see has to do with diversity,” Heison said. “I feel like I’ve learned more about the world in my UF classes than any other class.”
Some students are indifferent or know little to nothing about how the law is impacting their studies. Student Aiden Kelly, who previously took a University Foundations course titled “Garbology”, shared he doesn’t have much knowledge on the new law.
“As far as the new law, I haven’t looked into too much of it to give a valid opinion,” Kelly said.
In contrast, Jay Rebeles, who is currently taking a UF200 course on Gender and Race, shared how the law has impacted how her peers navigate class discussion.
“It feels almost strained and tense inside the classroom,” Rebeles said.
“[DEI law] hasn’t helped more people open up. We’re all adults, we can have our own opinions,” Rebeles continued. “To be like, ‘you can’t share your own opinion’ is ridiculous.”
Desiree Burnette, a sociology professor, shared how the law influences her teaching philosophy.
“It is a disservice to our students because it assumes that the students aren’t capable of having their own opinions and having critical thinking skills,” Burnette said. “It’s really terrifying to me to think about these laws and the shutting down of free speech, which is such a hallmark of what it means to be an American.”
Burnette fears instead of coming to her directly with concerns, students will now report her for the things she teaches in the class.
“When I leave after teaching all day, I am completely emotionally exhausted, because I feel that I am constantly in my head thinking about every single thing that I say,” Burnette said.
“To say that we have to coddle them from not learning about these issues is to pretend like they’re not capable of processing them and making up their own opinions about them,” Burnette continued. “I’m worried about how the country views higher education and trying to shut down this exploration of ideas.”
For the spring semester, Foundations of Ethics in Society will shift from being a single course to a course category. There will be multiple topics available through UF 200 and the courses will each have a different course number.
