Oklahoma is among the reddest of states, so you might not think that its higher-ed system would need much reform — but you’d be mistaken. Leftism and DEI have penetrated far in the state’s universities, and efforts at curing that disease are not going very well.

That’s what Brandon Dutcher tells us in today’s Martin Center article:

How about rolling back DEI? Both the University of Oklahoma (OU) and Oklahoma State University (OSU) have more DEI staffers than history faculty, and indeed “diversity” is a key part of OU’s strategic plan. Even Oklahoma’s community colleges are not immune. As Florida, Texas, and other states are making progress on this front, an Oklahoma state senator from Norman filed four bills aimed at eliminating DEI practices in higher education. None of the bills received a committee hearing. To his credit, Gov. Kevin Stitt did issue an executive order on DEI. OU responded with some cosmetic changes — with the university president assuring everyone that “nobody’s losing their job” — while Oklahoma State University’s president responded by saying, “an initial review indicates that no significant changes to our processes or practices are needed.”

Even though the state’s political leadership is conservative, that isn’t translating into action to restore Oklahoma’s university system to respectability. Dutcher suggests that if we are to see the changes that are needed, the impetus will have to come from elsewhere.