Regents approve bylaw and policy changes on equal‑opportunity language after public comment and split votes

LINCOLN, Neb. — The University of Nebraska Board of Regents voted April 11 to amend multiple bylaws and system policies that remove or revise affirmative‑action and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) language, a move that drew extended public comment and divided votes from regents.

The board approved two separate, related measures in Chapter 12 (items 12C2 and 12C4), along with related bylaws and policy updates the board said are intended to align system rules with recent federal guidance and executive actions. The measures passed after roll‑call votes in which several regents voted no or abstained.

The changes follow guidance from the U.S. Department of Education and an administration executive order referenced repeatedly during the meeting. Supporters on the board described the amendments as efforts to ensure university policies comply with federal contractor obligations; opponents said removing explicit protections could harm recruitment, retention and student success.

Members of the public urged the board to pause or reject the changes. Stephanie Bondi, a higher‑education doctoral student, told the regents the proposed bylaw edits “remove affirmative action, removing words like race, ethnicity, gender identity from the bylaws” and warned the change would reduce retention and increase harassment of minoritized students. “This is what the research says,” Bondi said.

Crystal Garcia, an associate professor at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, urged the regents to “pause response via bylaws changes” and called the Dear Colleague letter and executive guidance “vague” and politically motivated. “History will remember your bravery,” Garcia said, urging the board to resist what she called coercive federal pressure.

Student speakers also opposed the change. Zachary Bursch, a sophomore and peer mentor at UNL, said removing the ability to discuss identity would send a message to students that “you do not care about them.” UNO student Ellie Calderon Palacios read excerpts from hundreds of postcards submitted to the board that said the proposed amendments “actively erase the identities of many staff, students, and faculty.”

Several regents described the vote as difficult. Regent [last name recorded in transcript as] Shearer — who cast a yes vote — said he understood the concerns but voiced priority for protecting federal funding streams that support students. “For all I know, by not doing this, we may lose health funding grants,” he said during the debate. Regent [last name recorded as] Wilmot and Regent [last name recorded as] Clare spoke to the gravity of the decision and the need to avoid unintended fiscal consequences.

The roll call for the bylaws amendment under item 12C2 produced a split vote: several regents voted against the change, one regent recorded an abstention, and a majority voted in favor. (The meeting transcript records the roll‑call sequence; see the provenance section below for exact transcript excerpts.) The board later approved the related policy amendments in item 12C4 after additional debate and procedural votes.

Why this matters: The University of Nebraska is the state's largest public system and a federal contractor. Changes to system bylaws and equal‑opportunity policy can affect hiring, student services, research practices and how campuses document compliance for federal awards. Opponents at the meeting said the proposed language reduces explicit commitments that help recruit and retain historically underrepresented students and staff. Supporters said the updates are intended to avoid conflicts with federal requirements for contractors.

Board action: The board approved multiple related bylaw and policy updates (items 12C1–12C4). Item 12C1, an update to section 1.1 of the bylaws clarifying administrative structure, passed unanimously. Item 12C2 (section 3 updates) and item 12C4 (policy changes referenced in 3.10.3 and others) passed by roll call after public comment and internal debate. Item 12C3, which created a consolidated parental‑leave policy to replace prior maternal/paternal leave language, also passed.

What the public said: Members of faculty and student bodies urged the board not to adopt changes they described as a reaction to federal political pressure. “We should be here discussing policies that strengthen our communities,” Crystal Garcia said. Student speakers presented postcards and statements alleging the changes would harm first‑generation and Pell‑eligible students.

What the board said: Regents who voted for the changes argued the system must comply with federal contractor obligations and said the policy edits were intended to preserve the university’s ability to receive federal funding. Several regents emphasized they did not intend to remove protections from students but to reword policies to avoid legal conflict.

What’s next: The board said additional chapters of the bylaws will return for review at the June meeting. Several regents urged robust training and communication to campus leaders and personnel to implement the changes; a separate motion to require mandatory annual training for all personnel was proposed but did not pass.

Speakers quoted in this article spoke during the public comment period and the regents’ discussion on April 11, 2025. The transcript excerpts supporting this article are cited in the provenance field below.

Ending: The board concluded its bylaws votes and moved on to consent and other agenda items; the broader process of revising the system bylaws will continue with further committee work and a scheduled June board review.