University funding changes after identity center closures

Over the summer, Senate Bill 1 went into effect on June 27, 2025, for state colleges and universities in Ohio, leaving students frustrated and questioning the future of identity groups on campus. Samantha Cwiklinski, a junior Photography student at Kent State, expressed her disappointment with the school’s compliance. “A lot of people found community in those centers,” Cwiklinski said. “It just feels like they don’t care, like they didn’t even try to push back.”

The Advance Ohio Higher Education act, otherwise known as SB1, was signed into law in March 2025, and eliminated DEI programs, training and orientations at state institutions of higher learning. 

In a statement released by the Kent State University Division of Student Life on June 27th, 2025, Vice President of Student Life, Eboni Pringle, announced that the LGBTQ+ Center, Women’s Center, and Student Multicultural Center would close in order to comply with the new state law. Isabelle Tooley, a student who actively attended the Women’s Center, said she was disappointed with the University for their compliance. However, if the University had not complied with the law, the state of Ohio would withhold millions of dollars a year. 

“That bothers us, that we don’t really feel like they want to fight for us, or that they’re even willing to,” Tooley said.

Despite the centers closing, the spaces that they occupied are still available on Kent’s campus. The Williamson House is still the home for Sexual and Relationship Violence Support Services (SRVSS), and the E. Timothy Moore Center, which housed the multicultural center, is still open and available for student use. Staff members who used to work at the centers were not laid off. Rather, they were offered other positions on campus.

After the closures, students questioned how Kent State would continue to support identity groups that were affected while also abiding by the new law. Between the three centers, Kent State University provided roughly $496,000 in funding, according to the Assistant Vice President of Content Strategy and Communications, Eric Mansfield. Since closing the centers, Kent State shifted those funds to Undergraduate Student Government. 

“The center funding was used to increase the allocations account for Undergraduate Student Government,” Mansfield said. “This increase in allocations will allow Undergraduate Student Government to allocate funding to student organizations interested in providing programming and support to students.”

Ivory Kendrick, Undergraduate Student Government president, said he found out about the increase in allocations only a few weeks before the fall semester started. 

“I had a meeting with the higher administration and the funds in question that we were discussing,” Kendrick said. “They had told me that they were  working on trying to get any leftover funds, especially from the identity centers, and trying to give it to USG, so that we can give it back to the students.” 

With little time to prepare for the allocations, Kendrick said the plan for how to use the funds is still unclear for USG. 

“As of right now, we do not have them (the funds) yet,” Kendrick said. “We are still working on the process of what that would look like and how that transfer would look.” 

Kendrick said the discussions thus far have been about what percentage of the funds will go to identity based organizations. However, the amounts that will be given will be based on how large each organization is and what their operational budgets require. 

“There are tiers to organizations,” Kendrick explained. “So if you have an organization that has 800 members, that would be Tier Three. If you have 10 members, you would be Tier One.” 

He also said that most of the funds will go toward regular USG allocations rather than strictly identity based groups, meaning all student organizations would be able to apply for them. 

“All allocations are fair game as long as you go through the right process,” Kendrick said.

“Ksurge” is a student organization that focuses on women’s rights and gender equity. Tooley, is a member of Ksurge, and said she is concerned about how the funding may look for her organization. Tooley said Ksurge is a smaller organization, and many of the members are unaware of how allocations requests work.  

“Most of our funding comes from ourselves, but I think USG gives us $500 a year, so about $250 a semester,” Tooley said. “I think if we had to request money, I would need to go to a friend in USG and make sure it can get done, because I’m not sure we can get it done without that assistance.” 

Kendrick said allocations take a considerable amount of time to complete, and the process is not as simple as just asking for money. 

“They have to submit [a request] six weeks prior to the date they need the funds for, and then they must attend an allocations hearing,” Kendrick said. “Then USG discusses the offer, and they will either give them an offer, or in the worst case scenario, they have to tell them no. But most of the time we try to work something out.” 

Despite the concerns from KSurge, Tooley said the organization is glad USG is being trusted with reallocating the funds. 

“I think they have always been pretty decent with money, and at least students get a decent amount of choice into where those funds go now,” Tooley said. 

There are some organizations on campus that have not yet received funding from USG, and Tooley is hopeful that they will be able to receive funds soon. 

 

The allocations are not the only topic of discussion between Kendrick and the administration. He said that they are also looking to assist in updating the spaces the centers used, and that way students can still use them as a place to connect. 

“Even though they are not identity centers anymore, they should still be a place where students can go to hang out,” Kendrick said. “If it was up to me, those places would be upgraded with TV’s, couches and coffee makers, and then advertise it as maybe a new study space.” 

Kendrick said his mission is to make things feel like they did before SB1. “With the identity centers closing we have really put it on students to take up the mantle, and USG is really committed to helping with that,” he said. “We are trying to make things go back to normal, because that’s when all students felt like they were supported.”