In July, an official DEI-CRT definition was approved by the state finance council after the Kansas Board of Regents coordinated with administration from all Kansas universities to develop the wording. Faculty interviewed by The Sunflower described uncertainty about how the definition will be communicated and applied—particularly around what may be discussed in classrooms and how decisions about what counts as “systemic” could be made.
At Wichita State, one early change involved general education. The university’s seventh general education section previously required a course with diverse content, but that requirement was changed by last academic year’s Faculty Senate. As institutions wait for how an exemption process will work, faculty described both potential flexibility in the wording and concerns about future compliance.
Universities do not need to be fully in compliance until July 2028, while Kansas universities are currently in a waiting period for the exemption process decision. Faculty leaders said there may be opportunities for instructors to participate in exemption rationales based on student learning objectives and accrediting requirements.