The Iowa Board of Regents approved a twice-yearly review cycle for general education courses that include “substantial DEI or critical race theory content.” The policy begins with the 2026–27 academic year and is designed to avoid cutting courses or adding requirements, according to Board President Robert Cramer. The board’s action is positioned as a less restrictive alternative to proposed state legislation that would have forced course changes or bans. A key concern from dissenting regent Nancy Dunkel is competitive and governance-related: she argued political review could undermine confidence that curricular decisions are made through established academic processes. The board said the review is unlikely to find broad curriculum changes, and it estimates the process will require more than 1,000 hours of staff work across the regents and the three universities involved—University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and University of Northern Iowa.