Should we change the rules for college accreditation?
H.R. 3724 aims to prevent the use of political or ideological requirements in the accreditation of higher education institutions by amending the Higher Education Act of 1965. The bill prohibits accrediting agencies from enforcing or encouraging institutions to support or oppose specific social, political, or ideological viewpoints as part of the accreditation process. It also emphasizes the protection of free speech on campuses, requiring institutions to disclose their free speech policies and uphold the First Amendment. Institutions that fail to comply risk losing eligibility for federal funding.
Sponsor: Rep. Burgess Owens (Republican, Utah, District 4)
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Opponents say
• "Republicans have long sought to politicize the academy and blur the lines between academic theory, research, scientific method, political viewpoints, and belief. H.R. 3724's first effect will be to further this effort by inserting this blurring of lines directly into the assessment of academic quality of a school's programs itself. Any academic discipline that includes a “controversial” view could be one that accreditors fear assessing, lest they run afoul of this provision. Accreditors are further refrained from assessing an institution or program of study's commitment to any ideology, belief, or viewpoint. For example, if H.R. 3724 became law, would a program accreditor, in assessing the quality of a university environmental science program, be forced to ignore that the program banned the teaching of the consensus scientific belief that man-made climate change is real because it was seen as “political” or merely a “viewpoint”? The litmus test provision will result in a chilling effect setting in among accreditors, scaring them from taking an honest look at a school's claims as to its mission or the quality of its programs, for fear they may wade into waters that could be considered “controversial”." Source: Statement from Committee on Education and the Workforce Democrats
Proponents say
• "Accreditors wield significant influence over colleges and their curriculum, at times weighing an institution’s eligibility for federal financial aid against their commitment to woke diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Our nation’s education system shines when diverse voices and viewpoints are shared and heard – not by choking dissent and forcing political ideology. The Accreditation for College Excellence (ACE) Act forces accreditors to focus on what matters: Producing workforce-ready graduates." Rep. Burgess Owens (Republican, Utah, District 4)
