11. Department of Education · Notable · Needs Congress
Bar accreditors from undermining faith-based institutions
Printed page 352 11. Department of Education
“Protect faith-based institutions by prohibiting accreditation agencies from: 1. Requiring standards and criteria that undermine the religious beliefs of, or require policies or conduct that conflict with, the religious mission or religious beliefs of the institution; and … 2. Intruding on the governance of colleges and universities controlled by a religious organization.”
What has happened
- Attempted
The proposed rewrite of 34 CFR part 602 carves religious-mission institutions out of the new viewpoint-neutrality duties at every point: proposed section 602.18 requires accrediting decisions to be neutral as to viewpoint and ideology “except for those with a religious mission”, and the proposed academic-freedom, intellectual-diversity and faculty standards each say the agency must instead evaluate whether the institution's protections are “consistent with the institution's religious mission”. What the NPRM does not do is the Quote's second limb — bar accreditors from intruding on the governance of religiously controlled colleges; proposed section 602.23(j) protects the governance of *public* institutions only. Congress has not acted: the Fairness in Higher Education Accreditation Act (S. 1569, H.R. 5121) was referred, and H.R. 4054, which carries religious-mission protections, sits on the Union Calendar.
- Attempted
The Department's first act under Executive Order 14279 was a Dear Colleague Letter revoking the 2022 pre-clearance process for changing accreditors and listing, as a reason an institution may legitimately switch, wanting “an accreditor who better aligns with a religious mission”. An exit route, not a prohibition on the standards themselves.
Research log
- Action
- restrict
- Object
- Accreditation agencies' treatment of faith-based institutions
- ID
- 882