Owens Protects Colleges from Activist Accreditors

Washington, D.C. — Higher Education and Workforce Committee Vice Chair Burgess Owens (R-UT) introduced the Accreditation for College Excellence Act to prohibit accrediting agencies from requiring, encouraging, or coercing institutions to adopt political litmus tests or violate constitutionally protected rights as a condition of accreditation. 

“For too long, activist accreditors have weaponized the accreditation process to push far-left ideology, pressuring colleges to submit to ideological tests that have nothing to do with education,” said Rep. Owens. “The result: DEI mandates, CRT programs, and a culture that divides students by race instead of uniting them through merit. The ACE Act puts an end to this nonsense and ensures that institutions of higher education focus on academic standards—not politics.”

“The Accreditation for College Excellence Act would ensure medical schools  focus on arming our future doctors with the knowledge and skills to provide the best medical care. We commend Congressman Owens and his colleagues for exposing political activists posing as accreditors mandating discriminatory DEI policies that corrupt the true purpose of medical education. It is plain common sense to prioritize academic excellence and freedom in higher education so that American students are trained without bias or discrimination.” – Stanley Goldfarb, MD, Chairman of Do No Harm

Background on the Accreditation for College Excellence (ACE) Act: 

• Requires accreditors to confirm their standards do not require, encourage, or coerce an institution to support or oppose specific partisan or political beliefs, viewpoints on social or political issues, or support the disparate treatment of any individual or group;
• Prohibits accreditors from assessing an institution’s commitment to any ideology, belief, or viewpoint for the purposes of receiving accreditation for HEA funding;
• Protects a college’s religious mission and ability to require adherence with religious practices or codes of conduct; 
• Ensures that an accreditor cannot require, encourage, or coerce an institution to violate any right protected by the Constitution;
• Limits accreditors from adopting any additional standards for accreditation.

The full text of the legislation is available here. 

WASHINGTON EXAMINER: Burgess Owens introduces bill codifying protections for schools against DEI mandates

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