Daily Skiff

April 23rd, 2008

Texas board rejects creationist master’s program

A Bible-based group’s proposal to prepare teachers in creationist thought was rejected Wednesday by a committee of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, a board spokeswoman said.

The final decision on the Institution for Creation Research’s application for certification of its master’s degree in science education will be made by the full board Thursday, board spokeswoman De Juana Lozada said.

The committee’s decision was based on a recommendation by Texas Commissioner of Higher Education Raymund Paredes. According to Paredes’ recommendation, the institute’s program is inconsistent with scientific convention and board rules that require that programs cover the breadth of the discipline taught. Consultants concluded that the program’s insistence in the literal interpretation of biblical creation gives insufficient coverage of conventional science, according to Paredes’ statement.

The institute’s Master of Science online degree program in science education teaches science from a creationist perspective, according to the institute’s Web site. The non-denominational group is founded on Christian principles.

Henry Morris III, chief executive officer of the Dallas-based institute, argued that the group teaches both evolution and creationism but favors the latter, according to a Dallas Morning News report of Wednesday’s hearing.

Students in the institute “receive a rigorous and thorough education in the sciences, in which they are exposed to standard naturalistic and evolutionary theories found in secular universities, with the additional benefit that they are also challenged with evidences of the supernatural intervention of the Creator,” according to the group’s Web site.

The institute filed for certification of its master’s degree in November, when a site evaluation team visited the campus. The team issued a report that was reviewed by an advisory council in December. The advisory council issued a non-binding recommendation in favor of the program, which was then scrutinized by Paredes. The Commissioner concluded that the review process had been flawed, as the site evaluation team members were not experts on science education and did not sufficiently address the program’s academic standards.

Paredes convened a group of science educators to offer an independent review of the institute’s proposal. After consulting with the group, Paredes issued a formal recommendation against the program. The process ends with the final decision by the nine-member coordinating board to accept, deny or amend Paredes’ recommendation.

If the board accepts Paredes’ recommendation, the institute has 45 days to file an appeal or 180 days to reapply for certification.

The Texas Education Code prohibits private higher education institutions from granting degrees without a Certificate of Authority issued by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The two-year certificate is a preliminary step for institutions seeking approval to grant degrees in Texas and depends on the institution receiving formal accreditation by a board-recognized accrediting agency.

The Institute for Creation Research will issue a press release Thursday following the board’s final decision, the institute’s managing editor Beth Mull wrote in an e-mail.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008 at 4:59 pm and is filed under Newsroom, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

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