Indiana Colleges Face Scrutiny Over ‘American Values‘ Commitment for New Degree Programs
Indiana’s Commission for Higher Education will now require colleges and universities to detail how new degree programs align with “American values” as part of teh approval process, a move sparking concerns about academic freedom and political influence over higher education. The new criteria, announced monday, apply to all public and private institutions seeking to establish new academic offerings in the state.
The policy comes amid a broader trend of increasing political involvement in Indiana’s higher education landscape, with lawmakers enacting measures impacting shared governance, tenure, and curriculum in recent years. Critics fear the “American values” requirement could be used to stifle academic inquiry and limit program offerings based on ideological grounds.
In a statement, the Commission said it will assess whether programs prepare students to be “effective citizens” and contribute to the state’s workforce needs. Commission officials did not immediately elaborate on how “american values” would be defined or assessed.
The Indiana chapter of the American Association of University Professors expressed strong opposition, stating in its newsletter, “This policy is the latest effort by Indiana’s politicians to take power away from faculty and cheapen the education students have access to in Indiana.” Some professors told Inside Higher Ed the policy opens the door to curtailing programs and academic freedom.
Recent legislative actions include requirements for “intellectual diversity” in classrooms, mandates for degree consolidation, the elimination of alumni-elected Indiana University board members, changes to tenure policies, and reduced faculty input in university decisions.Lawmakers passed a bill in February requiring universities to demonstrate intellectual diversity, and in June, colleges began cutting and merging over 400 degree programs ahead of the new state law.A separate measure eliminated alumni depiction on the IU Board of Trustees, and another altered tenure considerations.