A committee of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board will hear public testimony this morning regarding the Institute for Creation Research, which is seeking state accreditation. (The ICR had offered graduate courses in California since 1981, but its recent move to Texas requires new accreditation.) The ICR specializes in "the study and promotion of scientific creationism, biblical creationism, and related fields" and offers an online master's degree program for science education that trains science teachers using a "biblical framework."
According to a press release from the Texas Freedom Network, an online survey of science faculty at both public and private Texas colleges and universities "reveals overwhelming opposition" to state approval for the ICR's master's degree in science education. Of the nearly 200 faculty members who responded to the survey, conducted in association with the National Center for Science Education, 95 percent said they opposed certifying the program. "Our

universities should be training science teachers who can provide a 21st-century education in Texas classrooms," said Kathy Miller, president of the TFN Education Fund. "Approving degree programs that instead promote a false conflict between science and faith would be a disservice to students and a threat to our state's reputation as a center for science and research."
Back in December, however, a Texas advisory council of university educators recommended that the state grant accreditation to the ICR. The committee of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board will make its recommendation today, and it's expected the full board will vote on certification tomorrow. —Heather Wax