news

On Tuesday, Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green) voted to limit the Department of Education’s overreach into academic matters at higher education institutions by repealing two federal rules – the federal definition of a credit hour and the federal authorization requirement. The Protecting Academic Freedom in Higher Education Act (H.R. 2117) passed by a strong bipartisan vote of 303 to 114.

“In an effort to prevent federal intrusion in academic affairs and protect student choice in higher education, I voted to overturn two overly burdensome and expensive regulations on colleges and universities that could impact the education of rural students enrolled in distance education programs,” said Rep. Latta.

The legislation repeals the Department of Education’s “state authorization” regulation, which forces colleges or universities with online or distance learning programs to get permission from every state where students live, as opposed to where institutions operate in. The legislation also repeals part of the federal credit hour regulation, which restricts innovative teaching methods.

Dr. Paul Marion, president of Tiffin University supports H.R 2117 which he says, “will strengthen higher education and provide an enhanced learning environment for students. I hope that this measure is passed by the U.S. Senate and is signed by the President. If not, colleges and universities throughout the U.S. will not be able to serve students as effectively as possible.”

The American Council on Education supports this legislation.