The National Center for Science Education (NCSE) is reporting that the Institute for Creation Research (ICR) has apparently given up on their attempts to award a master's of Science Graduate degree in science education. In case you missed it, it is something I have blogged about a few times. (Texas scores a big win! , Texas on a different but related subject, Showdown in Texas, Hasn't Texas had enough, and Yea for Texas). Basically they were trying to award an MS graduate degree with, in my opinion, little science involved -- in particular evolution. In all honesty how can an organization award any type of science degree when everything they do is filtered through biblical colored glasses?
Unfortunately they will not be folding up their revival tent and going home, they plan to opening
". . . the ICR's School of Biblical Apologetics, which offers a Master of Christian Education degree; Creation Research is one of four minors. The ICR explains, "Due to the nature of ICR's School of Biblical Apologetics — a predominantly religious education school — it is exempt from licensing by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board [THECB]. Likewise, ICR's School of Biblical Apologetics is legally exempt from being required to be accredited by any secular or ecumenical or other type of accrediting association."This does open the question is that if the THECB isn't going to license or otherwise certify their education program, who will? Will it become a unaccredited group like the Patriot Bible University , the group that 'awarded' Kent Hovind, aka Dr. Dino, his PhD? Will they seek alternative accreditation? My opinion is they will remain unaccredited as long as some number of people are willing to pay to attend their idea of education. After which they will discontinue their program, or rename it in the interest of suckering in a few more paying souls.
What I find most interesting is that they made a point about being unaccredited when there are several nationally recognized accreditation associations for non-secular schools, like
- Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools (AARTS)
- Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS) Commission on Accrediting
- Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE) Commission on Accreditation
- Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) Accreditation Commission
Yet the ICR isn't seeking them out. I wonder why? It does make one think why they do not take advantage of being accredited. Actually it doesn't make me wonder, but I know I won't be applying for a degree from them. I question whether it will be worth the paper it would be printed on!
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I wonder if they could get around this by adding scare quotes: a Master of "Science" degree, or one in Christian "Education". :)
ReplyDeleteDr. M, your comment made me think of something . . well less than savory and certainly not sweet.
ReplyDeleteOK, bear with me . . . a degree Science Education would normally be preparatory for someone planning to enter the field of science education. Their focus would be not only on science, but teaching techniques for teaching science. Does that make sense?
Now the ICR's degree in "Christian" Education does not appear to make the same distinction. It's not to prepare someone to teach Christianity -- is that even a specialization area? It appears more to declare an educator who teaches ONLY the narrow Christian, dare I say Evangelical, viewpoint of the ICR. They will not be more knowledgably about the subject area, but actually less knowledgeable. Worse than less knowledgable, but less open-minded when considering subject concepts outside their ICR-issued blinders. Not a good thing in a Teacher.
From that thinking I believe your "scare" quotes are even more appropriate.
It was only a desire not to go overboard that prevented me from writing "Master" of "Christian" "Education". :)
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure that would be overboard!
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