[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 33 (Thursday, March 1, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E296]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          PROTECTING ACADEMIC FREEDOM IN HIGHER EDUCATION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. MARTHA ROBY

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 28, 2012

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2117) to 
     prohibit the Department of Education from overreaching into 
     academic affairs and program eligibility under title IV of 
     the Higher Education Act of 1965:

  Mrs. ROBY. Madam Chair, I rise today to highlight the passage of H.R. 
2117, the Protecting Academic Freedom in Higher Education Act (H.R. 
2117). The House of Representatives approved this legislation on 
February 28, 2012.
  I am a proud cosponsor and a Member of the Education and the 
Workforce Committee, which debated and reported this bill out of 
Committee with a bipartisan vote last summer.
  If enacted, this legislation would remove costly and burdensome 
regulations from colleges and universities across the country. In a 
time of federal government expansion, H.R. 2117 would help curtail the 
Department of Education's overreach into the rules and regulations 
governing institutions of higher learning. The bill contains two 
provisions that would repeal recent Department of Education mandates. 
These provisions relate to the federal definition of a credit hour and 
to the way states authorize and license institutions of higher 
education.
  Historically, each institution of higher learning maintained the 
ability to determine what constitutes a credit hour subject to the 
oversight of accrediting agencies that would determine the specific 
number of credit hours to assign each course. Over time the federal 
government became more involved in the process. I strongly believe that 
the federal government should not impose a one-size-fits-all approach 
to determine standard credit hours for all colleges and universities. 
This decision should be made at the state and institutional levels.
  Burdensome federal regulation of institutions of higher learning slow 
innovative learning and increase costs for students. Federal government 
regulations should not control a states' decision whether to grant a 
college or university permission to operate within that state.
  Madam Chair, I have heard from numerous institutions across Alabama 
regarding these challenges. Please allow me to submit a letter into the 
Congressional Record from the president of Spring Hill College, which 
is located in my home state of Alabama, for support of H.R. 2117. This 
letter explains how the Department's intrusive regulations are 
hampering growth of Spring Hill College. The letter also notes that the 
high cost associated with federal regulations stifle educational 
opportunities when those costs must be transferred to students. The 
federal government must not impede the work of our colleges and 
universities. When this happens, students are the ones most negatively 
affected.
  Removing federal standards and granting states and institutions more 
flexibility is the key for expanding learning for all students. By 
allowing institutions to determine the educational needs of its 
students and by releasing states from these new mandates, we can move 
our system forward. I look forward to continued bipartisan support of 
the Protecting Academic Freedom in Higher Education Act, and I 
encourage our friends in the Senate to give H.R. 2117 serious 
consideration in the coming months.

     Hon. Martha Roby,
     House of Representatives, U.S. Congress, Cannon House Office 
         Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Congresswoman Roby: As I know you are aware, the House 
     of Representatives has now scheduled H.R. 2117 to be 
     discussed on the house floor this week. As president of one 
     of the 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United 
     States, I urge you to lend your support to this important 
     legislation.
       H.R. 2117 addresses regulatory overreach by rescinding 
     regulations on credit hour and state authorization, imposed 
     by the Department of Education that became effective July 1, 
     2011. I, along with my fellow Jesuit college presidents, 
     believe these regulations are intrusive and inappropriate.
       Determining credit hour requirements has been and should be 
     determined by the institution of higher education that awards 
     credit for fulfilling academic work. National higher 
     education accrediting agencies through long established peer 
     review processes oversee how colleges and universities award 
     college credit, and that is the way it should be. Spring Hill 
     College, for example, is an accredited member of the Southern 
     Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS.)
       The current federal regulatory definition interferes with 
     the integrity of awarding college credits with a one size 
     fits all approach. This approach hinders course creativity 
     and academic autonomy.
       This regulation also impacts institutions that provide 
     distance education courses by mandating unnecessary filings 
     in states that result in more costs of time and money for 
     many institutions. As I'm sure you recall, testimony given by 
     several college presidents to the House Subcommittee on 
     Postsecondary and Workforce Training pointed out that 
     ``unnecessary federal regulations will impose additional 
     regulatory burdens on colleges and universities, which could 
     lead to higher costs being passed down to low-income and 
     disadvantaged students. H.R. 2117, the Protecting Academic 
     Freedom in Higher Education Act, ensures that colleges and 
     universities are able to focus their energy and resources on 
     educating students. Congress and the Administration should 
     focus on increasing educational opportunities for students 
     and streamlining federal regulations that inhibit innovation 
     in higher education,'' according to the subcommittee's 
     summary. Therefore, I ask for your support of H.R. 2117.
       I can also assure you that Spring Hill College continues to 
     implement and seek further ways to hold down college costs 
     while staying true to our mission to form leaders engaged in 
     learning, faith, justice and service for life.
       Thank you for all you do for our Alabama and for your 
     support of Spring Hill College and our important mission. We 
     look forward to welcoming you to our campus when your 
     schedule permits.
       May God Bless you.
           Sincerely,
                                           Richard P. Salmi, S.J.,
     President, Spring Hill College.

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