*Chronicle of Higher Education* Monday, November 19 "Psychology Accreditor Drops Proposal That Worried Religious Colleges" By BETH McMURTRIE
The American Psychological Association has killed a proposal that would have forced religious colleges to fully comply with an antidiscrimination policy in its accreditation standards, after the U.S. Education Department warned that the group risked violating civil-rights laws and the Constitution. The association's accreditation standards exempt religious colleges from certain diversity requirements by allowing them to use preferential treatment in admissions and employment for people who adhere to an institution's faith. The exemption has been used by a handful of evangelical Christian schools of psychology that require faculty members to sign statements of faith and ask professors and students to abide by codes of conduct that, among other things, prohibit sex outside of marriage. Critics of those policies say they discriminate against gay and lesbian scholars and students, while the schools say the policies are essential to maintain the religious integrity of their programs. Earlier this month, the APA's Committee on Accreditation unanimously rejected a proposal that would have removed the exemption, known as Footnote 4. During a six-month public-comment period leading up to the vote, the association received 224 responses, which were evenly divided between supporters and critics of the exemption. In a statement, the APA wrote that its decision had been based, in part, on the Supreme Court's "increased deference to First Amendment interests over antidiscrimination statutes." The APA's decision is important to the religious institutions because it is the only organization approved by the Education Department to accredit doctoral and postdoctoral programs in psychology. Graduates of unaccredited programs may find it more difficult to secure licenses to practice or to find jobs. Several states, for example, require those who sit for licensure examinations to have graduated from APA-accredited programs, while the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Health and Human Services' Public Health Service will not hire psychologists who have graduated from unaccredited programs. Susan F. Zlotlow, director of the APA's Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation, said the association began reconsidering the exemption in 1999. "When the committee was first looking at removing Footnote 4, the legal climate was very different," she said. "Things have changed since then. They had to take that into account." The association also worried that its recognition by the Education Department was at risk if it removed the exemption. Only those colleges and universities that are accredited by federally recognized agencies are allowed to receive federal funds. In a letter to Ms. Zlotlow, the Education Department's deputy secretary, William D. Hansen, said the department had "deep concern" over the proposal. He cited the religious protections found in the First Amendment and in civil law, adding that if the association removed the exemption, "it would be acting inconsistently with this long tradition of ensuring and protecting religious liberty." Because the association is acting on the government's behalf, Mr. Hansen noted that in denying accreditation to an institution for following its religious tenets, the APA could place the department at risk of violating the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The law is meant to prevent the government from excessively interfering with a person's exercise of religion. Ms. Zlotlow said the APA also had received a letter from the U.S. Department of Justice, after the committee had already voted, that raised similar concerns. Religious institutions that depend on the exemption were relieved. "We're elated with the decision," said Winston E. Gooden, dean of the School of Psychology at Fuller Theological Seminary. "We feel now that programs like the one at Fuller can relax and pursue our work without fear that we will be in violation of accrediting guidelines." But Sari H. Dworkin, a professor of counselor education at California State University at Fresno, and president of the APA's Society for the Psychological Study of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Issues, said the vote had sent a disturbing message. The association's own guidelines, she said, claim to value diversity and fair treatment for all. "I don't think a professional organization like the APA should accredit programs that violate its own ethics code," she said. Ms. Zlotlow said the APA continued to support the fair treatment of faculty members and students. The decision, she said, "basically shows the committee is still committed to diversity in all its forms, including religious diversity." --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
