SB 476
Selecting Neutral Accreditors Act
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- Passed Senate
- Passed House of Delegates
- To Governor
- Became Law
Bill overview
This bill, the Selecting Neutral Accreditors Act, aims to prevent accrediting agencies from incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) mandates into the accreditation process for West Virginia’s public colleges and universities. It seeks to ensure that accreditation decisions are based solely on academic rigor and student outcomes, rather than DEI initiatives. The bill requires higher education institutions to review their accrediting agencies and select those that haven’t used DEI practices in the past five years, or to switch to a new agency if none meet this criteria.
Key provisions
- Requires public colleges and universities to review their current accrediting agencies.
- Mandates institutions select accrediting agencies that haven’t used DEI practices in the past five years.
- Defines key terms like ‘accreditation,’ ‘accrediting agency,’ and ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion.’
- Establishes a process for institutions to report and address accrediting agencies with DEI practices.
- Grants the Attorney General investigative and enforcement powers related to the bill.
- Requires institutions to consider accrediting agencies when initiating new accreditation processes.
- States that the goal is to ensure academic excellence and student outcomes, not DEI mandates.
- Creates a presumption of DEI practice if an accrediting agency fails to respond to a request for information.
Who is affected
- Public colleges and universities in West Virginia
- Accrediting agencies (regional, national, and programmatic)
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