Republicans See New Path To Challenge ‘Woke’ Universities

Congressional Republicans are exploring whether a budget reconciliation bill could be used to drive out “wokeness” in higher education and overhaul the accreditation system that determines whether colleges and universities can access billions of dollars in federal student aid. 

The effort was discussed on Thursday during a panel hosted by Defending Education. This conservative, grassroots organization argues that accrediting agencies have become vehicles for pushing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and other leftist priorities onto schools.

Accreditation is a little-understood but powerful process that determines whether colleges and universities can access billions of dollars in federal student aid. Defending Education argues that some accrediting agencies have abused their authority by becoming ideological enforcers pushing requirements unrelated to educational quality. 

The group pointed to the American Bar Association’s law school accreditation agency as one example. Defending Education said the ABA pushes anti-bias training mandates that universities must adopt to secure accreditation for their law schools.

Republicans are now discussing whether changes to the accreditation system could be included in a budget reconciliation package, which can pass the Senate with a simple majority and avoid a Democrat filibuster.

Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), a leading advocate for accreditation reform, argued Thursday that the current system advances a left-wing agenda that undermines Western civilization.

Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) echoed that criticism, saying, “They use forces like this [accreditation] to jam their beliefs on us. There shouldn’t be left-captured monopolies that get to decide what we believe and what we do.”

The panel also featured current and former law students who argued that ideological pressure extends beyond accrediting agencies and into the classroom.

Edward Goul, a second-year law student at the University of Pennsylvania, told the panel that only one right-leaning professor currently serves on the law school’s faculty. He added that many conservative students choose not to disclose their political views out of concern that doing so could hurt their chances of receiving recommendations for clerkships, law review positions, and other opportunities critical to their legal careers.

The other student, a recent University of Virginia law graduate who asked not to be identified, told The Daily Wire that some professors appear to factor students’ political views into classroom interactions and grading.