Editing Institute for Creation Research (section)

==School and accreditation==
In June 1981, the ICR received formal state approval in California to offer degree programs in science.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-02-19-vw-9704-story.html |title=Creation Theory Goes to a Graduate School : State-Approved Institute Teaches Bible-Based Beliefs and Attempts to Shoot Down Evolution |date=February 19, 1986 |access-date=April 29, 2020 |language=en-US}}</ref> In 1988, the ICR sought re-approval. A five-person committee from the [[California Department of Education]] sent to evaluate ICR's degree program found its graduate school consisted of only five full-time faculty and some courses were videotaped rather than professor-led instruction. The committee failed to grant re-approval by 3–2 vote, a move the ICR attributed to "religious intolerance" rather than criticisms of the quality of education it provided.<ref name="Numbers 2006 318"/> This resulted in [[California State Superintendent of Public Instruction|California's State Superintendent of Public Instruction]] barring the institute from granting master's degrees in science, which encompassed their existing graduate degree programs in the teaching of biology, geology, astrogeophysics and science.<ref>{{cite news | title= California Bars Degrees at Creationist School | author=Sandra Blakeslee | author-link=Sandra Blakeslee | url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE6DB1638F93BA35751C1A96E948260 | newspaper=New York Times | date=December 8, 1988 | access-date=November 26, 2007 }}</ref>

ICR filed a lawsuit against California's State Superintendent, Bill Honig, and was awarded a settlement of $225,000 permission to continue its program until 1995, so long as it continued to teach evolution alongside creationism.<ref>{{citation |author=Delos B. McKown |title=The Mythmaker's Magic |publisher=Prometheus Books |year=1993 }}</ref> The original agreement expired in 1995, and [[California Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education]] (BPPVE) granted the ICR religious exemption from [[secondary school|postsecondary school]] requirements in California.<ref>Guide to California Colleges and Universities-Institute For Creation Research, Retrieved on 2007-11-26 [https://web.archive.org/web/20070818184624/http://www.cpec.ca.gov/collegeguide/Institution.asp?id=E0380A&bhcp=1]</ref>

In 1982, the ICR received accreditation from the [[Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools]] (TRACS), a private fundamentalist creationist schools accreditation agency.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/1994/nov/03/cover-a-little-bit-east-of-eden/ |title=Evolution debate on full display – Creation Museum in Santee |access-date=April 29, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> TRACS was officially recognized as an accreditor by the US Department of Education in 1991. Following the ICR's move to Dallas, in November 2007, TRACS terminated its accredited status.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tracs.org/DOE_Nov07.pdf |title=Accreditation Commission Meeting |access-date=January 9, 2008 |work=Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511210411/http://www.tracs.org/DOE_Nov07.pdf |archive-date=May 11, 2008 }}</ref> Texas does not recognize TRACS' accreditation.<ref name=TCS/>

The ICR's relocation to Texas required Texas state approval or accreditation by a [[regional accreditation|regional accrediting agency]], in this case [[Southern Association of Colleges and Schools]] (SACS).<ref name = jaschik/> In 2007, the ICR applied for a temporary state certification there which would have allowed the institute to operate while it pursues accreditation through SACS.<ref name=mysa>{{cite news|first=Melissa |last=Ludwig |title=Institute proposes online degrees in creationism |url=http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA121907.01A.Creationism.2951a43.html |publisher=Express News |location=San Antonio |date=December 19, 2007 |access-date=January 3, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080207185419/http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA121907.01A.Creationism.2951a43.html |archive-date=February 7, 2008 }}</ref> In December 2007, the [[Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board]] (THECB) received an advisory committee recommendation to allow the ICR to start offering online master's degrees in [[science education]].

The Board originally planned to decide on the issue at their January 2008 meeting.<ref name = jaschik>{{cite web |url= http://www.insidehighered.com/layout/set/print/news/2007/12/17/texas |title= Creationist College advances in Texas |access-date=January 4, 2008 |last= Jaschik |first= Scott |date= December 17, 2007 |website=Inside Higher Ed }}</ref> At the time it applied, ICR graduate school had approximately 30 to 50 students, most teachers from private Christian schools or home-schoolers, and four full-time faculty.<ref name= dallas/><ref name="austin "/><ref name=fox>{{cite news |title= Texas-Based Creationism Institute Seeks to Offer Science Education Degree |url= https://www.foxnews.com/story/texas-based-creationism-institute-seeks-to-offer-science-education-degree |publisher= Fox News |date= December 19, 2007 |access-date=January 9, 2008 }}</ref>

After seeking the advice from an independent panel, the Chairman of the Texas Board requested information about the research conducted by the faculty, how an on-line program would expose students to the experimental side of science, and asked why "[t]heir curriculum doesn't line up very well with the curriculum available in conventional master of science programs."<ref name="ncse.com">{{cite news | url=http://ncse.com/news/2008/01/decision-icrs-graduate-school-deferred-001690 | title=Decision on ICR's graduate school deferred | publisher=[[National Center for Science Education]] |date= January 17, 2008 | access-date =2008-01-17}}</ref> Subsequently, the ICR asked the THECB to delay its decision until their next meeting to give them time to respond.<ref name="ncse.com"/> [[Inside Higher Ed]] reported "lobbying — by scientists against the institute, and by others in its favor — is going strong."<ref>[http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/01/25/qt Inside Higher Ed's News], ''[[Inside Higher Ed]],'' January 25, 2008.</ref>

''[[The Dallas Morning News]]'' obtained some of the messages sent to the board and published a number of examples and summaries that illustrated how intense the debate had become.<ref>[http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/religion/stories/012408dnmetcreation.2bd704c.html "Creationist institute's master's science degree proposal creates debate,"] ''Dallas Morning News,'' January 23, 2008.</ref> Following the response from the ICR to the Board, Steven Schafersman, of the [[Texas Citizens for Science]], reported that the ICR sent out "prayer requests" and is currently arguing a creationist derived distinction of science in their application for approval.<ref name="texscience.org">{{cite news|url=http://www.texscience.org/reviews/icr-duality-science.htm |title=The Disjunctive Duality of Science Distinction |publisher=[[Texas Citizens for Science]] |date=January 15, 2008 |first=Steven |last=Schafersman |access-date=January 17, 2008 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080119224010/http://www.texscience.org/reviews/icr-duality-science.htm |archive-date=January 19, 2008 }}</ref>

On April 23, 2008, education board's Academic Excellence and Research Committee [[unanimous]]ly voted against allowing the ICR to issue science degrees citing "the institute's program is infused with creationism and runs counter to conventions of science that hold that claims of supernatural intervention are not testable and therefore lie outside the realm of science."<ref>{{cite news|title=Panel rejects creation institute's proposal |url=http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/highereducation/entries/2008/04/23/panel_rejects_creation_institu.html |newspaper=[[Austin American-Statesman]] |date=April 22, 2008 |access-date=May 9, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080608050448/http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/highereducation/entries/2008/04/23/panel_rejects_creation_institu.html |archive-date=June 8, 2008 }}</ref> On the following day the full Board unanimously voted against allowing the ICR to issue science degrees. The decision was "based the recommendation on two considerations:
# ICR failed to demonstrate that the proposed degree program meets acceptable standards of science and science education.
# The proposed degree is inconsistent with Coordinating Board rules which require the accurate labeling or designation of programs … Since the proposed degree program inadequately covers key areas of science, it cannot be properly designated either as 'science' or 'science education.'"<ref>{{cite news |title=ICR fails to obtain certification in Texas |url=http://ncse.com/news/2008/04/icr-fails-to-obtain-certification-texas-001688 |publisher= [[National Center for Science Education]] |date= April 24, 2008 |access-date=May 9, 2008 }}</ref>

The ICR said it would appeal the decision saying the Education Board was guilty of "[[viewpoint discrimination]]".<ref>{{cite news | title= Creationist school fights ruling
 | url=http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/5815341.html | newspaper=[[Houston Chronicle]] | date=June 2, 2008 | access-date=November 26, 2007 }}</ref> Instead, in April 2009, the ICR sued the THECB in federal court for imposing "an unconstitutional and prejudicial burden against ICRGS's academic freedom and religious liberties" and asked for the ability to award science degrees.<ref>{{cite news | title= ICR sues THECB | url=http://ncse.com/news/2009/04/icr-sues-thecb-004745 | publisher=[[National Center for Science Education]] |date = April 2009 | access-date=November 26, 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title= Institute for Creation Research Graduate School v. Paredes et al. | url=http://ncse.com/creationism/legal/institute-creation-research-graduate-school-v-paredes-et-al | publisher=[[National Center for Science Education]] |date = April 2009 | access-date=November 26, 2009 }}</ref> In June 2010, a judge ruled in favor of the Texas Higher Education saying the ICR "is entirely unable to file a complaint which is not overly verbose, disjointed, incoherent, maundering and full of irrelevant information."<ref>{{cite news | url=http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/06/federal-judge-rules-against-da.html | title=Federal judge rules against Dallas creationist group | newspaper=[[Dallas Morning News]] | date=June 22, 2010 | access-date=2010-06-22 | archive-date=June 26, 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100626050541/http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/06/federal-judge-rules-against-da.html | url-status=dead }}</ref> The judge concluded, "The Court simply comes to the conclusion, which is inescapable, that the [THECB] decision was rationally related to a legitimate state interest."<ref>{{cite news | url=http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2010/06/creationism_higher_ed.php | title=The Institute For Creation Research Gets Slammed, Rejected By Federal Judge | newspaper=[[Houston Press]] |date=June 22, 2010 | access-date =2010-06-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/court_rules_against_creationism_degree_96926154.html | title=Court rules against creationism degree | newspaper=[[San Antonio Express-News]] |date=June 22, 2010 | first=Melissa | last=Ludwig | access-date =2010-06-22}}</ref> In the September 2010 ICR newsletter, Henry Morris III, the ICR's chief executive officer, wrote "ICR's legal battle is over" after the Judge ruled in favor of the Texas Board.<ref name="Defeat">{{cite news | url=http://ncse.com/news/2010/09/icr-concedes-defeat-over-its-graduate-school-006160 | title=ICR concedes defeat over its graduate school | publisher=[[National Center for Science Education]] |date= September 1, 2010 | access-date =2010-09-02}}</ref>

In 2010, the ICR board of directors voted to close the ICR Graduate School and open a School of Biblical Apologetics, offering a Master of Christian Education degree with Creation Research being one of four minors.<ref name="Defeat" /><ref>{{cite news | url=http://nwcreation.net/articles/Is_there_a_future.pdf | title=Fighting the Dragon | publisher=[[Creation Ministries International|Journal of Creation]] |year= 2010 | first=Chris  | last=Ashcraft | access-date =2013-01-22}}</ref> The ICR noted that "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.<ref name="Defeat" />