Advocate Online

From Capitol to Campus

NEA has signed on to a letter from a group of higher education associations expressing concern over specific provisions of H.R. 3077, a bill that amends Title VI of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and is intended to enhance international education programs.

NEA and the other higher education groups are concerned that a proposal for an International Higher Education Advisory Board contained in the bill that was passed by the House of Representatives without much opposition might violate principles of academic freedom.

The letter NEA signed notes, “We support the creation of a well-structured advisory board for the Title VI international education programs.... However, we are very concerned that, as drafted, the proposed Advisory Board…could intrude into the academic conduct and content of higher education and could impinge on institutional decisions about curriculum and activities.”

The letter notes that the advisory board proposed in H.R. 3077 serves more as an investigative body than in an advisory capacity and could monitor curricula, books assigned, and even faculty hired for international studies and foreign language programs in American universities that accept Title VI federal funding. While all area studies programs—Asian, African, European, Latin American—are potentially affected, the current target of this legislative effort is thought to be Middle East studies.

NEA members can keep up with the latest developments on the reauthorization process on the NEA Higher Ed Web site at www.nea.org/he and voice their opinion at the newly revamped NEA Legislative Action Center at www.nea.org/lac.