Re: [HAPS-L] teaching evolution

I would caution everyone here about making generalizations concerning institutions with a Christian affiliation—would you have said the same thing if the opening were at Notre Dame or SMU?

The founding churches of both of these universities, along with most Jewish and Protestant groups, filed amicus briefs against laws limiting the teaching of evolution. Remember that one of the most famous Darwinians of the 20^th century was a Christian Orthodox priest. Locally, I have given talks as part of my college-related service to both a self-styled Christian rock station and a Christian academy and used the “E-word” freely and nobody blinked an eye.

David in Darkest PA

From: HAPS-L-owner@xxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:HAPS-L-owner@xxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Leopard, Robert (Biology)
Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2007 10:50 AM
To: HAPS-L@xxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: [HAPS-L] FW: Message from David Hillis

I'm not sure that Texas is alone in this. Here in New York there is a physiology opening at an accredited Christian college. I don't see a specific prohibition now, but when I last looked into an opening there, it seemed unlikely that one could teach evolution.

FACULTY OPENINGS:

ALL faculty must sign a Statement of Faith and pattern his/her life according to the Responsibilities of Community Life at Houghton. Faculty must also read the full text of "This We Believe" from The Wesleyan Church.

5. The Sufficiency and Full Authority of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation

218. We believe that the books of the Old and New Testaments constitute the Holy Scriptures. They are the inspired and infallibly written Word of God, fully inerrant in their original manuscripts and superior to all human authority, and have been transmitted to the present without corruption of any essential doctrine. We believe that they contain all things necessary to salvation; so that whatever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man or woman that it should be believed as an article of faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation.

Biology (Physiology): Houghton College, a Christian liberal arts institution nationally-recognized by U.S. News and World Report seeks to hire an individual in the Department of Biology (open rank to be determined according to applicant’s experience). Houghton College is located in scenic western New York approximately 60 miles from Buffalo or Rochester. The successful candidate will be responsible to teach an introductory biology course (for majors and non-majors), Comparative Animal Physiology, and one or two upper-level courses in his/her area of expertise. The successful candidate will also conduct collaborative research with students as appropriate for an undergraduate institution. A mature Christian faith, strong communication skills, and ability to mentor students are important qualities. A Ph.D. is required at the time of hiring. Women and minorities are especially encouraged to apply.

Posted: 12/17/07

Houghton College provides an academically challenging, Christ-centered education in the liberal arts and sciences to students from diverse traditions and economic backgrounds and equips them to lead and labor as scholar-servants in a changing world.

Faculty

121 faculty members, 82 full-time
80% of faculty hold doctoral degrees

Degrees Offered

Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BS), Bachelor of Music (BMus), Master of Arts in Music (MA), Master of Music (MMus), Master of Arts in Theological Studies (MA)

Accreditation

Houghton College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the Regents of the University of the State of New York, and is a member of the National Association of Schools of Music.

Robert L. Leopard

Instructor of Biology

Monroe Community College

585-292-2741

From: HAPS-L-owner@xxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:HAPS-L-owner@xxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Dee Silverthorn
Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2007 7:54 AM
To: HAPS-L@xxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [HAPS-L] FW: Message from David Hillis

Someone put up a post asking about accreditation in Texas. Here is an email I just received from a colleague here at UT-Austin. According to my colleague, the CRI has NOT been accredited; it simply has been given a permit to seek degree-awarding status.

Dee

Message from David Hillis

You have probably heard the news that a committee of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board recommended approval for a permit to the Creation Science Institute to grant masters degrees in science education in Texas. This three-person committee included a member of our college, Dr. Gloria White, who is the Managing Director of the Dana Research Center for Mathematics and Science Education here at UT. I talked with Dr. White, and she said that she felt that "the CRI met the minimum criteria set out by the Coordinating Board" for a permit to seek degree-awarding status. She notes that the permit requires the CRI to seek accreditation within two years, and she agrees that it seems highly unlikely that any valid accreditation group would grant accreditation to an anti-science group like the CRI. The web site of the CRI notes that students and faculty must profess faith in a literal translation of Biblical creation "that God created the world in six days and made humans and animals in their current life forms; that the earth is only thousands of years old; and the fossil record is the result of a global flood described in the Bible." Teaching creationism in science classrooms is illegal in public schools, as has been supported in repeated court cases, so the committee has supported a permit for an institute that prepares teachers who cannot legally teach what they "learn" in any public school. The problem, of course, is that CRI graduates will be hired by Texas schools, and will teach creationism illegally, as now occurs across the state on a regular basis (until local parents object and take the schools to court). As noted in the article below, "The majority of the school's 54 students are teachers at private Christian schools or home-schoolers, but some are public school teachers looking to advance their careers or pass the Texas teacher licensing examination in science."

This recommendation will be reviewed by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in January. The membership and fax numbers of the THECB are given at this url:
http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/Board/Members.cfm
The members are all political appointees of the governor, none of them have a background in science, and (by state law) none of them are employed in any field of education.

See news report at:
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA121907.01A.Creationism.2951a43.html

David M. Hillis
Alfred W. Roark Centennial Professor
Section of Integrative Biology
University of Texas
One University Station C0930
Austin, TX 78712

Phone: 512-471-5792
FAX: 512-471-3878

dhillis@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

------ End of Forwarded Message

Dee U. Silverthorn, Ph.D.
Integrative Biology
University of Texas
1 University Station C0930
Austin TX 78746

(512) 471-6560
silverthorn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx