Texas Citizens for Science Press Release on ICR Application

PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release
10:00 a.m., Friday, December 14, 2007

Texas Citizens for Science
Contact: Steven D. Schafersman, Ph.D., President
432-352-2265
tcs@texscience.org
http://www.texscience.org/

The Institute for Creation Research wants the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to Give ICR Certification to Grant Graduate Degrees in Science Education in Texas

The Institute for Creation Research (ICR) is the oldest of two major Young Earth Creationist organizations in the United States (the other is Answers in Genesis in Northern Kentucky; AiG has the new, expensive Creation Museum). It recently moved its administrative and educational offices from San Diego, CA, to Dallas, TX, presumably a more congenial location for their activities–promoting Young Earth Creationism in the nation, especially among children and teenagers in homes, churches, Sunday Schools, private religious schools, and public schools when possible.

ICR once had, and then lost in 1988, permission to grant graduate degrees in science education in California. ICR’s inability to obtain legitimate graduate degree granting permission from California may be one reason for the move to Texas. There are other reasons, of course, such as a more central national location and a greater suitable population for their ministry. ICR is registered in Texas as a “private, not-for-profit corporation, for the purposes of research, writing, and education in both the standard curriculum of each scientific discipline and the Institute^Rs supplemental framework of scientific creationism and biblical authority in all disciplines.” ICR claims its Graduate School program “provides graduate-level training in science education through an online environment, with minors in the natural sciences that are particularly relevant to the study of origins.” In fact, the ICR Graduate School provides instruction in Young Earth Creationism and teaches its students how to proselytize this religious doctrine to the public. ICR does not teach legitimate science or science education, but pseudoscience and pseudoscholarship.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s Certification Advisory Council will review their on-site evaluation of ICR and ICR’s response today, from 10:00 a.m to 2:00 p.m., at the THECB’s office at 1200 East Anderson Lane, Austin. After the hearing and discussion, the Council and Commissioner will forward their recommendation to the full Board in January. The recommendation will be an endorsement, substitute recommendation, or denial.

It is imperative that the Commissioner of the THECB, Dr. Raymund A. Paredes, be made aware that ICR (1) is NOT a scientific organization, but one that actively promotes pseudoscience and the corruption of legitimate science, (2) that it has failed in recent years to obtain certification from California to grant graduate degrees, and (3) that the THECB’s goal “to achieve excellence for the college education of Texas students” will be in jeopardy–in fact, Texas will become a laughingstock–if it grants ICR the official state certification it desires.

More information will be available later today on the TCS website, including links to the history of ICR’s graduate degree granting quest in California.

See also Tim Sandefur’s article about TRACS, the accreditation organization founded by Henry M. Morris, which was the place the ICR (also founded by Henry M. Morris) got its accreditation.