Foxx bill loosens federal regulations on higher ed

Legislation to repeal new federal government regulations on higher education passed a House education committee Wednesday.

The bill, by U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx, a Banner Elk Republican, would get rid of a federal requirement that states follow federal guidelines on which colleges and universities to allow to operate in the state. It also would eliminate a federal rule establishing a national standard for what defines a credit hour.

Foxx, a former community college president, said that faculty, universities and college accrediting organizations ought to be responsible for those decisions.

The bill passed the committee 27-11 with some bipartisan support. Its next step is a vote before the full House. The bill, HR 2117, is called “The Protecting Academic Freedom in Higher Education Act.”