Trust employers, not the state

Kennedy-Western University in Wyoming offers various degrees but has no centralized campus. The university is challenging in federal court an Oregon law that says listing an unaccredited degree on a résumé is unconstitutional on grounds that it interferes with free speech, interstate commerce and due process.\nOregon has one of the strictest résumé laws in the country; North Dakota and New Jersey also disallow use of unaccredited degrees. It is also illegal in Indiana to use an unaccredited doctorate.\nA state office in Oregon will send letters to people who show they have a degree from an unaccredited college, and if they refuse, they could be charged with a misdemeanor and as much as $1,000.\nAccreditation for colleges in the United States is particularly complicated, and should not be the focus of this debate. The Department of Education recognizes agencies to accredit universities, but the United States has no centralized authority control over post-secondary educational institutions in this country. States have varying degrees of control over education, and therefore American colleges can vary widely in the character and quality of their programs.\nBut we also recognize that if successful, this lawsuit will not eliminate the significance of a college diploma. Obviously where you attend school should be a considerable factor in an employer's decision, but does that authorize the state to make such distinctions?\nIn the end, our position is not a statement or a defense of unaccredited universities. Obviously a person's perception -- particularly among our staff -- of unaccredited universities will inevitably vary. (We wonder, for instance, would you hire someone to teach your child, to represent you in court, to perform your surgery or to file your taxes if you did not trust their ability or education?) \nThe lawsuit is, however, about personal accountability, responsibility and freedom. Measures taken to protect employers from fraudulent diplomas are in the right spirit, but they are ultimately condescending. With the increasing popularity of background checks, does the state not trust the employers to make a few Internet clicks here or there to find out information on the university if they are unfamiliar? Information is at their fingertips.\nWe trust employers to make hiring decisions based on their own needs, whatever those may be. We trust employers to find people whose specific skills and qualifications will improve the business and the business' environment, not arbitrary governmental regulations on providing information to your employer. We trust employers to make hiring decisions that extend beyond what school you attended, and give job interviewees a fair shot.\nWe firmly believe the last word on your employment application and the information you provide should be with your employer, not with the government. And in the end, it's hard to believe if the nation as a whole cannot have a set standard for what an accredited university is, states should not have the ability to say another state's institution is inherently unworthy. That decision should be made by an employer.\nThe IDS Editorial Board voted 11-0 on this issue.