Gordon's Accreditation Not at Risk Over Bias, Agency Says

Gordon College, whose policies barring sex outside of heterosexual marriage and request for an exemption from federal antidiscrimination requirements have drawn significant attention in recent weeks, has "no chance" of having its institutional accreditation withdrawn in the coming months over the policies according to its accreditor, the Boston Business Journal reported. In a letter to Gordon's president, the head of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges' Commission on Institutions of Higher Education said that its planned discussion of Gordon's policies at the commission's September meeting was "common practice" when an institution has been in the news over matters that relate to policies covered by accreditation. "Being on the agenda only indicates that the Commission will discuss the matter and decide what action, if any, to take," wrote Barbara Brittingham, the agency's president. "But ... the range of actions the Commission could take at the September meeting would not include withdrawal of accreditation or probation."