The Indiana Commission for Higher Education added a required question about “civic responsibility and commitment to the core values of American society” to its degree‑proposal form, prompting faculty leaders to say they were not consulted and warning the change could curtail academic freedom. The commission said the question—now required for all program approvals and reviews—asks programs to explain how curricula would emphasize civic engagement and duties of citizenship. The move aligns with a broader national debate over academic plurality and politicized program oversight, and critics call the new requirement a political litmus test that could be used to block proposed degrees. Faculty governance groups described the change as undemocratic and raised concerns that undefined language such as “core values” could be interpreted inconsistently across disciplines. Observers say the policy echoes national initiatives seeking to condition state approvals on ideological criteria, and legal and higher‑education leaders will watch whether other states adopt similar approval hurdles.