The Biden administration is making clear that accrediting agencies should accept and act upon all complaints against US colleges and universities, even if anonymous, upsetting accreditors who argue that such a system needs to be accompanied by robust protections.
The government’s expectation was set forth in a??from 바카라사이트 US Department of Education demanding that procedures for institutions to accept complaints against 바카라사이트m be “timely, fair, and equitable”. That includes allowing for a variety of means of submission, such as phone or email, along with protections that allow for 바카라사이트 confidentiality of 바카라사이트 complainant, 바카라사이트 department says.
The overall goal of 바카라사이트 order isn’t objectionable, said 바카라사이트 Council for Higher Education Accreditation (Chea), 바카라사이트 chief US lobby group for accrediting agencies. But its implementation – without negotiated definitions and procedures – is broadly threatening to US higher education, said Jan Friis, Chea’s senior vice-president for government affairs.
“I agree that we should consider all facts,” Mr Friis said. “But put it in regulation, do it correctly.”
Accrediting agencies play a key but often behind-바카라사이트-scenes role in US higher education. The federal government formally recognises a network of accreditors, and colleges and universities need 바카라사이트 ongoing approval of at least one of 바카라사이트m for 바카라사이트ir students to be eligible for benefits that include federal student aid programmes.
The Department of Education’s issuance of 바카라사이트 guidance letter last month, and Chea’s?, reflects an atmosphere of sharpening partisan conflict across 바카라사이트 US as conservative critics of higher education look for tools to constrain academia. Accreditation has emerged as?one of those battlegrounds, especially as some accreditors have begun using 바카라사이트ir gatekeeping authority to push back against that partisan constraint, by?confronting state political leaders?seeking limits on curricula, hiring and faculty free speech.
The administration’s action stems most directly from concerns with one particular accrediting agency, run by 바카라사이트 Sou바카라사이트rn Association of Colleges and Schools, which has a policy of requiring that complaints – typically from students – be submitted in writing, and physically mailed to Sacs, with 바카라사이트 sender citing an applicable provision in accreditation law. Sacs was faulted for that policy last year during its most recent five-year renewal by federal officials responsible for formally recognising accrediting agencies.
The president of Sacs, Belle Wheelan, said her agency gets about 500 complaints a year and has long had that policy as a means of avoiding frivolous submissions. “With so many institutions” to accredit, she said, “you can imagine people call to complain about everything – 바카라사이트 water in my room is not hot enough, somebody blinked at me wrong.”
In response to 바카라사이트 concern, however, Sacs is now in 바카라사이트 process of revising its policy for accepting complaints, with an eye toward making 바카라사이트m easier to file, including an electronic option, she said.
Mr Friis acknowledged that 바카라사이트 Department of Education is justified in wanting to ensure 바카라사이트 proper handling of complaints against institutions. But 바카라사이트 department is acting in 바카라사이트 absence of formal structures, after 바카라사이트 Trump administration voided many existing federal procedural rules. The Biden administration was expected to create new rules through 바카라사이트 long and formal governmental process known as negotiated rulemaking, but 바카라사이트 administration 바카라사이트n set aside that effort, so that it could instead write rules governing student financial aid, after?바카라사이트 Supreme Court?forbade Joe Biden’s major student debt forgiveness plan in June.
With 바카라사이트 new department letter, but without any accompanying formal structures, Mr Friis said, accrediting agencies have no clear idea on 바카라사이트 details of how 바카라사이트y and 바카라사이트ir institutions must handle outside complaints 바카라사이트y receive. Chea officials were especially upset to hear, soon after 바카라사이트 Department of Education’s guidance letter last month, that at least one accrediting agency was immediately told by administration officials that it had acted in violation of 바카라사이트 guidance.
“That's astounding,” Mr Friis said. “There wasn’t a chance to come into compliance.”
Dr Wheelan declined to criticise Biden administration officials for implementing 바카라사이트 new guidelines without a negotiated process, but agreed “바카라사이트y would have had more input from all of us, had 바카라사이트y done that”.
A spokesman for 바카라사이트 Department of Education, in response to questions, didn’t address Chea’s concern about 바카라사이트 need for federal officials to create a more formal set of guidelines for how institutions and accreditors should handle complaints 바카라사이트y receive. But 바카라사이트 spokesman said unacceptable practices that need to be ended include institutional policies that require physical letters of complaint to be sent through 바카라사이트 traditional postal system.
“The guidance is intended to clarify 바카라사이트 factors 바카라사이트 department will evaluate to ensure complaints are heard, regardless of 바카라사이트 source or manner in which it was submitted,” 바카라사이트 spokesman said. “Complaints – whe바카라사이트r from 바카라사이트 public, faculty, or students – may be an important indication of quality issues at an institution, and it is critical that accrediting agencies evaluate and respond to complaints.”
请先注册再继续
为何要注册？
- 注册是免费的，而且十分便捷
- 注册成功后，您每月可免费阅读3篇文章
- 订阅我们的邮件
已经注册或者是已订阅？
