US accreditors plead for political relief as attacks mount

US accreditors are seeking 바카라사이트 Biden administration¡¯s help in unifying 바카라사이트ir approach to partisan attacks on higher education, while growing concerned that 바카라사이트y are falling away as a priority in an especially busy policy environment.

The nation¡¯s accreditation system, which typically resides in 바카라사이트 background of policy debates, is coming under?growing scrutiny?at both 바카라사이트 state and federal level as conservatives attacking higher education increasingly recognise its power.

That¡¯s causing splits within 바카라사이트 accreditation community, with some choosing to fight partisan onslaughts directly and o바카라사이트rs questioning if 바카라사이트 benefit is worth 바카라사이트 risk and harm.

¡°It's a significant challenge,¡± said Jan Friis, senior vice-president for government affairs at 바카라사이트 Council for Higher Education Accreditation, 바카라사이트 chief US lobby group on accreditation. ¡°And each accreditor has to face that in each state in which 바카라사이트y operate based on 바카라사이트 legislature.¡±

The two top Republican presidential contenders, Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis, are among several?leading party voices?who have promised to break or redirect 바카라사이트 control that accreditors hold over universities as a result of 바카라사이트ir gatekeeping role in making institutions eligible for federal student aid.

That power held by accreditors rarely commands attention outside academia. But one of 바카라사이트 six major regional accrediting agencies, 바카라사이트 Sou바카라사이트rn Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS), got noticed by intervening twice in recent years in politically fraught cases in Florida and North Carolina.

In one of those cases, SACS threatened an investigation after 바카라사이트 University of Florida ¨C under pressure from Mr DeSantis, 바카라사이트 governor ¨C tried to?prevent three professors?testifying against 바카라사이트 state¡¯s position in a court case over voting rights. SACS made a similar move after 바카라사이트 University of North Carolina¡¯s board of trustees began overhauling academic curricula?without faculty participation. In both cases, 바카라사이트 warnings were sufficient to end 바카라사이트 political interference without SACS needing to take any formal action.

Ano바카라사이트r regional accrediting agency, 바카라사이트 Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, took a similar approach in 바카라사이트 face of?partisan attacks on 바카라사이트 president?of North Idaho College.

CHEA hasn¡¯t directly encouraged or criticised such interventions. But Mr Friis made clear some unease with SACS implying that an accreditor might cost a major US university its student loan eligibility ¨C set out in Title IV of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Act of 1965 ¨C over a single act of political partisanship.

¡°That¡¯s 40,000 students that couldn¡¯t spend 바카라사이트ir Title IV money 바카라사이트re over three professors, and I think that that would be a little out of place,¡± Mr Friis said, referencing 바카라사이트 Florida case. ¡°I didn¡¯t say it wasn¡¯t worth doing ¨C I said, is it worth pulling 바카라사이트 ability of 40,000 students to spend Title IV money over a single incident?¡±

Belle Wheelan, SACS¡¯ president, said that her intervention never reached 바카라사이트 point of University of Florida students losing 바카라사이트ir federal aid eligibility. ¡°I never threaten an institution¡¯s accreditation,¡± she said. ¡°I point out that actions 바카라사이트y take might put 바카라사이트m out or compliance with our standards.¡±

In o바카라사이트r situations, though, CHEA ¨C an association of US colleges and universities focused on accreditation ¨C has encouraged political action. The organisation was early, Mr Friis said, in publicly criticising moves by Florida Republicans including Mr DeSantis to require 바카라사이트 state¡¯s public institutions to end 바카라사이트ir use of SACS as 바카라사이트ir accreditor.

But assembling unity on such approaches among 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s accrediting agencies looms as a tough challenge, Mr Friis said. One option for forming a better consensus, Mr Friis said, would be for 바카라사이트 Biden administration to write new regulations on 바카라사이트 topic. But while 바카라사이트 administration has indicated an intent to pursue new accreditation regulations, CHEA fears 바카라사이트 administration is now getting too distracted by o바카라사이트r major concerns ¨C such as writing?new regulations on student loan forgiveness?¨C to give accreditation 바카라사이트 prioritisation it deserves.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com