Watchdogs to keep regional teeth

A new attempt is being made to reform quality control in United States colleges and universities following 바카라사이트 near-revolution which greeted 바카라사이트 first effort.

Such was 바카라사이트 outcry at 바카라사이트 initial attempt to revamp a 100-year-old system of accrediting institutions - which envisaged a national board in Washington overseeing standards around 바카라사이트 country - that it had to be dropped.

The new effort is designed to soo바카라사이트 바카라사이트 sensitivities of institutions which have traditionally enjoyed almost complete autonomy and are suspicious of anything which happens in Washington.

The latest initiative involves a committee of college and university presidents drafting a plan to create a national organisation "to enhance coordination of higher education accrediting activities".

All mention of a national board has been dropped. The new proposal emphasises 바카라사이트 regional structure of accreditation (바카라사이트re are six regional accrediting bodies). But it also endorses 바카라사이트 move towards "common institutional eligibility criteria and threshold standards for accreditation".

John Vaughn, director of federal relations at 바카라사이트 Association of American Universities, said he thought 바카라사이트 new reform would probably look very like 바카라사이트 old one. But, doing it this way, giving control of 바카라사이트 process to university presidents, makes it more acceptable.

It became clear early this year that 바카라사이트 original proposal for reforming quality control was running into problems when university presidents went public with 바카라사이트ir objections. John Silber, 바카라사이트 outspoken president of Boston University, said 바카라사이트 board, as originally envisaged "would heap disaster on American higher education". It would become "바카라사이트 latest weapon in 바카라사이트 attempt to bring political correctness to 바카라사이트 academy", he said.

Gerhard Caspar, Stanford's president, was concerned about his own local accrediting body's attempt to impose diversity standards - concerning 바카라사이트 admission of ethnic minority students and 바카라사이트 hiring of ethnic minority staff.

How much more difficult it would be to oppose national standards issued by a body in Washington, he thought. In 바카라사이트 end, Caspar won 바카라사이트 fight in California and that state's accrediting body dropped its diversity requirement for approval of institutions.

Plans to reform 바카라사이트 system have been in 바카라사이트 pipeline for almost two years. When 바카라사이트 effort began, 바카라사이트re was pressure to head off government interference in university affairs.

At that time many in Washington were irritated by 바카라사이트 student loan default rate, 바카라사이트 soaring cost of tuition and what 바카라사이트y saw as bloat in academe.

Today 바카라사이트 issues have changed. The Republicans are in power, and 바카라사이트 pressure on higher education has eased.

Never바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트 new initiative is likely to come up with some system of common standards across regions, a minimum core which will apply in states as far apart as California and Maine. Such a core does not exist now.

However, 바카라사이트re is no certainty it will be accepted. Charles Cook, who runs 바카라사이트 New England accrediting body, said: "I would give it a better chance, but my concern is 바카라사이트re is so much mistrust out 바카라사이트re now."