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Public Universities In Six Southern States Form New Accrediting Agency
Public universities in six southern states have formed the Commission for Public Higher Education, a ... More new university accrediting body. getty
Public universities in six southern states have come together to create a new higher education accreditor that will offer an alternative to existing nationally recognized accrediting agencies overseeing the nation's colleges and universities.
The formation of the Commission for Public Higher Education was led by a consortium of public universities that includes Texas A&M University, the State University System of Florida, the University System of Georgia, the University of Tennessee System, the University of North Carolina System and the University of South Carolina System.
Public universities in those states are currently accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
The establishment of the new college accreditor comes partly in response to President Trump's long-standing and frequent attacks on accreditors and the accreditation process itself. All six of the consortium states voted for Trump in the last presidential election.
'When I return to the White House, I will fire the radical Left accreditors that have allowed our colleges to become dominated by Marxist maniacs and lunatics,' Trump said in a July 2023 campaign video. 'We will then accept applications for new accreditors who will impose real standards on colleges once again and once and for all,' he added.
Trump has referred to accreditation in the past as his ' secret weapon, ' which critics have feared means that he wants to force accreditors to apply evaluative criteria aligned with his political ideology.
In April, Trump issued an Executive Order, Reforming Accreditation to Strengthen Higher Education , that claimed that accreditors 'routinely approve institutions that are low-quality by the most important measures.'
That order also railed against accreditors setting standards for diversity, equity, and inclusion. And it called for 'recognizing new accreditors to increase competition and accountability in promoting high-quality, high-value academic programs focused on student outcomes.'
Announcing the new accrediting organization at a press conference on Thursday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis echoed those themes, claiming that Florida had set an example for the nation by "breaking the activist-controlled accreditation monopoly.'
'Today, I announced that a new accreditor, the Commission for Public Higher Education, will offer an alternative that will break the ideological stronghold," said DeSantis. "With transparent, rigorous, outcomes-based standards, this accreditor will help ensure the Free State of Florida leads the way in higher education for decades to come.'
In 2022, Florida passed a law that required its public universities and colleges to periodically change accreditors.
The Commission for Public Higher Education promises a new accreditation model that will focus on 'student outcomes, process efficiency, and the pursuit of excellence," according to the announcement from DeSantis's office. At this point, it appears it will cover only public institutions, and it's possible other states may join the effort in the future.
University leaders praised the creation of the new organization, emphasizing issues such as institutional efficiency and student outcomes rather than employing the political rhetoric that flavored much of DeSantis's comments.
'The University of South Carolina (USC) System accepted the invitation to join five other excellent U.S. university systems to form the Commission for Public Higher Education because innovating accreditation provides great benefits for universities, colleges, and our nation,' said Thad H. Westbrook, Chair of the University of South Carolina Board of Trustees.
'We'll be representing North Carolina's interests and vision, true to our traditions,' University of North Carolina System President Peter Hans told The Assembly . 'Associating with numerous other strong public institutions and engaging in true peer review, that's going to bolster a meaningful exchange of best practices [that] ultimately support the reputation of institutions that choose to participate.'
It's expected that it will take at least two years before the new accreditor gets formal recognition by the U.S. Department of Education. DeSantis said higher education officials are working with the Department of Education to gain an expedited approval of the new accreditation model.
'We need these things approved and implemented during President Trump's term of office, because the reality is, if it doesn't get approved and stick during that time, you can have a president come in next and potentially revoke it, and they could probably do that very quickly,' DeSantis said, according to The Hill .
Accrediting agencies are responsible for determining whether colleges and universities meet certain minimal standards of educational quality and financial integrity. Their gate-keeping role is important for several reasons, not the least of which is that in order for an institution's students to receive federal financial aid, it must be accredited by a "nationally recognized" accrediting agency.
