The Trump administration’s sweeping plan to reshape how accreditors oversee colleges and universities was released for public comment last week, prompting a flurry of consternation about the future of the accreditation system.
Many left-leaning policy experts and accreditation executives fear that the proposal will permanently politicize the long-standing evaluation mechanism designed to create uniform standards for American colleges and universities, regardless of which party is in office. Meanwhile, proponents say it will clarify and reinforce existing statutes, lessen bureaucracy and raise the bar for higher ed quality assurance.
Under the proposal, the administration could require accreditors to enforce First Amendment and civil rights law and set standards related to hiring and intellectual diversity, among other changes. It will also make it easier to recognize new accreditors. Policy experts fear presidents of either party could use these changes as a partisan lever to drive their priorities.
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