Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) Recommends USDE Recall its Proposed Changes to Requirements for Compliance Complaint Regulations
MEDIA STATEMENT
Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) Recommends USDE Recall its Proposed Changes to Requirements for Compliance Complaint Regulations
CHEA also recommends the USDE adhere to the standard legislative or negotiated rulemaking process if changes are warranted.
Washington, D.C. -- The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) announced today that it strongly opposes the recent recommendations announced by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) regarding changes to the compliance requirements for USDE complaint regulations, as outlined in the letter titled "Guidance for Ensuring Complaint Procedures for Accrediting Agencies are Timely, Fair and Equitable."
CHEA believes these recommendations introduce unnecessary duplication in the compliance process and curtail the independence of accrediting organizations in designing and implementing effective complaint resolution focused on their procedures with institutions. In addition, the guidance lacks clarity, fails to define its expectations, and leaves room for ambiguous interpretations by USDE, thereby jeopardizing the impartiality of complaint reviews. Furthermore, these recommendations may unfairly penalize accrediting organizations even when acting in good faith and impose arbitrary complaint procedures on institutions without their input.
CHEA urges the recall of this guidance and recommends that any proposed changes be subjected to standard legislative or negotiated rulemaking processes. We have voiced our objection to USDE officials and have shared our concerns with relevant congressional committees and CHEA-recognized institutions and members for their information and consideration.
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About the Council for Higher Education Accreditation: The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) serves its members, students, and society through advocacy for the value and independence of accreditation, recognition of accrediting organizations, and commitment to quality in higher education.
Contact: Jeanne Hamrick, Director of Communications, 202-372-9258, [email protected].