HEA Reauthorization Recommendations

How to Reinvigorate Higher Education for the 21st Century: 13 Recommendations for Reauthorizing the Higher Education Act (The Conference Board [Policy Brief], November 15, 2017)
“Recommendation: Supplement today’s accreditation system for higher learning with a set of quality assurance entities (QAEs), which would certify providers of higher learning that are eligible for individuals to spend their Lifetime Learning Accounts. Reform the current accreditation system so that accreditors would be assigned based on the type of school, institution, or provider of higher learning being reviewed, rather than the current geographically-based accreditation system.”

Calls for Tougher Oversight of For-Profit Law School (Inside Higher Ed, November 15, 2017)
"Legal education observers say accreditation issues at Florida Coastal School of Law — whose graduates have struggled to pay off loans — should lead to tougher look at its parent company, InfiLaw.”

Can These New Colleges Help Solve Higher Education’s Equity Problem? (EdSurge, November 15, 2017)
“Traditional input-based measures of accreditation will not serve this outcome-oriented cadre of programs well. Instead, there need to be common standards around how to calculate career outcomes, return on investment, and performance against stated learning outcomes.”

Accreditor Apologizes for Suggestion That UNC Might Be Investigated Again (Chronicle of Higher Education, November 14, 2017)
“The comments of Belle S. Wheelan, president of the accreditor’s Commission on Colleges, suggested that the university might face more questions — and possible sanctions — because of how it had changed its tune. But Ms. Wheelan put that concern to rest on Monday, writing in a letter to the university that she had reviewed the NCAA’s report on UNC and concluded that no further investigation was necessary.”

Cooley Law School Ask for Temporary Restraining Order to Block Accreditor Release of Accreditation Letter (United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, November 14, 2017)
The Law School has asked the District Court to enjoin the American Bar Association from publishing or disseminating a letter pertaining to proceedings related to Cooley’s accreditation.

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