CHEA Priorities for Higher Education Authorization
Vol. 1, No. 7, July 1998
In this issue...
CHEA Priorities for Higher Education Reauthorization
CHEA Priorities for Higher Education Authorization
The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), working with other Washington-based higher education associations, is anticipating that major activity on reauthorization of the Higher Education Actwill get underway after the first of the year. During the remainder of this year, we will be monitoring Congress and the United States Department of Education in those areas of particular importance to accreditation. Here are CHEA's reauthorization priorities as summarized from the July 29, 1997 testimony of board chair Robert Glidden before the Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education, Training, and Lifelong Learning of the US House of Representatives.
- Clarify the limitations of the federal government's regulatory authority over academic matters and re-affirm the role of accreditation in quality assurance for higher education
- Eliminate State Postsecondary Review Entity program (SPRE) language.
- Distinguish and reaffirm the respective roles of the federal government (fiscal oversight), accreditation (quality assurance and improvement), and states (consumer protection) in ensuring educational, finanacial and administrative integrity in student aid programs.
Additional language change to:
- Eliminate duplicate reporting between the higher education community and the federal government for Title IV.
- Clarify that new instructional sites of existing programs are not "branch campuses."
- Eliminate mandatory site visit requirements for accreditors for program changes (visits within six months) and vocational programs (unannounced visits).
- Affirm that public and private college trustees may participate as representatives of the public in accrediting associations.
- Change the language of USDE regulatory authority to "recognize" rather than "approve" the content of accreditation standards.
Two New Board Members
William Delauder, president of Delaware State University and Dolores Sandoval, trustee at Foothill-DeAnza Community College District were elected to the CHEA board in February 1997 and joined the board at its July 1997 meeting in Washington, DC.
William Delauder is president of Delaware State University. He also serves as a member of the board of directors of NASULGC, Commissioner on the Middle States Association of Colleges and Universities, and board member on the Council of Presidents of the Association of Governing Boards of Colleges and Universities. Bill is a member of the National Research Council for the Board on Agriculture, and former treasurer on the board of directors of NAFEO. He has served as a member of the Presidents Work Group on Accreditation. Bill is also a recipient of the Thurgood Marshall Award for Educational Leadership.
Dolores Sandoval is a member of the Board of Directors, DeAnza/Foothill Community College and a mathematics teacher, Los Gatos-Saratoga High School District. She is a member of the board of directors of the Foothill-DeAnza Colleges Foundation. Dolores is also vice-chair of the board of directors for The Role Model Program and serves on the board for the Friends of the River (an advocacy group seeking to save western rivers). She has served on the Santa Clara Committee on School District Organization.
New Staff
Judith S. Eaton, formerly chancellor of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, joined CHEA as its new president in August 1997. Judith has also been president of the Council for Aid to Education as well as the Community College of Philadelphia and the Community College of Southern Nevada.
Michael Nugent joins the staff as a CHEA vice president. Michael was serving as deputy to the chancellor for system relations at the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. Michael has a background in research on teaching and learning from Pennsylvania State University. He will be the chief operating officer as well as provide leadership in establishing CHEA's research program and work with distance education.
Phyllis "Teddi" Safman will start at CHEA on November 15, 1997 as vice president for accreditation services. Her portfolio includes responsibility for recognition, mediation, and development of our good practices data base. Teddi is presently serving as assistant commissioner for academic affairs, Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education, Utah Board of Regents and has a background in music and continuing education. She has had major responsibility for state assessment initiatives in Utah.
Gregory Fusco is serving as consultant to CHEA for governmental and external relations. Gregory has worked with Columbia University as vice president for external relations, has served as executive director of the National Commission on Research and worked with both the United States Senate and the office of education. He also staffed the 1995 Accountability Study co-authored by Martin Trow, Patricia Graham and Richard Lyman.
Eleanor Cushman is also working with CHEA. Eleanor is a doctoral student at George Washington University and has an extensive background in nursing education. She is assisting us with the Recognition Task Force and our Chief Academic Officer/Specialized Initiative. Eleanor's doctoral dissertation will focus on accreditation and quality.
Patrice Johnson is CHEA's new administrative assistant/receptionist. Patrice will likely be on the other end of the line when you give us a call. In addition to working with us, Patrice is completing her baccalaureate degree at Penn State University.