Accreditors are in the Perfect Position to Support Diversity

HEADLINES

Accreditors are in the Perfect Position to Support Diversity (Higher Ed Dive, August 28, 2023) Accreditation standards can help counteract recent blows against race-conscious policies and diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. The accreditation process can also help counteract state laws meant to roll back diversity protections.

The Next Iteration of Community College? (Inside Higher Ed, August 23, 2023) A new national, for-profit community college seeks to bring a promising but costly educational model to scale online. Community colleges have a long-standing—and seemingly intractable—struggle with student completion “If you look at acquisitions over the last 25 years, when you see for-profit entities acquired, they often do so for financial fragility, accreditation status or essentially a fire sale,” said Mac Powell, president of ACCJC.

CHEA Board Member and President, Borough of Manhattan Community College Named to the 2023 Manhattan Power 100  (City & State New York, August 15, 2023) Council for Higher Education Accreditation Board Member Anthony Munroe has energized the Borough of Manhattan Community College with his commitment to equal education since taking the reins as president in 2020 by launching the college’s Race, Equity, and Inclusion efforts, and creating its President’s Fund for Excellence and Innovation.

New Federal Rules for College Mergers Cause Delays, Concerns  (Inside Higher Ed, August 21, 2023) At a time when mergers might help more institutions survive, there are new rules from the Education Department. Institutional accreditors are updating their policies and procedures in response to that new guidance. Higher education lawyers say that the changes have injected more uncertainty and cost into an already difficult process and lengthened the timeline for deals to close, which could lead struggling colleges and universities to shut down entirely rather than move forward with a merger.

ABA's Law School Free Speech Proposal Moves Forward (Reuters, August 18, 2023) American Bar Association’s legal education arm advanced a proposal that would require law schools to have written free speech policies that protect the exchange of ideas and prohibit disruptive activities. If adopted, the proposal would be the first law school accreditation standard to address free speech for the entire law school community.