U.S. Department of Education Issues Guidance for Accrediting Organizations
Department of Education Nudges College Accreditors to Get Tougher (Washington Post, April 22, 2016) “The Department of Education is calling on accreditation agencies to step up their review of colleges and universities, just as lawmakers are calling on the department to strengthen its review of accreditors.” CHEA President Judith Eaton commented, “We’re interested in a balance. We want to make sure that the things that have been so valuable about accreditation, the process of peer review, academics judging academics ... are not lost. We want to sustain the independence of accrediting organizations while working with the federal government.” (See April 22, 2016, letterfrom USDE to federally recognized accrediting organizations.)
Accreditor Victory in Duel With [Consumer Financial Protection Bureau] (Inside Higher Ed, April 22, 2016) “A group of five accreditors and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, which advocates for accreditation on behalf of colleges, told the judge that the CFPB’s investigation threatened the integrity of the accreditation process.” (See also Chronicle of Higher Education article)
An International Coalition to Fight Corruption (University World News, April 15, 2016) “Two organisations that have been concerned about corruption in higher education are the International Institute for Education Planning or IIEP-UNESCO, based in Paris, and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or CHEA, located in Washington DC.”
Senate Democrats Want Education Dept. to Strengthen College Accreditation Process (Morning Consult, April 22, 2016) “Senate Democrats called on the Education Department to strengthen its review process for agencies that accredit universities, citing Corinthian Colleges as an example of accreditors failing to uncover bad actors until it’s too late.” (See letter.)
Facing Pressure on Many Fronts, An Accreditor Promises Reform (The Chronicle of Higher Education, April 20, 2016) “The head of the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools resigned this week amid mounting scrutiny of his group’s actions. His successor is outlining steps to restore the public’s confidence.”
Under Scrutiny Itself, For-Profit Accreditor Gets Tough With ITT Tech (Inside Higher Ed, April 21, 2016) “The Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools has ordered ITT Technical Institutes to prove why it shouldn’t lose its accreditation or otherwise be sanctioned, the company told investors on Thursday.”
Registration Now Open for CHEA 2016 Summer Workshop
The CHEA 2016 Summer Workshop – Examining the Accreditation Space: Accreditation and Its Constituents – will be held July 21-22 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Washington, DC.
Workshop registration and hotel reservations are now open!