Trump’s Proposed Secret Weapon to Police Colleges Could Soon Become Reality
A consequential accreditation overhaul
Accreditation is handled by nonprofit organizations that colleges pay to review them. Their assessments cover matters such as teaching programs, faculty credentials, facilities and financial health, and help determine whether schools can receive federal student aid.
The system is intended to protect students and taxpayers from poor-quality education providers. Federal law gives the Education Department oversight, while leaving accreditors room to set many of their own standards.
Trump promised a revamp in a 2023 campaign video, calling accreditation his “secret weapon,” according to the article. The department has now changed federal rules for accreditors, saying the revisions will encourage innovation and reduce costs.
New focus on viewpoint diversity
Among the new requirements, accreditors must assess whether college policies expose students to a range of perspectives. The department has not made clear exactly how that assessment will operate.
The change has drawn objections from higher education advocates. Bob Shireman, an accreditation expert and former senior Education Department official, said the rules create a path for federal officials to influence colleges through accreditors.
PEN America warned that the policy could undermine higher education and protections for free thought, teaching, research and learning. The department, by contrast, says it is seeking open and fair debate among differing views.
Dispute over federal authority
Congress established accreditors as independent from the federal government, said Antoinette Flores of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Federal law nevertheless requires reviews in areas including student outcomes, faculty and curriculum, and permits the department to oversee accreditors.
Shireman cautioned that expanded requirements could let the department challenge schools it believes lack viewpoint balance. In a possible outcome, a college could face a threat to its accreditation and, ultimately, its access to federal student aid.
The Education Department says the rules do not require any particular campus policies, according to a statement from communications director Ellen Keast. The article’s final sentence cuts off before the statement is completed.
Key points
- The Education Department’s revised accreditation rules are set to take effect in July.
- Accreditors must assess college policies on intellectual diversity and exposure to differing viewpoints.
- Critics say the rules could expand federal influence over campus policies and speech.
- The department says the changes aim to foster innovation, lower costs and encourage open debate.