Universities Creating New Accreditation Agency In Some Republican States

Six awesome universities successful Republican-led states will create a caller agency to group value standards for their schools. The Commission for Public Higher Education will beryllium capable to accredit schools, ensuring nan schools meet definite established standards.

Commission for Public Higher Education

Led by Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and nan University System of Florida, nan committee includes nan University System of Georgia, University of Tennessee System, University of North Carolina System, University of South Carolina System and nan Texas A&M University System.

“This endeavor will present a caller creditor into nan marketplace,” DeSantis said successful a news convention covered by Fox 35 Orlando. “It’ll upend nan monopoly of nan woke legalization cartels and it will supply institutions pinch an replacement that focuses connected student accomplishment alternatively than nan ideological fads that person truthful permeated those accrediting bodies complete nan years.”

Plans for nan caller agency began aft DeSantis took issue pinch nan Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission connected Colleges (SACSCOC), which antecedently accredited those universities. DeSantis said he wants his state’s colleges to adopt a much blimpish attack to education.

“The University of South Carolina (USC) System accepted nan invitation to subordinate 5 different fantabulous U.S. assemblage systems to shape nan Commission for Public Higher Education because innovating legalization provides awesome benefits for universities, colleges, and our nation,” said Thad H. Westbrook, chair of nan University of South Carolina Board of Trustees. “The innovations we expect to instrumentality will use students while making legalization much businesslike and much focused connected outcomes, quality, and success.”

Straight Arrow News reached retired to SACSCOC but has not yet received a response.

Trump management v. higher education

In 2025, nan Republican Party and nan Trump management took rumor pinch respective institutions of higher education, peculiarly Harvard University. On Thursday, June 26, Harvard announced that it is erstwhile again successful talks pinch nan Trump management aft nan management planned to cut billions successful backing for nan university.

The president besides issued an executive order successful April, directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “reform our dysfunctional legalization strategy truthful that colleges and universities attraction connected delivering high-quality world programs astatine a reasonable price.”

That bid besides took purpose astatine diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs connected campuses.

“President Trump’s Executive Order will bring long-overdue alteration by accelerating nan nickname of caller accreditors and refocusing existing accreditors connected helping personnel institutions amended nan student outcomes families attraction astir about,” McMahon said successful a statement. “Instead of pushing schools to adopt a divisive DEI ideology, accreditors should beryllium focused connected helping schools amended graduation rates and graduates’ capacity successful nan labour market.”

Dr. Heather Perfetti, chair of nan Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions (C-RAC), a collaborative of nan nation’s 7 largest federally recognized assemblage accreditors, responded to that order.

“Accrediting agencies are instrumental to promoting value assurance and protecting student and payer investments successful higher education. While we firmly cull President Trump’s mischaracterization of accreditors’ domiciled successful nan nation’s postsecondary acquisition system, we guidelines fresh to activity pinch nan caput of acquisition connected policies that will beforehand our shared ngo of enhancing quality, innovation, integrity, and accountability,” Perfetti said.