New Accreditation Agency Emerges Amid Calls for Intellectual Diversity
In a move that could reshape higher education accreditation, several Republican-led states are launching a new agency aimed at fostering what they term “intellectual diversity” on college campuses.
The U.S. Department of Education is introducing proposed rules to promote intellectual diversity within higher education institutions. This development is likely to affect colleges and universities in the Southern United States first, as a new accrediting body begins operations. Orlando Montoya from Georgia Public Broadcasting reports on the unfolding changes.
Accreditation is crucial for colleges, as it serves as a stamp of approval that evaluates various aspects such as graduation rates, financial health, and curricula. The Department of Education currently recognizes about 36 accrediting agencies across the nation, with one prominent agency dominating public higher education in the South.
Last year, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis criticized the current accrediting leader in the region, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), for what he described as a focus on liberal ideology over educational achievements. In response, Florida, along with five other conservative-led states, announced plans to establish their own accrediting body.
Governor DeSantis stated, “This endeavor will introduce a new accreditor into the marketplace. It’ll upend the monopoly of the woke accreditation cartels.”
This new agency, known as the Commission for Public Higher Education (CPHE), has been joined by Georgia, which argues it will reduce bureaucratic hurdles and lengthy review processes associated with SACSCOC. However, Matthew Bodie, a University of North Georgia professor, apprehends a possible agenda behind the emphasis on intellectual diversity.
Bodie, who leads the Georgia chapter of the American Association of University Professors, notes, “That particular phrase has come from conservatives who attack higher education.” He argues that CPHE might be used to suppress liberal perspectives on campuses, potentially undermining academic freedom.
Concerns about the implications of CPHE’s reviews are met with dismissal from University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue, who questions why faculty would oppose intellectual diversity. “One of the problems that’s been there is there’s been very little intellectual diversity,” Perdue asserts.
CPHE’s founding chairman, Mark Becker, a respected former president of Georgia State University, lends credibility to the new agency. Meanwhile, SACSCOC, led by Stephen Pruitt since last year, is already adapting in response to these developments.
Pruitt announced, “I called for our standards to be revised immediately,” addressing some state leaders’ concerns by reducing paperwork. He challenges the notion that SACSCOC is driven by liberal ideology, stating, “We were, I think, the only accreditor that didn’t have DEI standards. I think all the other ones did. But yet somehow, we got pegged with that.”
In addition to other changes, SACSCOC will be rebranded as the Commission on Colleges and Universities starting in September. The new CPHE could begin accrediting institutions this fall, potentially receiving U.S. Department of Education recognition next year. Concurrently, proposed federal rules could mandate all U.S. institutional accreditors to address “intellectual diversity” by next summer.
For NPR News, I’m Orlando Montoya in Atlanta.
Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts may vary. Transcript text may be revised to correct errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org may be edited after its original broadcast or publication. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
