CHEA Advocacy in Action: Issue 4
CHEA, as an advocate for member institutions, consistently identifies political issues that may be impactful for accreditation and institutions. The brief below reflects one of those issues.
Issue Summary
Accreditation for College Excellence Act of 2023
H.R. 3724 Accreditation for College Excellence Act of 2023 revises the requirements for a higher education accrediting organization to be recognized by the Department of Education, stating that the accreditor may not have standards that require, encourage, or coerce institutions to support or oppose specific political beliefs or social issues; or support the different treatment of individuals based of gender, race, or ethnicity. The standards cannot prohibit a code of conduct at an institution consistent with the faith of an institution with a religious mission. The bill also prohibits accreditation standards that are not stated in the Higher Education Act, as amended.
Institutional Impact
The H.R. 3724 proposed legislation presents an overreach into higher education by requiring institutions and accrediting agencies to dissolve academic rights, freedoms, values, and principles that have been instrumental in promoting student success. Self-studies conducted by institutions traditionally provide evidence as to the achievement of all its students disaggregated by race, gender, ethnicity, and other descriptors that represent their respective student, faculty, and staff demographics. Those levels of evidence are supported by the philosophical beliefs and values that institutions must adopt social or cultural systems that support students.
Additionally, institutions and accrediting organizations work together to establish accrediting standards appropriate for measuring an institution's academic integrity. H.R. 3724 establishes an intrusiveness into higher education, which results in institutions responding to the current opinions of federal policymakers rather than to the needs of students.
The opposition to the bill is in the language "partisan or political beliefs on social or political issues," which is expansive in interpretation and without definitions. The language, as written, suggests that accreditation organizations cannot have standards of expectation around a social philosophy or curriculum that supports free thinking or debatable issues. The curriculum is the purview of the academy, not the federal government.
The other critical concern is that accrediting organizations would be limited to applying only those standards permitted by the federal government. Students have choices of colleges and universities that they wish to attend. Institutional philosophies are essential because they are inherent in mission statements. There is no supporting data that accrediting organizations’ standards coerce institutions to change the mission or philosophy of an institution. Accrediting organizations review institutional credibility based on the college/university's evidence of student success and institutional viability.
Accrediting organizations should maintain the independence to work with member institutions to develop standards of effectiveness without undue regulatory interference.
CHEA's Position
The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) opposes H.R. 3724. CHEA recommends that accrediting organizations maintain the ability to establish accreditation standards in collaboration with their members. The standardized process of review of higher education effectiveness should not be limited to or constrained by statutory requirements.
CHEA's Action
CHEA has communicated its opposition directly to Congressman Burgess Owens (R-UT), the author of the bill, and to Republican Committee staff members, stating that it does not support the bill. Additionally, CHEA has communicated with the education staff of Democratic Congressional offices and responded to inquiries reiterating its position against the bill due to concerns about its negative impact on institutional autonomy and academic freedom.
Council for Higher Education Accreditation serves its members, students and society through advocacy for the value and independence of accreditation, recognition of accrediting organizations and commitment to quality in higher education.