CHEA Comments on USDE Proposed Accreditation Regulations

CHEA COMMENTS ON U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PROPOSED REGULATIONS ON ACCREDITATION, INNOVATION AND OTHER TOPICS

On July 12, 2019, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation provided comments to the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) on USDE’s proposed regulations on accreditation, innovation and other topics (see Federal Update #78). USDE received a total of 198 comments on the proposed regulations; the comments can be viewed online at the U.S. Government’s Docket website.

In its comments, CHEA pointed to things that CHEA liked in the proposed rule, as well as to questions and concerns about several provisions. Click here to read CHEA’s comments.

CHEA’s comments also noted that a number of things in the proposal were consistent with CHEA’s Position Paper on Appropriate Accountability for Accreditation and Federal Policy.

For the regulations to take effect on July 1, 2020, the final rule must be published in the Federal Register by November 1, 2019.

ROBERT KING CONFIRMED BY SENATE AS ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION

On July 11, 2019, the full U.S. Senate confirmed Robert King as USDE’s Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education. King previously served as President of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education and earlier was chancellor of the State University of New York system.

Diane Auer Jones, who prior to King’s confirmation was delegated duties of the Assistant Secretary, will continue in her position as USDE Principal Deputy Under Secretary, delegated duties of the Under Secretary.

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONTINUES TO HOLD HEARINGS IN PREPARATION FOR HIGHER EDUCATION ACT REAUTHORIZATION

The U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Investment held a hearing on July 16, 2019 titled Scaling Up Apprenticeships: Building on the Success of International Apprenticeship Models.Witnesses from Australia, Belgium and Germany testified on apprenticeship programs in their respective countries. The hearing is one of a series of hearings being held by the House Committee on Education and Labor in preparation for reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. Click here to view a webcast of the hearing.

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