The Department of Education Has Given Schools a Deadline to Eliminate DEI Programs

February 20, 2025

HEADLINES

The Department of Education has Given Schools a Deadline to Eliminate DEI Programs (NPR.org, February 19, 2025) NPR's Leila Fadel spoke with Cynthia Jackson Hammond, President of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation about the Department of Education's two-week deadline for schools to eliminate race-based programs.

CHEA Releases Guiding Principles for Artificial Intelligence in Accreditation and Recognition (CHEA.org, February 18, 2025) Artificial Intelligence (AI) innovations today and in coming years will be robust with applications, opportunities, and scrutiny. This innovation will continue to evolve in many ways and will represent progress and challenges in higher education and quality assurance. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) provides suggested guidance for accrediting organizations and institutions employing AI platforms.

Trump Taps Biden Critic Nicholas Kent as Under Secretary (Inside Higher Ed, February 11, 2025) The president nominated a former lobbyist for career colleges to serve as education undersecretary. He is familiar with the Education Department’s complex rule-making process and policy issues that frequently cross the desks of department officials, including Title IX, student loan repayment, accreditation, and online education.

Senate Schedules McMahon Confirmation Hearing, but Who’s Leading Until Then? (Inside Higher Ed, February 7, 2025) The secretary nominee is likely to be confirmed, but the department has already taken action. Linda McMahon will appear before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, a key step in the confirmation process. The lack of clarity makes it hard to decipher what the regulatory priorities will be and how colleges, universities, accreditors, students, and others should prepare for the next four years.  

Five Ways the Education Department Affects Higher Ed (Inside Higher Ed, February 7, 2025) The department recognizes accreditors who, in turn, accredit colleges. Institutions can only access federal financial aid if they are accredited by a department-recognized accrediting agency and have the necessary approval from state-authorizing agencies.