Higher Ed Innovation and Other Accreditation-Related Issues
Higher Ed Innovation in a Trump Era (Inside Higher Ed, November 16, 2016) “While higher education might be able to do much to change itself, [Education Under Secretary Ted] Mitchell said, he and the administration had taken the approach that more and better alternatives to traditional institutions were needed. He cited the Education Department's new EQUIP program -- in which traditional colleges and universities team with nontraditional providers and accrediting bodies to experiment with ways to free up federal financial aid for noncollege job training.”
What’s In Store for ED’s IG? (Politico “Morning Education,” November 16, 2016) “Among the education issues that the Inspector General plans to target: the department’s oversight of state special education programs, the department’s management of financial aid pilot programs through its experimental sites authority, the effectiveness of how the department evaluates college accreditors, and whether the department appropriately resolves student loan borrower complaints.”
Murray to Remain Ranking Democrat on Key Panel (Inside Higher Ed, November 17, 2016) “Washington Senator Patty Murray will stay on as the ranking member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Senate Democrats announced Wednesday.”
Rep. Virginia Foxx Will Seek to Lead House Education Committee (Education Week, November 9, 2016) “Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., said Wednesday that she will officially run to be chairwoman of the House education committee when the next session of Congress begins in 2017.”
College Accreditors Largely Staffed by Employees of Schools They Accredit (Wall Street Journal, November 11, 2016) “Two-thirds of the officials responsible for policing the quality of the nation’s colleges and universities are employed by schools their agencies oversee, highlighting potential conflicts of interest in a system that faces reform efforts in Washington.”
Accreditation of Online Degree Programs: Frequently Asked Questions (U.S. News & World Report, November 11, 2016) “Legitimate online degree programs are accredited by agencies recognized by either the Department of Education or the nonprofit Council for Higher Education Accreditation, known as CHEA.”
Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange (Institute of International Education [IIEE], November 14, 2016) “IIEE has conducted an annual statistical survey of campuses regarding the international students in the United States since 1919, and with support from the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs since the early 1970s. The census is based on a survey of approximately 3,000 accredited U.S. institutions.”
5 Ways Donald Trump Could Affect Your Student Loans As President (Cleveland.com, November 12, 1016) “Higher-education programs' accreditation ‘should be decoupled from federal financing,’ the Republican Party platform said. That may mean that students attending those nontraditional programs could be allowed to pay for the courses with federal financial aid.”