Proposed Florida Bill on Accreditation

February 7, 2022

HEADLINES

Florida House Takes Aim at College Accreditation Process (Tampa Bay Times, February 3, 2022) “The move comes after one accrediting body raised questions about political influence at two state universities.” See also House Bill to Require Colleges and Universities to Switch Accreditors Raises Questions (WUSF, February 5, 2022)

U. of Arizona Is Tightening Its Embrace of Troubled UA Global Campus. Will Reputational Damage Follow?Troubled UA Global Campus. Will Reputational Damage Follow? (The Chronicle of Higher Education [subscription required], February 2, 2022) "UA Global Campus is under pressure from its accreditor, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission, which wrote in June that it 'has strong concerns that the targets set for academic improvement are seriously inadequate to reach levels of student outcomes that should be expected at an accredited institution.' The commission also sought further information and analysis about UAGC’s marketing, retention, and student-success efforts."

As Gov. Wolf Readies His Final Budget, State Universities Wait To See If They Will Get More Funding (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, February 3, 2022) "In July, the system’s board approved the mergers of California, Clarion and Edinboro universities in the west and Bloomsburg, Lock Haven and Mansfield in the northeast. The combined campuses are to admit their first class in the fall but are still awaiting an accreditation review."

Using Colleges' Outcomes to Gauge Risk for Students (Inside Higher Ed, February 1, 2022) "A framework developed to identify the riskiest colleges for veterans could be a model for state regulators and accreditors to spot colleges that could close or harm students."

New Approach to Oversight for Colleges That Enroll Veterans (Politico “Weekly Education,” January 31, 2022) “The American Legion and Education Counsel, an education consulting firm, are rolling out a new risk-based model for how state regulators should oversee colleges that enroll GI Bill recipients. They are also calling on over state and federal regulators of colleges, such as accreditors and the Education Department, to embrace a similar approach to oversight.”

Accreditation Investigators To Prepare Report After Interviews With North Idaho College Campus Community (The Spokesman-Review, January 22, 2022) "Evaluators assigned by the agency that accredits North Idaho College met virtually with college officials and members of the campus community in the latest phase of an investigation into NIC’s accreditation eligibility."