State Authorization and Other Accreditation-Related News

Final Push on State Authorization (Inside Higher Ed, June 6, 2016) “Education Department will push to finalize rule on state approval of online programs before the end of the year.”

CHEA Letter to U.S. Department of Education on Accrediting Agencies Reporting Activities (June 6, 2016) “The price of protecting students need not be a fundamental undermining of the many strengths of accreditation, a heretofore successful and valuable form of collegial quality review.”

Controversial Accreditor Freezes Membership (Inside Higher Ed, June 6, 2016) “The Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools [ACICS] today will announce a temporary halt in accepting new applications for colleges seeking to become accredited, as well as several other changes, including requirements seeking to ensure more accuracy in self-reported data from member colleges.”

Accreditor of For-Profit Colleges Agrees It Needs a Makeover (ProPublica, June 7, 2016) “Embattled college accreditor ACICS announces that it will halt new applications for accreditation while it institutes reforms.”

Credentials Fraud Now a Global Threat for Universities (University World News, June 4, 2016) “Today, credential fraud in higher education is a billion-dollar industry, by some accounts. It has spiralled into a major threat for employers and university admissions offices. And it spans the globe.”