C-RAC Statement on Department of Education’s Negotiated Rulemaking Announcement

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Barbara Gellman-Danley, president of the Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions, today issued the following statement after the Trump Administration announced plans to reassess higher education standards and reevaluate the role of postsecondary accreditation through a negotiated rulemaking session planned for 2019:

We welcome the administration’s efforts to reassess regulatory burdens and enhance accreditors’ ability to promote institutional improvement and encourage the innovation necessary to effectively serve all students. Regional accreditors play an integral role in providing oversight and assuring postsecondary quality; our work depends on meaningful engagement with the Department of Education, state governments, and other higher education stakeholders as we work together encourage student success and protect taxpayer resources. We look forward to participating fully in the negotiated rulemaking process.

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The Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions is a collective of seven regional organizations responsible for the accreditation of roughly 3,000 of the nation’s colleges and universities.

CONTACT:

Alexandra Sollberger

202-317-0774