Florida Leaders Approve New University Accreditation Plan

Introduction to the Plan

TALLAHASSEE — Higher-education leaders Friday backed a plan to form a new accrediting agency that Florida will help fund and oversee with university systems from five other states. The Florida university system’s Board of Governors approved creating the non-profit Commission for Public Higher Education, which would be an alternative to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, a longtime accrediting agency that has clashed with Florida education leaders in recent years.

Details of the Plan

Board of Governors Chairman Brian Lamb said the planned accreditation agency is at the “seed funding stage,” with Florida putting up $4 million. “We should probably think about the roadmap over the next three, six, 12, 18 months,” Lamb said. “There’s a lot of questions we have got to answer around how we’re going to operate this entity.” Anticipating legal action against the accrediting agency, Board of Governors member Eric Silagy expressed reservations about setting up the organization with unaddressed questions.

Concerns and Support

“I’m really concerned about the structure not being in place from day one that will mitigate undue legal risk,” Silagy said. “It is truly a startup that, right off the bat, will have millions of students and hundreds of thousands of faculty and billions of dollars directly affiliated,” Silagy added. Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has taken numerous steps to make Florida’s higher-education system more conservative, and officials from other states last month announced plans for the agency. Other participants are university systems in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

Purpose of the New Accreditation Agency

Florida university system Chancellor Ray Rodrigues said there is a “unique unity” among the six university systems. “The Commission for Public Education will offer an accreditation model that prioritizes academic excellence and student success while removing all ideological bias and unnecessary financial burdens,” Rodrigues said. Accreditation plays a critical role in making colleges and universities eligible for students to receive federal financial aid. But Florida in recent years took steps to move away from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, which is often known as SACS, and battled in federal court with the Biden administration about accreditation.

Reactions to the Plan

Robin Goodman, a professor of literature at Florida State University, questioned DeSantis’ reasons for wanting to switch accreditors to one that is “politicized in ways that it’s not now.” “That just seems like a bad decision and will make our universities not as great as they are now,” Goodman told the board. But board member Kimberly Dunn said it’s important that the new accreditor can’t “impose divisive, ideological concepts” on schools. Board member Ken Jones called the plan “the right path” and a “great policy move,” “given what’s transpired the last few years with SACS and other accrediting agencies.”

Next Steps for the Commission

The new commission is expected to have leaders, including a board of directors, and staff members by October, with an accreditation model set up by December. It will have to receive approval from the U.S. Department of Education to be recognized as an accreditor. “A new accreditor typically has two years to prove it is operating in accordance with federal regulations to receive federal approval,” the commission’s business plan said. The business plan, however, also cited a White House executive order in April. The plan said the White House “expressed its intent for the Department (of Education) to ‘realign accreditation with high-quality, valuable education for students’ and to accelerate the recognition of new accreditors.”

Funding for the Commission

Florida will provide $4 million for the commission, and other state university systems are expected to make similar contributions through funding or in-kind work, according to the business plan. Florida is the first to approve money. University systems in North Carolina and South Carolina have identified staff to provide in-kind work for the commission. The commission’s long-term funding is expected to come, in part, through annual membership fees from participating schools. “Additional funding may be provided by education-related philanthropic organizations, private entities, corporate sponsors and the federal government (in the form of grants),” the business plan said.

Background and Legal History

In 2022, the Republican-controlled Legislature and DeSantis approved a bill requiring public universities and colleges to periodically change accreditors. That followed concerns raised in 2021 by SACS about then-state Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran’s candidacy to become president of Florida State University. Corcoran, who also is a former state House speaker, did not get the FSU job but is now president at New College of Florida. Florida in 2023 filed a lawsuit against federal education officials challenging the constitutionality of the accreditation system, arguing, for example, that “Congress has ceded unchecked power to private accrediting agencies to dictate education standards to colleges and universities, and it has forbidden the U.S. Department of Education from meaningfully reviewing, approving or rejecting those standards.”

Conclusion

The approval of the new university accreditation plan by Florida leaders marks a significant development in the state’s higher education system. The plan aims to create a new accrediting agency that prioritizes academic excellence and student success while removing ideological bias and unnecessary financial burdens. While the plan has received support from some, it has also raised concerns about legal risks and the potential impact on the state’s universities. As the commission moves forward, it will be important to address these concerns and ensure that the new accrediting agency is able to provide high-quality accreditation that benefits students and institutions alike.

FAQs

• Q: What is the purpose of the new accreditation agency?
  A: The new accreditation agency, known as the Commission for Public Higher Education, aims to provide an accreditation model that prioritizes academic excellence and student success while removing ideological bias and unnecessary financial burdens.
• Q: Which states are participating in the new accreditation agency?
  A: The states participating in the new accreditation agency are Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.
• Q: How will the new accreditation agency be funded?
  A: The new accreditation agency will be funded through a combination of seed funding from participating states, annual membership fees from participating schools, and potential funding from education-related philanthropic organizations, private entities, corporate sponsors, and the federal government.
• Q: What is the timeline for the new accreditation agency to become operational?
  A: The new commission is expected to have leaders and staff members by October, with an accreditation model set up by December. It will have to receive approval from the U.S. Department of Education to be recognized as an accreditor, a process that typically takes two years.
• Q: What are the potential benefits and drawbacks of the new accreditation agency?
  A: The potential benefits of the new accreditation agency include providing a more streamlined and efficient accreditation process, reducing costs for institutions, and promoting academic excellence and student success. However, there are also concerns about the potential legal risks and the impact on the state’s universities, particularly if the new accrediting agency is seen as being politicized or imposing divisive ideological concepts on schools.