The bigger picture:
U.S. Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent says the approval of the new framework is part of a “broader transformation of our higher education system: lowering costs, simplifying repayment, connecting education to workforce needs, strengthening accountability, and restoring confidence in our accreditation system.”
A statement from the Education Department purports that the new framework will, among other things, streamline credit transfer policies, reduce accreditation cost burdens, and open the market to new competition by eliminating the requirement that accreditors exist for two years before they get formal recognition from the federal government. “These changes will encourage the formation of new accreditors, increasing competition and choice,” the Education Department states.
The new framework, which is expected to be finalized this fall, also purports to “protect” academic freedom and “promote” intellectual diversity. “Too many institutions have become echo chambers focused on discriminatory ideology and unlawful discriminatory practices,” the department states.
