By SUSAN JONES

The U.S. Department of Education has released proposed new rules on accreditation for colleges and universities, which would make it easier for new accrediting bodies to form and for colleges to change accreditors.

The rules also would expand accreditor duties to include oversight of campus policies related to free speech and intellectual diversity. 

One of the key provisions in the reforms is the ability to switch accreditors more easily.

Pitt Provost Joe McCarthy, who led the University’s last decennial accreditation team, said he has no problem with that idea. Indeed, he said he would recommend schools use Middle States Commission on Higher Education, which Pitt has been working with for more than 100 years.

“I do know that one of the moves from the current administration has to do with reducing friction in changing accreditors. It’s ironic that that’s one of their main ones, because I don’t think that Pitt has any interest in changing, because Middle States is doing such a nice job,” he said. “I would be happy to advocate for Middle States to any of our colleagues that want to change.”

McCarthy said Middle States recently made some changes in response to the Education Department’s proposed guidelines.

“Some of the activity in accreditation, because it’s not fully settled, and because it’s a bit of a moving target, is still unclear, but I have paid attention to Middle States’ responses to those changes in accreditation, and I’ve been really pleased with their very deliberate, very intentional responses to the administration’s opinions about accreditation,” he said.

The other change that McCarthy sees as positive is having some more specific outcomes criteria. He said he recently finished working as a team lead for a peer institution’s information review process.

“What was new for me was actually having the team verify that student graduation rates and some other very specific quantitative measures — the financial health of the institution, for example — were things that I had not had to do in prior stints as a team lead, so I think those are positive changes to have, some more quantifiable accountability.”

A negotiating committee also proposed the following changes:

• Streamlining transfer of credit policies

• Strengthening conflict of interest controls between accreditors and their affiliated trade associations

• Opening the market to new competition, which would shorten a requirement that companies conduct accreditation activities for at least two years prior to receiving approval from the department.

• Reducing accreditation cost burdens

• Emphasizing merit and student outcomes, including performance on standardized assessments, licensure or certification results, retention, completion and graduation rates, post-completion outcomes, and educational and economic returns.

• Protecting academic freedom and promoting intellectual diversity. 

The Department of Education’s Accreditation, Innovation and Modernization negotiated rulemaking committee reached a final consensus on the new proposals in May. Federal officials must now propose formal regulations that largely adhere to the negotiated draft before opening a window for public feedback.

If the rules are finalized by Nov. 1, they would take effect on July 1, 2027.

Pitt will begin its next formal accreditation process in November 2028, McCarthy said, so whatever standards are in place that would be what is used for Pitt.

Susan Jones is editor of the University Times. Reach her at suejones@pitt.edu or 724-244-4042.

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