President Trump signed an executive order Wednesday for university accredited personnel, a largely unknown but long-established group of companies that assess the quality of university education and financial health.
The order, one of seven education-related measures he signed on Wednesday, was Trump's latest move aimed at shifting ideological trends in the higher education system. His administration has escalated its battle with elite universities in recent weeks, demanding major changes in employment, admission and curriculum practices. At least one Harvard chose to fight back and set up a billion-dollar fight for academic independence.
While some of the passing scores from accredited companies have been around for over a century, it is important that universities access to approve $120 billion in federal financial aid each year. But Trump denounced these businesses for promoting the kind of diversity, equity and inclusion policies that his administration has prioritized for stomping.
During his last presidential election, Trump did not frequently speak of acclaimed candidates who have long been the target of conservative Republicans. But when he did so, he booked some of his most biting attacks for them. In a policy video he posted in the summer of 2023, he vowed to target “a radical left accreditor who allowed our university to rule over Marxist maniacs and madmen.”
Trump's order will allow schools to switch accreditors and make it easier for new accreditors to get federal approval. Order text was not available immediately.
Bob Shireman, a senior fellow at the Century Foundation, is a liberal think tank studying accreditation policies and more, and said Trump's orders undermine institutional independence, “helped our universities become the best in the world.”
“The federal government has long been separated from university curriculum and employment involvement, and current laws prohibit this type of intrusion into academic issues,” Silleman said, adding that the executive order “are way above this line.”
Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the current accreditation system will contribute to rising tuition fees and “push the university in an ideological direction.”
“The Ministry of Education creates a competitive market for accredited higher education, which provides incentives and support to focus on reducing costs for universities and universities, fostering innovation and providing high-quality secondary education,” she said in a statement.
The Trump administration has made efforts to eradicate campaigns against elite institutions and diversity initiatives in the fight against anti-Semitism. Critics said the push was an attempt to impose Trump's political agenda on the country's schools.
Still, the President's crusades against diversity programs have already affected accreditation bodies. Last month, the American Psychological Association, which sets the standards for professional mental health training, voted to suspend the requirement that graduate programs demonstrate a commitment to recruitment and employment diversity.
Trump has also signed an executive order to encourage the use of artificial intelligence in schools, promote private sector partnerships with historically black universities, and increase the number of apprentices in skilled trade jobs. Another order directed his administration to make it more difficult for universities to obscure details of foreign funds.
The other two orders focused on student discipline, which has been a political flashpoint for the past decade.
One order was to ensure that the disciplinary policy was not based on the DEI policy. The other limits the use of so-called different impact rules. This has long been described as an important tool for civil rights groups to demonstrate discrimination against minorities.
Severe disciplinary tactics like suspension help teachers manage their classrooms by removing destructive students. But they can also hurt students who are already struggling by forcing them to miss critical lessons. Black students have historically been more severely disciplined than white students. This is an important issue for progressive educational activists and the material movement of black people.
Under President Barack Obama, the district was told that if certain groups of students are disciplined more frequently than others, it would be considered a violation of federal civil rights laws. Trump revoked the order during his first term, but was revived under President Joseph R. Biden Jr.
Trump's order calls for new federal guidance on discipline at local schools.
Dana Goldstein Reports of contributions.
