Kent Tells Accreditation Panel to "Buckle Up"

"Tuesday's meeting began with the election of a new NACIQI chair, a process that required two votes after the 18-member board tied on the first try. After the second vote, Jay Greene, a former senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation staffer and sharp critic of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, was named chair. He was among the five Department of Education appointees named in November."

"Greene promised "to be a fair, even-handed chair" despite the "awkwardness" of the vote, which he won after Jennifer Blum, a Republican appointee abstained after voting against Greene in the election. The vote was followed by remarks from Education Under Secretary Nicholas Kent who was participating in his first NACIQI meeting since being confirmed by the U.S. Senate. (While the meeting was initially scheduled for July, ED postponed it until October, and it was later rescheduled to December because of the lengthy government shutdown in the fall.) "Instead of focusing on student outcomes and accountability to taxpayers, accreditation has functioned as a shield for incumbent institutions,"

The administration portrays accreditation as influenced by alleged liberal or 'woke' priorities and has pursued an executive order targeting accreditors that require unlawful diversity practices. The Department of Education is soliciting public comment on accreditation reform and plans to update accreditor rules to increase transparency and efficiency. NACIQI's recent meeting elected Jay Greene as chair after a tied first vote, with Greene characterized as a critic of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Education officials, including Under Secretary Nicholas Kent, emphasized concerns that accreditation has not focused sufficiently on student outcomes and accountability to taxpayers.

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