Education Dept. Report Says No to a For-Profit Accreditor — But It Might Not Matter – The Chronicle of Higher Education
For the second time in less than two years, officials at the U.S. Department of Education have recommended against approving a controversial accrediting agency that primarily oversees for-profit colleges. But their finding may have little effect on the accreditor’s future.
Friday evening, the department released a 244-page document advising that the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools, known as Acics, fails to meet nearly 60 federal regulations on accreditation. The analysis is a draft of a report that was meant to be released in May at a hearing scheduled to consider the accreditor’s status. That hearing was cancelled following a judge’s order in a lawsuit filed by the council.
The draft identified numerous minor shortcomings on the part of the accrediting agency. For example, the document said, Acics must update its directory of accredited institutions and show that it has enough staff to carry out its responsibilities. But the report also found major problems. It said the agency had failed to show that its standards and practices are widely accepted by educators, licensing agencies, and employers.