Trump Education Department Takes on Accreditors Pushing DEI on Colleges

Trump Education Department Takes on Accreditors Pushing DEI on Colleges

It’s good to know that they’re not backing down on this.

The College Fix reports:

Trump admin unveils new rule to crack down on DEI in higher ed accreditors

Accreditors, the gatekeepers of higher education, may have to ditch their diversity, equity, and inclusion requirements in favor of policies that value “intellectual diversity” and “academic freedom” under a proposed U.S. Department of Education rule.

Introduced Wednesday, the rule also would make it easier for new accreditors to be approved, a department news release states.

“The proposed changes would break up entrenched accreditation monopolies and reorient the sector to prioritize innovation, academic excellence, and student outcomes,” the release states.

Education Department Under Secretary Nicholas Kent blamed the current, “antiquated” system for creating expensive administrative bloat and pushing schools to adopt DEI.

“The Department’s proposed changes to our higher education quality assurance system will improve college affordability, reconnect education to workforce needs, strengthen accountability, and restore confidence in our accreditation system,” Kent stated in the news release.

The Trump administration created the rule to address concerns about, among other things, higher education accreditors pushing left-wing ideology on schools.

These include the American Bar Association, which, until recently, was the sole accreditor of law schools, as well as medical and social work accreditors.

“A small group of accreditors has dominated the higher education landscape for decades, driving up costs for American students and families and, in some cases, pushing colleges and universities to prioritize ideological agendas over a robust education focused on student outcomes …” the department stated Wednesday.

The rule, which follows up on a 2025 executive order from President Donald Trump, must go through a comment and review process prior to final approval.

As an example of what the rule aims to address, Trump’s order mentioned the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, which accredits allopathic and osteopathic medical programs.

The council “expect[s]” schools to adopt “policies and procedures related to recruitment and retention of individuals underrepresented in medicine,” including “racial and ethnic minority individuals,” according to the executive order.

Under the new rule, accreditors would no longer be allowed to require these affirmative action-type policies, which the department characterized as discriminatory.

Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.