The Florida Senate Education Committee approved a bill that would require public colleges and universities in the State would change the accreditation agencies at the end of each accreditation cycle.
Gain Accredition: What usually lasts between 8 and lasts between 8 and 10 years, with a review at midpoint, is a process of years. If it is passed in both chambers of the Florida Legislature, the new bill will create important financial and logistical headaches for institutions, according to experts. It could also explode the type of innovation and improvement that often result from solid and continuous associations of college accrediters.
Supporters of the bill. .
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But critics of the bill, which include several accreditation agencies, believe that it could be an attempt of political reprisals by the Republicans of the Senate, the Major Party, against the Southern Association of Schools and Schools of the Commission of Schools, the Regional Accreditation Agency for Florida Institutions.
The agency recently wrote two requests for information in the first place. In a letter, the agency looked for information on the possible conflict of interest when Florida State University considered Richard Corcoran, member of the Board of Governors of the System, in his recent presidential search. The second was to the University of Florida after the institution prohibited three teachers from the testification of the restrictions on state voting rights. Accreditation agencies send these types of information requests after learning about something that could put an institution out of compliance with the agency's standards. googleg.cmd.push (function () googleg.display ("dfp-ad-article_in_article"););
"I think they're upset because we entered their business," said Belle Wheelan, president of Sacscoc. "While they may be angry with me for doing my job, they will get angry with any accreditor they go, because those are requirements that we all have".
Barbara Brittingham, former president of the Higher Education Commission of New England, said that the NECHO would probably have made the same requests for these institutions.
"As an accreditor, you can not ignore the things that pose legitimate questions," said Brittingham. "If Sacs had a legitimate question, there is a great chance that another accreditor has the same question".
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Even if the bill is passed, Brittingham does not believe that could go into effect.
"I can not imagine that this would happen, it's so unrealistic," she said.
A requirement to change the accreditators would not have been possible until recently, when the Department of Education began to recognize regional and national accreditation agencies as "institutional accreditators", opening the opportunity for institutions They seek accreditation of the agencies outside their geographical region. But there is another clause in the bill that can cause external agencies to pause before assuming Florida's institutions.
The bill establishes that higher education institutions can take
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