New agency in Florida aims to replace traditional accreditation with data-driven, apolitical oversight
Tallahassee, Florida – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has announced the creation of a new accrediting agency called the Commission for Public Higher Education (CPHE). This is part of an effort to change the way public colleges and universities are rated. The plan marks a significant shift in how higher education is overseen. It gives people an alternative to what DeSantis called an outmoded and ideologically driven accrediting system.
Governor DeSantis said at the announcement that the move was meant to improve the quality of education while fighting what he called the “activist-controlled accreditation monopoly.”
“Florida has set an example for the country in reclaiming higher education—and we’re working to make that success permanent. That means breaking the activist-controlled accreditation monopoly,” said Governor Ron DeSantis.
Six state public university systems, including Florida’s, are working together to set up the CPHE. They all have the same goal: to improve academic monitoring through standards that are based on data, are clear, and are focused on outcomes. The goal is to evaluate schools not by their political views, but by how well they serve children, get graduates ready for success, and keep up high academic standards.
Ray Rodrigues, Chancellor of Florida’s State University System, echoed the governor’s sentiment.
“I am proud to be joined by leaders of five other public university systems to establish an accreditor that will focus on ensuring institutions provide high-quality, high-value programs, use student data to drive decisions, and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the process,” said Rodrigues.
Among the founding members is the University of South Carolina (USC) System. Thad H. Westbrook, Chair of USC’s Board of Trustees, expressed optimism about the partnership’s potential to transform accreditation.
“The innovations we expect to implement will benefit students while making accreditation more efficient and more focused on outcomes, quality, and success,” Westbrook said.
People who support the new accreditor claim that the goal of the proposal is to make academic reviews more in line with what the public and the state want. They say that CPHE will still push schools to high standards, but it will do so in a way that puts performance ahead of politics.
As this new accrediting agency takes shape, it will probably start conversations throughout the country about the future of academic responsibility and the role that states play in making higher education policy. Florida is once again spearheading a daring drive, this time into the core of how America rates its colleges and universities.
