April 23 (UPI) -- On Wednesday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at reforming the college accreditation system with a focus on promoting competitiveness within the process.
The accreditation process is connected with colleges and universities gaining access to federal funds for student loans and Pell grants. These institutions rely on these grants as well as tuition fees, particularly public schools which also depend on state funding.
"University accreditation is currently a process controlled by a number of third-party organizations that's by statute, by law, many of those third-party accreditors have relied on sort of woke ideology to accredit universities, instead of accrediting based on merit and performance," Will Scharf, White House staff secretary, said .
In the order Secretary of Education Linda McMahon was instructed to ensure accountability among accrediting agencies. This includes potentially denying, overseeing, suspending, or terminating their accreditation status if they do not comply with recognition standards or break federal laws. Specifically, this directive aims at preventing accrediting bodies from mandating discriminatory practices under the pretense of ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ programs for institutions pursuing accreditation.
Additionally, McMahon and Attorney General Pam Bondi were instructed to look into and put an end to illegal discrimination at U.S. colleges and universities, specifically within law schools and medical schools.
The education secretary, whose department Trump aims to abolish, attended the signing ceremony in the Oval Office. He also signed an executive order To guarantee the education of artificial intelligence in U.S. schools for tomorrow's job market.
Someone mentioned today, a highly intelligent individual stated that AI represents the path to the future," Trump remarked. "I'm not sure whether this is accurate or not, but undoubtedly, many brilliant minds are putting their resources into it.
Another order Would put an end to the secrecy around foreign money in U.S. schools, shield the exchange of ideas from government-sponsored propaganda, and secure America’s students and research from being exploited by foreign entities. Educational institutions would be required to provide specific disclosures.
At the event, injured veterans were present and received challenge coins.
The new accreditation protocol will enable universities to change accrediting bodies with greater ease, fostering increased competition rather than adhering to the present cumbersome procedure.
In 2019, during his first term, Trump lifted the geographical limitations on the accredited schools that could be utilized.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration over the college accreditation system In 2023, one year subsequent to this event, Judge Jacqueline Becerra, appointed by Biden, dismissed the lawsuit.
"Becerra stated that the State's objection to adhering to standards established by private entities in order to qualify for federal funds through their students falls short of stating a valid claim," he wrote.
The Florida accrediting body was the SouthernAssociation of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
On Monday, Harvard filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration following the termination of approximately $2 billion in grants and contracts because they declined to consent to overnight changes and abandoned initiatives related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.