Accreditation

Accrediting agencies have long fought to keep politics out of higher education, but a new Florida-created accreditor could open the political floodgates.

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration brought the lawsuit in 2023, when Joe Biden, a Democrat, was President, arguing Congress had unconstitutionally delegated its power to private accreditation agencies.

The governor says he wants the Florida Supreme Court and not the American Bar Association to be the accreditor for law schools in Florida.

A new accreditor would have to be approved by the federal government. But it could ultimately mean big changes for universities and their professors and students.

With the board overseeing Florida’s public universities set to vote Friday afternoon on whether to create a new accreditor, some say a massive shift is coming to higher education.

The Commission for Public Higher Education would be an accrediting nonprofit for universities in Florida and other states.

Some face legal challenges, such as a bill that would prevent abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

It comes after a number of clashes between the accrediting body and the state over issues like presidential searches, and whether faculty should be allowed to testify as expert witnesses.

The proposed change is part of a bill that also has a new accreditation process for Florida universities.

The Senate proposed a change that schools must now make a “good faith” effort to find a new accreditor and choose from a predetermined list of organizations.

USF St. Petersburg Regional Chancellor Martin Tadlock will step down Dec. 31, 2021. He says it will give him more time to spend with his family.

The University of South Florida received approval Friday for its academic plan to consolidate its three campuses under one umbrella - a "historic…