Louisiana could join a Florida-led push to limit the power of existing higher education accreditors.
Gov. Jeff Landry created a task force on Tuesday to explore whether – and what it would take – to join a new accrediting agency that's still taking shape.
In June, state university systems in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas launched their own body, the Commission for Public Higher Education, to accredit public universities.
The move requires federal approval and could take years; however, state officials have requested that the Trump administration expedite the process.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that the new body "will upend the monopoly of the woke accreditation cartels" by providing an alternative option.
Established accreditors have come under fire in recent years for supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts and attempting to limit the influence of politics in higher education. Accrediting institutions have the power to regulate schools, as colleges must meet the standards of an approved accreditor to access federal financial aid.
The likelihood that Louisiana will join the commission is high, as Landry supports the move. According to the Louisiana Illuminator, almost every member of the state's task force was appointed to their position by the governor or his allies.
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) accredits schools in Louisiana and other Southern states. The organization has been in existence for more than a century over a hundred years. Member schools set the organization's guidelines, evaluate one another and make accreditation decisions.
Higher Ed Dive reports that lawmakers in Florida and North Carolina have passed laws in recent years, forcing those states' public colleges, which are accredited by SACSCOC, to switch accreditors each cycle after the organization raised potential governance issues.
Stephen Pruitt, the organization's incoming president, said in an email that he appreciates the governor creating a task force to "tackle the complex issue of accreditation."
"Accreditation is central to quality education; thus, accreditors are held to high standards and must themselves be reviewed," Pruitt said, adding that the organization's members are proud of the recognition it's received for "quality and innovation."
Pruitt said he plans to work with policymakers, state agencies and partner institutions when he becomes president on Aug. 1, "to ensure and strengthen a high standard of accreditation that reflects the needs of students, our institutions, and the workforce."
