Challenges of an Accreditor Crackdown - Michael Stratford, Inside Higher Ed

The Education Department says it's going to get tougher with college accreditors. But are those federally recognized watchdogs too big to fail? In announcing a set of new college accreditation measures earlier this month, Education Secretary Arne Duncan reiterated his criticism that accreditors are the "watchdogs that don't bite." But will the department itself have more bark than bite as it attempts to crack down on those accreditors? Education Department officials say that even without a change in the law, they are now going to pay greater attention to student outcomes in their oversight of federally recognized accreditors. The department has suggested that it may take a more aggressive approach to its process of granting federal recognition to accreditors. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/11/17/education-department-faces-challenges-cracking-down-college-accreditors