UFlorida investigated by SACS

[Alpha]

He did it
https://www.insightintodiversity.com/gov...creditors/

[sanantone]

I'm assuming that schools will have to start the accreditation process with another agency as soon as they obtain accreditation with a new agency? The process is long. Technically, RA universities could shift around between RA accreditors as long as they're willing to accredit across their traditional boundaries. Obtaining NA accreditation could really screw graduates up when it comes to licensing.

[jsd]

Unnecessary overhead and tuition hikes incoming

[freeloader]

I'm assuming that schools will have to start the accreditation process with another agency as soon as they obtain accreditation with a new agency? The process is long. Technically, RA universities could shift around between RA accreditors as long as they're willing to accredit across their traditional boundaries. Obtaining NA accreditation could really screw graduates up when it comes to licensing.

That is exactly right.  From what I have read, the shortest any of the regional accreditors will grant accreditation (as opposed to candidacy) is 18 months.  So, henceforth, Florida colleges and universities are going to start a cycle every couple of years of moving between accreditation and candidate status.  This doesn't really matter for the vast majority of people or employers, but it is interesting.

It will also be really interesting if Florida universities are offering programs that meet the standards of their existing accreditor but not their new one, interesting to see how they deal with students in those programs. 

When this is all said and done, this will cost Florida's students and taxpayers millions and millions of dollars every year that are being wasted on this governor's vanity.  His vanity, I should note, over limiting the free speech rights of Florida citizens.

The signing ceremony was held at The Villages, a very conservative and politically influential retirement community.  In other words, as far away as one could pretty much get from an institution of higher learning (even prisons offer high school and college courses).  To me, this says everything you need to know.  If any part of this was about helping students, improving education, or the like, that ceremony would have been held on a college campus surrounded by 15-25 year olds.  Instead, it is about wasting taxpayer (and student) money on a "nothing burger" to make the most conservative elements of Florida's population feel better about combating the woke CRT crowd.  

As an aside, the next time I hear any Republican politician from Florida complain about the cost of higher education, the profusion of administrators, free speech on college campuses, or similar, I will vomit.

[ss20ts]

If one accrediting body sees a bunch of red flags others will as well. You don't think the folks running these boards speak to each other? This isn't going to work well for Florida in the long run. What if none of the bodies want to play these games? Accreditation is a multi year process. There's only so many RA's out there. What happens once Florida has gone through all of them once? Think they will welcome them back? Sounds like a very expensive headache for the employees who have to maintain accreditation.

[rachel83az]

I'm guessing that, soon, any RA college/university in FL is going to become 100% unaccredited. Which, IMO, is the whole point of this exercise. You can't ban the "woke" universities from your state, so you effectively prevent them from even existing in the first place.

[bjcheung77]

I still am a bit confused why they're making colleges or universities change accreditors, I mean if they're already RA, why switch to another? I am thinking that the article is referencing only those that are state approved or unaccredited, maybe even the faith-based or nationally accredited schools may need a change. I just dunno...

[ss20ts]

I still am a bit confused why they're making colleges or universities change accreditors, I mean if they're already RA, why switch to another?  I am thinking that the article is referencing only those that are state approved or unaccredited, maybe even the faith-based or nationally accredited schools may need a change.  I just dunno...

It's every college in the state. The governor was not happy that SACSCOC had issues with the politics involved in education when they were up for re-accreditation. The schools will need to change their accreditation board every 10 years beginning this summer.

[freeloader]

Basically, DeSantis wanted new laws to restrict voting access and to create a voting police force. Three University of Florida professors testified in lawsuits related to voting in Florida and were told by the university they could not testify as they had a conflict of interest as state employees. SACS asked a series of questions of UF relating to this and DeSantis got upset. He thought that SACS was out of line and decided to try to break the power of SACS, so he asked for this bill.

So, in essence, this whole bill is because 3 professors exercised their free speech rights in a way the governor disliked.

[Alpha]

Basically, DeSantis wanted new laws to restrict voting access and to create a voting police force. Three University of Florida professors testified in lawsuits related to voting in Florida and were told by the university they could not testify as they had a conflict of interest as state employees. SACS asked a series of questions of UF relating to this and DeSantis got upset. He thought that SACS was out of line and decided to try to break the power of SACS, so he asked for this bill.

So, in essence, this whole bill is because 3 professors exercised their free speech rights in a way the governor disliked.

That's a pretty good summary.