NAICU Washington Update

Final NACIQI Appointments Made

June 03, 2010

The House of Representatives has now made its appointments to the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI), the Secretary of Education's advisory board that approves accreditors.  These final appointments come almost two years after Congress passed the Higher Education Act reauthorization bill in August 2008.  That legislation reconstituted the NACIQI, and allowed for congressional appointments to be made (see Feb. 8, 2008, NAICU Week in Review article).

The House Democrats appointed three representatives from public colleges, while the House Republicans' three appointments all represent the for-profit sector. The appointment of these final six members, now allows the panel to meet for the first time since June 2008.

With new controversy over the role of accreditation -- particularly stories of regional accreditors approving sales of non-profit colleges to the for-profit sector -- the new NACIQI membership composition is certain to add even more intrigue to its controversial recent past (see full list of appointees, below).

During the latter days of the Bush administration, NACIQI became an insider's battleground over attempts to systematize measures of student learning outcomes.  The new panel's makeup appears to be as controversial as ever.  Its 18 members, with very divergent views of American higher education, will now be expected to come to consensus over accreditors' worthiness in determining institutional quality for purposes of receiving federal aid, including student aid.

The newly constituted panel is not expected to hold its first formal meeting until the fall.

Panel Members

House Democrat Appointments:
Benjamin Allen, President, University of Northern Iowa
William "Brit" Kirwan, Chancellor, University System of Maryland
Carolyn Williams, President, Bronx Community College

House Republican Appointments:
Arthur Keiser, Chancellor, Keiser University
Arthur Rothkopf, Senior Vice President and Counselor to the President, U. S. Chamber of Commerce
William Pepicello, President, University of Phoenix

Senate Democratic Appointments:
Dan Klach, Chancellor, Nevada System of Higher Education
Cameron Staples, Member, Connecticut State House of Representatives
Larry Vanderhoef, Chancellor Emeritus, University of California (Davis)

Senate Republican Appointments:
Bruce Cole, Past Chair, National Endowment for the Humanities and a former professor and
department chair at Indiana University (Bloomington)
Anne Neal, President, American Council of Trustees and Alumni
Michael Poliakoff, Former Vice President, Academic Affairs and Research, University of Colorado

U. S. Department of Education Appointments:
Earl Lewis, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Emory University
Susan Phillips, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Albany State University
Jamienne Studley, President and CEO, Public Advocates, Inc.
Aron Shimles, Student, Occidental College
Frank Wu, Professor, Howard University of Law
Frederico Zargoza, Vice Chancellor of Economic and Workforce Development, Alamo Colleges

MORE News from NAICU

Top