Today's Edition
WASHINGTON (REUTERS)
In his latest step pressuring US universities, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an order intended to toughen standards for college accreditation, a requirement for accessing billions of dollars in federal student financial aid.
The order was one of seven education-related actions taken by the president during an event in the Oval Office. They covered a range of topics including fostering artificial intelligence competency in schools and improving job training for skilled trades.
The administration already has frozen hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding for numerous universities, pressing the institutions to make policy changes. Harvard University is suing the administration over a funding freeze.
While the federal government does not directly accredit US universities, it has a role in overseeing the mostly private organisations that do so. Accreditation is required for colleges to access federal student loans and grants.
Trump has often complained that accreditors approve institutions that fail to provide quality education, a sentiment echoed in the executive order.
The order directed Education Secretary Linda McMahon to make the accrediting organisations more accountable for schools' "poor performance" and civil rights violations through restrictions on or termination of their accrediting rights, a White House fact sheet said.
Trump ordered McMahon and Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate and take action against unlawful discrimination by US colleges and graduate schools, including law and medical schools.
Another order on Wednesday directed the administration to enforce existing laws requiring universities to disclose when they receive large foreign gifts, amid worries by Trump of foreign influence at universities.
It directed McMahon to take steps to require universities to disclose specific details about foreign funding, including "the true source and purpose of the funds," a White House fact sheet said.
Yet another order sets up an initiative on historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) aimed at promoting excellence and innovation at the schools. Under the initiative, an annual White House summit on HBCUs will be staged to "foster collaboration and address key priorities for HBCU success," a White House fact sheet said.
Trump said another order targeted diversity, equity and inclusion policies that impacted how students are disciplined. It said school discipline "should be based on student behavior, rather than racial statistics."
