- ED to update Accreditation Handbook
- New BSIs named in California
- Bill offers employers tax break for training
- New Hampshire college designated national cyber defense center
- Green light for new baccalaureate program
ED to update Accreditation Handbook
The U.S. Education Department is seeking comments on how to re-envision and update the Accreditation Handbook, as it looks to streamline guidance and cut requirements it considers unnecessarily burdensome.
ED said changes to the handbook will complement a forthcoming negotiated rulemaking on accreditation, which the department will convene next year.
“Instead of driving high-quality programs that better serve students, the antiquated accreditation system has led to inflated tuition costs and fees, administrative bloat, and ideology-driven initiatives at colleges across the country,” Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education Dr. David Barker said in a release.
ED’s request for information invites commenters to consider:
- What policies or standards are encouraging innovation or reducing college costs within the postsecondary education sector and should be retained in or added to the new version of the handbook? How can the handbook be designed to be less burdensome?
- Is the handbook serving its intended purpose? How can it better assist accrediting agencies and associations in evaluating the quality of educational institutions and programs or in applying for Federal recognition?
- How could accreditation standards be updated to incentivize intellectual diversity on campus? What guidance or standards, if any, can the handbook provide to institutions and programs to help achieve this goal?
- What methods should be incorporated into the handbook to determine appropriate assessment benchmarks, and what data sources or validation methods could be used to ensure those benchmarks reflect student competency?
Comments, which are due by January 26, must be submitted via the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov.
New BSIs named in California
Several community colleges are among the first in California minted as Black-Serving Institutions (BSI), a newly established designation in the state that went into effect this year.
California’s Governing Board for Black-Serving Institutions this month approved 31 campuses statewide for initial designation, including 25 community colleges. San Diego City College, San Diego Mesa College, Long Beach City College, Los Angeles Harbor College, East Los Angeles College, West Los Angeles College and Los Angeles Trade-Technical College are among the colleges designated BSIs.
“As students of color face growing attacks across the nation, California is choosing a different path — one rooted in partnership, accountability, and a shared commitment to our students,” said Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, who chaired the inaugural meeting this month of new governing board.
To be eligible for the designation, a college must have at least 10% of its enrolled student population identifying as Black and/or African American, or have at least 1,500 Black and/or African American students enrolled. The BSI designation framework evaluates institutions across five domains: mission and leadership commitment; representation and belonging; accountability for outcomes; curricula and co-curricular learning; and support and wellness.
Bill offers employers tax break for training
A bicameral bill introduced by Democrats aims to provide tax incentives to encourage employers to invest in upgrading their employees’ skills, particularly for new technologies such as AI.
Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Virginia) and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Illinois) this week introduced the Investing in American Workers Act, which would establish a tax credit for employers who increase spending on worker training, equal to 20% of increased training expenditures for eligible workers earning $96,000 or less per year. The industry-aligned training could include registered apprenticeships, WIOA-certified programs, community college and career and technical education programs, and employer- or labor-sponsored training that leads to recognized postsecondary credentials.
“Right now, our tax code rewards companies for investing in machines and software, but not nearly enough for investing in people,” Warner said in a release. “This bill applies a proven model, the R&D tax credit, to incentivize employers to offer workforce training, so workers can build new skills, businesses can stay competitive, and the benefits of technological change are more widely shared.”
The American Association of Community Colleges is among the bill’s supporters.
New Hampshire college designated national cyber defense center
NHTI-Concord’s Community College has been designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense through a program managed by the National Security Agency.
To earn the designation, the New Hampshire college’s curriculum met specific learning outcomes and includes hands-on lab exercises that allow students to practice their skills in realistic environments. The process extended beyond the cybersecurity classroom, requiring NHTI to prove its institutional cybersecurity measures met national standards.
“NHTI is deeply committed to meeting the evolving demands of today’s workforce,” said Chad Johnson, NHTI’s program coordinator for information technology. “And few fields are growing as rapidly or as critically as cybersecurity.”
Johnson said in a release that the designation opens the door to a range of opportunities for both the college and its students, including access to competitive grants, specialized scholarships, and strengthened connections with cybersecurity professionals and industry partners.
Green light for new baccalaureate program
Long Beach City College (LBCC) has received official approval to offer its inaugural bachelor’s degree.
The bachelor of science in library and information science degree program is also the first of its kind at a U.S. community college, according to LBCC. It expects to begin accepting applications for the new program in spring 2027.
“Our new bachelor’s degree offers an affordable pathway into a rapidly evolving field, with forward-looking coursework in areas such as artificial intelligence and emerging information technologies,” LBCC Superintendent-President Mike Muñoz said in a press release.
LBCC spent more than a year on research and academic planning for the program that included a comprehensive 16-part application to the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office. The process included labor market analysis, employer outreach, consultation with peer institutions, evaluation of program duplication with the California State University and University of California systems, and early design of upper-division curriculum.
