COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — President Donald Trump is working to overhaul American higher education through accreditors, calling out three that are responsible for approving Ohio universities and colleges for federal funding.
In one of seven executive orders signed April 23, Trump directed Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to hold collegiate accreditors accountable by suspending or terminating their certification if they require colleges to incorporate diversity, equity or inclusion. McMahon is to reform the accreditation system by:
- Recognizing new accreditors for more competition
- Requiring universities to submit program-level student data without referencing sex or race
- Prioritizing intellectual diversity
- Beginning an experimental site for new accreditation pathways
- Making accreditation more efficient
To be eligible for federal resources — including Pell Grants and student loans — all colleges and universities must be accredited by a Department of Education-approved private accrediting company. In Ohio, most universities are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, including Ohio State and Ohio universities. The Higher Learning Commission was not included by name in the executive order, but still falls under its umbrella.
“While we firmly reject President Trump’s mischaracterization of accreditors’ role in the nation’s postsecondary education system, we stand ready to work with the Secretary of Education on policies that will advance our shared mission of enhancing quality, innovation, integrity and accountability,” the Higher Learning Commission said in a statement.
The commission does have a standard about diversity of society, but it does not say institutions are required to have diversity, equity and inclusion programs, saying: “The institution provides opportunities for civic engagement in a diverse, multicultural society and globally connected world, as appropriate within its mission and for the constituencies it serves.”
According to the commission, campus definitions of DEI and strategies for access and inclusion can be used as evidence that an institution is meeting this standard, but they are not required.
Some programs undergo separate accreditation, including law schools at Capital University and Ohio State, which are accredited by the American Bar Association. The ABA was called out by name in Trump’s executive order for requiring law schools to demonstrate a commitment to diversity and inclusion.
In February, the ABA suspended its diversity and inclusion standard until Aug. 31 to ensure it can be updated to comply with federal law. Nevertheless, Trump quoted from the suspended diversity and inclusion standard in his executive order, saying the “discriminatory requirement blatantly violates” the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision on affirmative action.
The ABA told NBC4 it has no comment at this time about the executive order and its inclusion in it. Ohio State also chose not to comment at this time, directing questions to accreditors.
The executive order also called out the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, which addressed its concerns on Monday. Established in 1981, ACGME accredits 677 programs in Ohio alone, including specialty programs at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Ohio State’s hospitals and Riverside Hospital.
“The ACGME takes this very seriously and is evaluating the executive order and its implications for the accreditation standards and processes as a high priority,” representatives said.
ACGME said it will share more updates once it has examined what this means for the team. It does require a “diverse and inclusive workforce” for programs to be accredited and prioritizes diverse education. ACGME said patients come from diverse backgrounds, and understanding diversity in gender, age, sex, religion, etc. is crucial to providing appropriate patient care.
The third accreditor named in the executive order is the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), the only federally approved accreditor of Doctor of Medicine programs. It serves as the accreditor for MD programs at Wright State, Case Western, Northeast Ohio Medical University, OSU, the University of Cincinnati, and the University of Toledo. The LCME has been recognized by the federal government as an MD program accreditor since the 1950s.
LCME does have one policy requiring each university to prioritize achieving diversity among its students. LCME administrators told NBC4 they have read the executive order and agree that medical programs should be held to a high standard.
“In pursuit of this shared goal, the LCME will work with the Administration to provide requested information and to provide evidence of our ongoing commitment to outcomes-based evaluations of medical education program quality with the goal of producing outstanding physicians,” an LCME spokesperson said.
Trump has long promised action toward accreditors, calling the accreditation system his “secret weapon” for minimizing liberal influence on college campuses.
“When I return to the White House I will fire the radical left accreditors that have allowed our colleges to become dominated by Marxist maniacs and lunatics,” Trump promised in a campaign video from May 2023.
Full surveys of universities typically happen every ten years. Ohio University was accredited this past March, and Ohio State will need its accreditation reaffirmed in the 2026-2027 school year.