President Trump issued seven Executive Orders on April 23, 2025, all with directives for the U.S. Department of Education. One Executive Order specifically addressed Reforming Accreditation to Strengthen Higher Education. 

Grand Valley State University is a member of the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). HLC has long succeeded by ensuring that accreditation requirements are considered alongside federal and state policies and laws. This is called HLC's Relationship within the Triad. HLC aims to ensure that federal and state voices are a healthy part of the accreditation process. 

A fact sheet on the Executive Order states that the U.S. Department of Education “must realign accreditation with student-focused principles by: 

• Resuming recognition of new accreditors to foster competition. 
• Requiring institutions use program-level student outcome data to improve results, without reference to race, ethnicity, or sex. 
• Requiring high-quality, high-value academic programs. 
• Prioritizing intellectual diversity among faculty in order to advance academic freedom, intellectual inquiry, and student learning. 
• Launching an experimental site to test innovative quality assurance pathways. 
• Increasing the consistency, efficiency, and effectiveness of the accreditor recognition review process. 
• Streamlining accreditor recognition and institutional transitions between accreditors.” 

HLC is a member of the Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions (C-RAC), and C-RAC has released the following statement:

“Accrediting agencies are instrumental to promoting quality assurance and protecting student and taxpayer investments in higher education. 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 latest Executive Order directs the Secretary of Education to take actions that accrediting agencies have previously supported and encouraged, including facilitating the recognition of new accreditors and making it easier for institutions in good standing to change accreditors. Additionally, to the extent any accrediting agency has standards related to diversity, equity, or inclusion, they are predicated on institutions implementing such requirements in accordance with applicable state and federal laws.

“We urge the Secretary of Education to advance these policy directives through a negotiated rulemaking process that considers voices and insights from the broader public. Accrediting agencies appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with the administration to ensure America’s colleges and universities, which are broadly recognized as the gold standard worldwide, not only meet baseline quality assurance standards and legal requirements but also exceed expectations. Our goal is to continually enhance student success, provide lasting value, and contribute to educational excellence.”

The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) is the agency that accredits HLC, and ensures that HLC is continuously improving. They issued a statement as well. 

What does this mean for GVSU?

GVSU should continue to meet our mission, strive to achieve our commitments and our vision, and continuously improve while meeting the HLC Criteria for Accreditation. The orders are not focused on individual institutions; rather, the focus is on how accrediting bodies interact with institutions. 

HLC provides the following assurances to meet the moment: 

HLC’s standards require that an institution “remains in compliance at all times with all applicable laws.” HLC’s requirements do not mandate decision making or preferences based on federally protected characteristics; prescribe any specific training or programming involving concepts related to diversity, equity, or inclusion; nor require that an institution have elements as part of its curriculum involving concepts related to diversity, equity, or inclusion.   

HLC will continue its practice of seeking member input, and we intend to do so as these accreditation reforms are being discussed and formulated. We welcome input from member institutions as we work together to serve all learners.

Going forward,
HLC plans to engage with the U.S. Department of Education to advance policy directives through ongoing communications and negotiated rulemaking opportunities to consider voices and insights from the broader public.