RALEIGH, N.C. (July 8, 2025) — The James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal welcomes the launch of the Commission for Public Higher Education. The Commission is a good step toward much-needed reform of the current accreditation system in higher education.
The Martin Center expresses its hope that the Commission will bring greater institutional accountability, transparency, and academic excellence. By providing an alternative to the entrenched regional accreditation agencies that often enforce DEI conformity, the Commission encourages innovation and diversity of thought in higher education.
“We welcome a new innovator in the accreditation marketplace,” said Jenna A. Robinson, the president of the Martin Center. “Political ideology should have no place in accreditation.”
Unlike the traditional accreditors that are operating as quasi-regulatory agencies, the Commission promises to focus on academic rigor, institutional mission, and measurable outcomes — not ideologically based regulations. The Commission will enable institutions of higher learning to prioritize mission-driven education without administrative overreach.
“For too long, accreditors have undelivered on their promise to ensure quality education,” Robinson added. “By focusing on outcomes instead of inputs, I am optimistic that the Commission on Public Higher Education will offer something different.”
The Martin Center has long advocated for reforming the entrenched accreditation system, as the first step toward restoring academic integrity and reducing unnecessary federal involvement in higher education. You can read our Blueprint for Reform: Accreditation – HERE.
As part of its work to reclaim the mission of higher education, the Martin Center will continue to support bold policy reforms, like this one.