This week U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan convened a subcommittee of the Department’s National Advisorty Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity to develop a set of legislative recommendations for the 2013 renewal of the Higher Education Act.

The subcommittee plans to make recommendations regarding the nation’as decentralized system of accreditation as well as on non-accreditation issues.

Susan Phillips, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at State University of New York Albany, Chair of the subcommittee, framed the charge of the subcommittee in an outline. The outline targets several key issues facing higher education:

• How well does the federal investment in education serve the nation?
• How well does the current accreditation/recognition system protect the interests of the taxpayer who is underwriting the investment in education?
• If we began today, we would design the current system?

The subcommittee plans to host a policy forum in February 2011 to seek input from the public. The goal is to have a set of recommendations to the Secretary by December 2011.

In addition to Chair Phillips the subcommittee includes:

• Arthur E. Keiser, chancellor of the Kesier Collegiate System
• William E. (Brit) Kirwan, chancellor of the University System of Maryland
• Daniel J. Klaich, chancellor and chief operating officer of the Nevada System of Higher Education
• Anne D. Neal, president of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni
• William Pepicello, provost and president of the University of Phoenix
• Jamienne S. Studley, president and CEO of Public Advocates, Inc.
• Ex officio: Cameron C. Staples, member of the Connecticut House of Representative
• Ex officio: Arthur J. Rothkopf, president emeritus Lafayette College