Columbia Receives Warning That Its Accreditation Is at Risk

(Bloomberg) -- Columbia University received a warning that its accreditation may be “in jeopardy” from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, which cited “insufficient evidence” that the school is in compliance with certain standards like fostering a respectful campus climate. 

The commission, which evaluates higher education institutions across the US, said Columbia remains accredited while on warning. The organization also cited concerns over Columbia maintaining a safety plan and following government laws and regulations, according to the commission’s website.

Columbia is confident in its ability to work with MSCHE to address the commission’s concerns, according to university spokesperson Virginia Lam Abrams.

“Columbia is deeply committed to combating antisemitism on our campus and we will continue the important work of ensuring that Columbia is an open and inclusive place where students, faculty, and staff from all backgrounds feel safe, supported and welcome,” she said in an emailed statement. 

Schools need accreditation to access crucial federal loans for their students. Accreditation is also important in assuring students, faculty and potential employers that the institution can provide a quality education. 

Last month, the US Education Department said Columbia no longer met standards for accreditation, citing its leadership’s “deliberate indifference” to the harassment of Jewish students. It asked for MSCHE to ensure the university’s compliance with anti-discrimination laws. 

President Donald Trump has called accreditation his “secret weapon,” and pledged on the campaign trail to overhaul the system. He said that he would allow for the creation of new accreditors that will impose “real” standards on colleges, such as eliminating wasteful administrative roles and protecting free speech.

The president in April signed an order to reform the agencies, saying they routinely approve universities that are low quality. “Accreditors have not only failed in this responsibility to students, families, and American taxpayers, but they have also abused their enormous authority,” the order said. He said they “make the adoption of unlawfully discriminatory practices a formal standard of accreditation.”

Six days after the Trump administration called Columbia’s accreditation into question, the commission requested additional information from the school regarding its ethics and integrity standards, according to the MSCHE website. 

There are several steps before any accredited school would lose its designation and an institution has time to rectify concerns before a decision is made. 

Representatives from MSCHE visited the school’s main campus on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and its Paris location for on-site evaluations. The commission has requested a monitoring report, due Nov. 3, showing evidence that Columbia has achieved and can keep up compliance with its standards. 

(Updates story with prior comments President Trump has made on accreditors)

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