UNCF Presents White Paper on Biases in College Accreditation Process

UNCF conducted a Congressional briefing to release its newest research paper, Biases in Quality Assurance: A Position Paper on Historically Black Colleges and Universities and SACSCOC, focusing on the accreditation process and its impacts on historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) May 9, 2019, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

The document sheds light on the accreditation process and the impact that regional accrediting bodies have on HBCUs.

Event participants were:

  • Bennett College President Dr. Phyllis Dawkins
  • Wiley University President Dr. Herman Felton
  • Former UNCF Vice President for Research and Member Engagement Dr. Brian Bridges
  • UNCF Vice President for Public Policy and Government Affairs Lodriguez Murray
Dr. Phyllis Dawkins
Dr. Phyllis Dawkins
Dr. Herman Felton
Dr. Herman Felton
Dr. Brian Bridges
Dr. Brian Bridges
Mr. Lodriguez Murray
Mr. Lodriguez Murray

The briefing unveiled the research conducted by UNCF’s Fredrick D. Patterson Research Institute. Biases in Quality Assurance gets to the root of the concerns of many who appreciate HBCUs but wonder if the venerable institutions have found themselves sanctioned by regional accreditors at higher rates than non-HBCUs. The paper attempts to shed light on the decisions made by regional accreditors. Additionally, UNCF presents eight recommendations to improve the accreditation process and increase transparency from the HBCU perspective.