Today I presented brief comments at a meeting of NACIQI, the U.S. Department of Education’s advisory committee charged with reviewing the performance of the private accrediting agencies that oversee quality and integrity at American colleges and universities. With only three minutes allowed for my comments, I delivered a slightly shorter version of the remarks below:

The compliance report that the Department required for Southern Association of Colleges and Schools was premised in part on a comment I submitted, providing extensive evidence that Arthur Keiser has been abusing the non-profit status of Keiser University for his personal gain. The evidence, which you can find on my website Republic Report, shows that Dr. Keiser has continued those abuses, and neither SACS nor the Department have taken sufficient action to stop this behavior, which is harming students and taxpayers. 

But in the present context of the Trump administration assaulting higher education, and ignoring the obligations that Congress and the law have mandated, me spending three minutes urging you to overrule the staff and compel SACS to drill down harder on the matter of Arthur Keiser seems like asking the crew of the Titanic to repair a wobbly chair leg.

Instead I commend Dr. Wheelan and the people who work for SACS for their overall efforts to ensure academic quality and integrity. 

And I want to speak to you, NACIQI.

NACIQI stands for National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity. At this moment, the quality and integrity of higher education are under attack from the Trump administration.

I urge NACIQI to speak up today.

Speak up because the Trump administration is attacking accreditors for their efforts to do the right things – like protecting educational quality, academic freedom, and freedom of speech.

Speak up because the Trump administration is attacking America’s research universities, whose work advances health, safety, the environment and human knowledge.

Speak up because the Trump administration is eliminating efforts premised on the idea that we are a stronger and more capable nation if we support fairness, diversity, equity, and inclusion, if we support equal opportunity so every person has a chance to succeed and thrive.

Speak up because the Trump administration is attacking the financial aid that gives Americans the chance to attend college or trade school even if their parents aren’t wealthy. Speak up because DOGE is taking control of private family financial data. 

Speak up because the Trump administration is reversing efforts to grant loan cancellation for students who were scammed by their colleges, colleges that, through recognition of lax accreditors, the government wrongly has allowed to carry the federal good housekeeping seal.

Speak up because, while Mr. Trump and Mr. Musk claim to be cracking down on waste fraud and abuse, they are bringing back into government people who have facilitated billions of dollars in waste fraud and abuse that flow to the worst predatory for-profit colleges.

Speak up because the Trump administration is again making it easier for campus predators to get away with sexual assault.

Speak up because the Trump administration is attacking transgender students, our children, for no apparent purpose other than bigotry and cruelty.

Speak up because Mr. Trump and Mr. Musk are corruptly acting to fatten their own wallets by manipulating government policy.

You are among the few remaining independent voices attached to this United States government. Your expertise is needed, right now. Please speak up.