The U.S. Department of Education has reshaped the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI), signaling a policy shift that could remake accreditation standards nationwide. Under Secretary Nicholas Kent criticized accreditors for allowing what he described as ideological priorities and said the department will refocus recognition on graduation rates, earnings and academic rigor. The committee selected Jay Greene as chair after a tied vote; Greene is a longtime critic of DEI and a former Heritage Foundation researcher. The changes open pathways for new accrediting bodies and increase federal oversight of existing accreditors. The Department’s moves follow an April executive order aimed at “reforming” accreditation and come as the agency promotes alternative accreditors like Florida’s Commission for Public Higher Education. Colleges and universities should expect tightened recognition criteria, new compliance reviews and possible changes to eligibility for federal student aid that hinge on accreditors’ standing. The recalibration places accreditation squarely in the center of the administration’s broader higher‑education agenda.