The Department of Education appointed five new advisers to the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity, including prominent conservative voices, signalling a shift in the federal accreditation oversight posture. At the same time, an unfinalised State Department list suggested that dozens of universities could be excluded from a partnership program over alleged DEI hiring practices. Together these moves increase regulatory uncertainty for institutions that rely on federal recognition and international exchange programs. Universities warned that changes to accreditation and international partnership rules could jeopardise student mobility, research links and institutional reputations, especially for programmes with DEI‑related compliance questions.