Baltimore – By weakening regional accreditation and conditioning research grants on conformity with political views, the Trump administration has set a “timed destruction” in motion that threatens to erode the independent functioning of colleges and universities, a higher education historian told education journalists Wednesday.
“There has been significant weakening from a regional perspective,” said Eddie Cole, professor of education and history at UCLA, said of the Education Department no longer recognizing “regional” accreditors.
He said whereas regional accreditors have historically warned institutions of higher education that they risk losing their accreditation if they allow elected officials to interfere with their operations – such as in the 1960s when governors of southern states resisted desegregating state colleges – the Trump administration’s new framework favors “pop-up” accreditors that won’t apply that kind of pressure.
“Historically speaking, many institutions of higher education, colleges and universities, have been able to have some degree of protection from political interference, because one of the criteria for maintaining your status as an accredited institution is to be able to function independently of state government, and, dare I say, federal government,” Cole said. “As you see this shift in how accreditation is administered today, likely historians in the future will look at this moment as a significant way to think about (how) the way it works now is totally different in relationship to government.” 
Dr. Eddie R. Cole is a Professor of Education and History at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Cole made his remarks at the Education Writers Association’s annual meeting during a panel discussion on the “dismantling” of the Department of Education.
During a separate talk, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore also lamented the “day one” decision to take out the education department. However, when asked if Democrats should rebuild the Department of Education if they win the White House in 2028, Moore said more thought should be given into how to rebuild the department, not just restoring it back to what it was before Trump’s second administration.
Moore touted what he termed as his administration’s historic $1.4 billion the state’s four HBCUs, saying he believes in the power of HBCUs and what they do for society. But he also railed against narrowly focusing on four-year college degrees as if they’re the only viable path to a better life.
“Not every student is going to a four-year college, and not every student should be required to in order to have success,” Moore said, pointing to his own career as an example.
“I joined the Army when I was 17 years old. I am, I think, one of two governors in this country who graduated from a two-year college,” Moore said. “And things worked out fine."
Cole, the education historian, noted that some institutions and individual researchers are “slightly rewording their research projects” in order to keep or secure funding from the Trump administration, which observers say has conditioned federal grants on being in alignment with its priorities, such as eliminating DEI initiatives.
“We see so many colleges and universities shift the way that they're approaching federal support,” Cole said.
Cole touched on the administration’s mantra that it is “returning education to the states.”
He said the phrase echoes talking points from previous eras and is not being applied in universal and fair manner.
“It’s a bit of a broad statement, but surely, this current administration is not interested in returning education to the state of California,” Cole said. The Trump administration and California are or have recently been involved in several lawsuits over several educational issues. The Trump Department of Justice, for instance, has challenged California laws that provide in-state tuition, scholarships and subsidized loans for undocumented students.
“So, it's not even a return to all the states,” Cole said. “It’s a return to certain states.”
