Commission for Public Higher Education created by public universities for public universities
Boca Raton, FL (June 26, 2025) – Today, the Commission for Public Higher Education, a consortium of six public university systems, was unveiled. This Commission will create a first-of-its-kind accreditation model for public higher education institutions that will offer high-quality, efficient services prioritizing academic excellence, student outcomes and achievement.
“I am proud to be joined by leaders of five other public university systems to establish an accreditor that will focus on ensuring institutions provide high-quality, high-value programs, use student data to drive decisions, and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the process,” said Chancellor Ray Rodrigues, State University System of Florida.
“Our work with the Commission for Public Higher Education aims to keep Georgia’s universities among the best in the nation by focusing on high standards and real value for students and families,” University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue said. “Collaborating with neighboring states lets us put resources where they make the biggest difference, and I look forward to the success of an effort that increases accountability and drives meaningful innovation.”
“A more focused and effective approach to accreditation will bring down costs, benefit students, and build confidence in public higher education. By creating an accreditor closely focused on the needs and responsibilities of public universities, we can help strengthen these vital institutions,” said University of North Carolina System President Peter Hans.
“The University of South Carolina (USC) System accepted the invitation to join five other excellent U.S. university systems to form the Commission for Public Higher Education because innovating accreditation provides great benefits for universities, colleges, and our nation,” said Thad H. Westbrook, Chair of the University of South Carolina Board of Trustees. “The innovations we expect to implement will benefit students while making accreditation more efficient and more focused on outcomes, quality, and success.”
“We believe providing more choice and a competitive marketplace will be good for all higher education. While UT’s universities will still have the right to choose which accreditor they want to work with, this initiative will provide them another option. I am thankful for Chancellor Rodrigues and the Florida System for their leadership in this area,” said President Randy Boyd, University of Tennessee System.
Incoming Chancellor Glenn Hegar of the Texas A&M University System, who begins his new role July 1, said, “In recent legislative sessions, our top state officials have sought a more reasonable and transparent pathway toward accreditation. And now, the leadership of the Texas A&M University System is pleased to announce that the System has joined an alliance of some of the nation’s top university systems to provide a new, less cumbersome and more objective option for accreditation.”
About the Commission for Public Higher Education
The Commission for Public Higher Education is a consortium of higher education systems from several states offering a new accreditation model that will focus on academic excellence, student outcomes, process efficiency, and the pursuit of quality assurance for public postsecondary education. By establishing rigorous, transparent, and adaptable outcomes-based accreditation standards and practices, CPHE will ensure that colleges and universities meet and maintain academic quality and operational excellence on behalf of their students.
About the UNC System
The University of North Carolina System enrolls nearly 248,000 students at 17 institutions, including the state’s 16 public universities and the nation’s first public residential high school for academically gifted students. The UNC System is among the strongest and most diverse higher education systems in the country, with more than $2.2 billion in research expenditures and campuses that serve every region of North Carolina. Affiliate organizations include PBS North Carolina, with 12 public television stations across the state, and UNC Health, with 19 hospital campuses and an extensive healthcare network.
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