In 2013 the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools was being evaluated by the federal panel that advises the U.S. secretary of education on accreditation issues.
The council had been found out of compliance with more than a dozen federal standards two years earlier. But after it made some policy changes, it received a positive review by Education Department staff members and the federal advisory panel. At the time, there were no public comments submitted against the accreditor.
These days, the accreditor’s situation has changed drastically. The council is under investigation by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and members of Congress have blamed it for not acting on the troubles at Corinthian Colleges Inc.,the now-bankrupt for-profit education company, and several other institutions.
Read more at The Chronicle of Higher Education: http://chronicle.com/article/Facing-Pressure-on-Many/236171