Harvard accreditor considers pulling DEI from standards amid federal pressure

The New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), which accredits Harvard University and other schools, has proposed removing all references to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) from its accreditation standards.

The commission proposed replacing them with broader language about ensuring students “feel welcomed” and “supported,” according to The Harvard Crimson. The proposal, part of a 10-year standards review, will be voted on in December and take effect in July 2026 if approved.

NECHE President Lawrence M. Schall said the “primary reason” was to avoid forcing universities to choose between compliance with accreditor rules and the Trump administration’s new order targeting DEI.

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“Rules and regulations and policies shift when different administrations come in, they always have,” Schall said. 

“I would say it shifted in a more dramatic way than we have typically seen,” Schall continued. “But we’re subject to federal oversight.”

The New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) is one of seven regional U.S. accrediting bodies, responsible for evaluating and assuring the quality of degree-granting institutions, according to the institution’s website.

It grants accreditation to schools that meet its Standards for Accreditation and related policies, which outline expectations for institutional purpose, resources, performance, and improvement.

NECHE is not the only accreditor to take steps away from DEI. A Do No Harm study shows major medical education accreditors rolling back DEI mandates after President Trump’s executive order on Reforming Accreditation To Strengthen Higher Education, which refers to DEI policies as “unlawfully discriminatory practices.”

Seven of 10 agencies have suspended or dropped DEI rules. Do No Harm Chairman Stanley Goldfarb has also praised the shift but urged full replacement of DEI with merit-based standards.

This year, six Republican-led states formed the Commission for Public Higher Education to prioritize merit over DEI.

[RELATED: Democrat lawmakers threaten Harvard with oversight over possible Trump settlement deal]

Led by Florida, the consortium—including the university systems of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas A&M, and Tennessee—aims to streamline accreditation, focus on student outcomes, modernize processes, and prevent “divisive ideological content” in higher education.

Harvard recently renamed its DEI office to the “Office of Community and Campus Life” after the Trump administration froze billions in federal funding. 

Last month, the Harvard Graduate School of Education closed its DEI office and removed its chief diversity officer. Staff are being reassigned under a “distributed model for DEI” amid a multi-million-dollar budget deficit.

Campus Reform has contacted Harvard University and the New England Commission of Higher Education for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.