The United States Department of Education (Department) has selected Dr. Jo Alice Blondin, president of Clark State College, to serve on the Institutional Quality and Program Integrity Committee. Blondin will serve as the primary negotiator on behalf of public two-year institutions of higher education. She was nominated by the American Association of Community Colleges.
“I am honored to represent the two-year college sector in these important negotiations over the next three months,” said Blondin. “The issues around program quality, accreditation, and financial aid equity and access are areas of emphasis and interest in my 31-year career in higher education.”
On January 2, the Biden-Harris Administration announced efforts to ensure students are well served by the institutions of higher education they attend and that Federal Student Aid programs work in their best interest. The Department released six issue papers across a range of categories to further these goals, which were discussed during the first meeting of the Institutional Quality and Program Integrity Committee January 8 through 11.
The issue papers include proposals to ensure that accrediting agencies and state authorizing agencies -- key pillars of program integrity, along with the federal government -- are appropriately holding institutions accountable for providing high-quality educational opportunities. They also include proposals to create more consumer-friendly policies to ensure students have access to their aid to help cover college costs and receive fair treatment across aid programs.
The committee is comprised of non-federal negotiators from 15 constituency groups. A subcommittee focused on TRIO programs will meet on January 12 and include five impacted constituency groups. Through the negotiated rulemaking process, the Department will hear input on the proposals and discussion topics put forward from the non-federal negotiators and hear from members of the public at the end of each day. Through this process, the Department will continue to refine and develop its proposals for consideration. The committee will meet again in February and March, and the subcommittee will meet again in February.
“Negotiated rulemaking entails discussions about highly detailed and consequential federal policies affecting students and institutions,” said David Baime, senior vice president for government relations at the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). “Dr. Blondin is particularly well-suited to this task because of her long engagement and leadership with the accreditation process, as well as sustained service to community colleges.”
Baime also said Blondin’s background in a variety of student and administrative activities are also great assets in the negotiations.
“For these reasons, AACC was pleased to nominate Dr. Blondin to represent community colleges in this process, and even more pleased that she was selected,” he said.