FIGHTING OVER ACCREDITATION:

Ralph A. Rossum, chairman of the AALE board and Salvatori Professor of American Constitutionalism at Claremont McKenna College, told Inside Higher Ed that the agency decided to withdraw from the process of seeking renewed recognition because of the lack of time his agency was given by the Education Department to defend itself. He noted that AALE received the final report of Education Department staff members — which contained 45 citations of noncompliance — the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

Rossum also said AALE officials believed department officials aimed to make an example of the tiny accreditor to prove to other, bigger agencies that the government is serious about holding them more accountable.

Hmm.