PRESS RELEASE: DFI President and Co-Founder Bob Eitel Appointed to National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity

WASHINGTON—DFI President and Co-Founder Bob Eitel released the following statement after his appointment by U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI):

I am honored to serve on the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity, which plays a critical role in helping the U.S. Department of Education ensure that accreditation agencies remain focused on what matters: academic quality and the responsible stewardship of public dollars. The Department’s accreditation agency recognition function is a key element in ensuring that Title IV-eligible institutions provide quality programs to students.

Over the years, however, the Education Department has viewed its gatekeeper duty like an admissions committee at an old boys’ club—resistant to reform, closed to innovation, and hostile to newcomers. It’s time for a change, and I look forward to contributing to that change.

While serving as Senior Counselor to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos during the first Trump administration, Bob provided strategic and legal advice on higher education, civil rights, and congressional oversight matters. As the Department’s Regulatory Reform Officer, he was responsible for overseeing the Secretary’s reforms concerning Title IX and the Higher Education Act, including accreditation regulations. Bob also served as Deputy General Counsel for Departmental and Legislative Services at the Education Department during the George W. Bush administration.