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Diversity under Review: HBCUs and Regional Accreditation Actions

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Abstract

Regional accreditation remains a central method of accountability in the United States and the gatekeeper to federal financial aid. Without such funding many colleges and universities would not survive. Prior research suggests that Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) face disproportionate accreditation sanctions compared with other institutions. Focusing on colleges and universities in the southern states, this study used logistic regression to test whether HBCUs have higher odds of being sanctioned than other institutions after controlling for characteristics such as budgetary resources and graduation rates. Results demonstrate a statistically significant relationship between HBCU-status and negative accreditation actions.

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Correspondence to Christopher A. Burnett.

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Burnett, C.A. Diversity under Review: HBCUs and Regional Accreditation Actions. Innov High Educ 45, 3–15 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-019-09482-w

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