Dive Brief:

• The Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools, which has been in the crosshairs of public opinion since Corinthian Colleges collapsed with its accreditation intact, announced the resignation of its top executive Monday.
• The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that Albert Gray stepped down after seven years as president, and ACICS Vice President for External Affairs Anthony Bieda will replace him on an interim basis as executive in charge while the council searches for a new president.
• In announcing Bieda’s promotion, the chair of ACICS’ board of directors, Lawrence Leak, said the council takes seriously the concerns of external stakeholders and the council’s work “will become stronger and more effective in light of [them].”

Dive Insight:

Gray’s departure from ACICS comes barely a week after 13 attorneys general submitted a letter to the U.S. Department of Education and the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity, arguing that ACICS did not deserve to have its accreditor recognition renewed. The letter called out the accreditor as being among the worst of the worst, citing its accreditation of Corinthian as well as a number of other embattled for-profits that are facing current investigations or have already paid major fines and settlements.

While the council did not give any reason for Gray’s exit, he served at its helm through the for-profit sector’s fall from grace. With so much pressure on the organization from elected officials and the Department of Education, new leadership seems to be an opportunity to signal a shift in organizational direction.