Stop the proposals to weaken public higher education in Massachusetts

12/11/2025

Dear Faculty and Librarians,

We need your support to stop the weakening of higher education, including diminishing the value of libraries and librarians. 

The December 8th Nuts & Bolts provided information on two proposals that will weaken Massachusetts’ public higher education by reducing accreditation standards and the number of credits required for a bachelor’s degree. 

We are providing updates and asking for your assistance in stopping these changes.   Please sign MTA Petition to Reject Changes that Undermine Public Higher Ed: 

The New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), the accreditation agency for this region, is proposing changes accreditation standards.  The released draft revised standards strips core commitments to quality education. The revisions eliminate all references to diversity, equity, and inclusion and diminish the role of campus librarians, libraries, and civic education. These represent a retreat from the values that are core to our public colleges. The NECHE Board is voting on the new standards on Friday.  

The Board of Higher Education is considering a pilot program to reduce from 120 credits to a 90-credit bachelor’s degree, a move that would reduce students’ educational opportunities, narrow their academic and career pathways, and risk creating a two-tiered system in which students with fewer economic resources are offered a limited workforce bachelors degree. The BHE is having a hearing this Friday about the pilot.

Both acts impact higher education but more importantly our students and our positions.  What is being done?  The first action was public higher education presidents, including FSU, endorsed two letters outlining our concerns.  Statement of Opposition to the Revised NECHE Standards Here.   Statement of Opposition to 90-degree Bachelor Degrees Here. 

This is not enough.  NECHE and BHE need to hear our concerns.  We need you, our members and the ones affected, to express your concerns.  

Both proposals lower standards and limit opportunities at exactly the moment when public higher education should be strengthened—not quietly gutted. We are asking you add your name to the petition and share widely. MTA Petition to Reject Changes that Undermine Public Education

Sincerely,

Caroline Coscia                                 

FSU President                                   

Senior Lecturer II                               

Political Science Department