Washington — President Bush has named Cheryl A. Oldham to be the Education Department’s acting assistant secretary for postsecondary education.

Ms. Oldham, who is now chief of staff to Sara Martinez Tucker, the under secretary in charge of higher education, will serve out the final months of the administration in the office that had been occupied by Diane Auer Jones. Ms. Jones resigned in May, then told The Chronicle that she had left in large part because she could not soften the department’s treatment of colleges through the accreditation process.

Ms. Oldham served previously as executive director of the education secretary’s Commission on the Future of Higher Education. That commission recommended the tougher approach on accreditation matters that Ms. Jones resisted.

Before her appointment to the commission, Ms. Oldham served as director of the Office of White House Liaison, serving as the White House’s contact to the department on matters of personnel and political affairs.

A native of Texas, Ms. Oldham earned a bachelor’s degree from Texas Christian University and a law degree from the St. Mary’s University School of Law. She began her career working for Mr. Bush when he was governor of Texas in the state’s office of state-federal relations here. She later served on his presidential transition team, in January 2001.

The post is ordinarily subject to confirmation by the U.S. Senate, but no Senate action is needed because Ms. Oldham will be holding the position in an acting capacity. —Paul Basken