Senator Asks Accreditor for Extra Care in U. of Phoenix Review

In an unusual move, U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin wrote on Tuesday to the University of Phoenix’s accreditor, urging it to “take great care in considering the integrity and quality” of the for-profit giant’s programs during a coming accreditation review. Senator Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, has been a frequent critic of proprietary colleges’ dependence on federal funds. In his letter to Sylvia Manning, president of the Higher Learning Commission of the the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, he noted that the university had been sued by several states and investigated by the U.S. Department of Education, and he said that its practices warrant “careful scrutiny.”