President Anderson calls for balanced approach to regulation

“Many institutions of higher education in America don’t need more regulation to help or force them do their job. Some do,” St. Olaf College President David R. Anderson writes in Inside Higher Ed. “Regulation that starts from that simple fact is most likely to be good for students, good for higher education, and good for the country.”

Anderson’s column analyzes the appropriate reach of government regulation into higher education by drawing from his experience leading St. Olaf and serving on the Board of Trustees of the Higher Learning Commission.

Institutions like St. Olaf, which have a high level of performance, may not need extensive regulation, he argues. But Anderson notes that his work on the Higher Learning Commission has opened his eyes to instances of institutions that have gone awry and may need more regulation.

“So, how much is just right?” he asks. “Here’s an answer: the minimum amount necessary to ensure that students are well-served and that tax dollars are well-spent.”