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American Dental Education Association


Volume 3, No. 81, May 15, 2025

ED Releases Accreditation “Dear Colleague” Letter
 
The Department of Education (ED) has announced plans to speed up the process for institutions seeking to change their accrediting agencies, as outlined in a recent “Dear Colleague [ [link removed] ] ” letter. The “Dear Colleague” letter clarifies the process for institutions seeking to change or add accrediting agencies. The guidance stresses the Department’s limited role, which is to ensure compliance without expanding its authority and to promote institutional flexibility, all while adhering to the Higher Education Act. This move aligns with a broader shift in federal oversight following a new executive order [ [link removed] ] from the Trump administration aimed at reforming accreditation. The order criticized accrediting bodies that include diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) requirements in their standards and aimed to make it easier for colleges to switch accreditors or for new accrediting agencies to gain federal recognition.
 
In compliance with this executive order, ED has lifted a moratorium previously imposed by the Biden administration that had paused the review of new accreditor applications. With this reversal, the Department will no longer closely examine an institution’s reasons for changing accreditors.
 
The updated guidance allows colleges to switch accreditors for several reasons, such as alignment with religious values, compliance with state laws, if there is a shift in the type of academic programs offered, or opposition to required DEI policies viewed as discriminatory. The letter outlines specific circumstances under which the ED may deny a change in accrediting agency—namely, if the institution has experienced accreditation revocation or disciplinary action within the past 24 months. However, exceptions are possible if the accrediting body failed to provide due process, applied standards inconsistently or penalized an institution for adhering to its stated mission, including religious values.
 
Additionally, if the Department does not respond to a complete application to switch accreditors within 30 days, the change will be automatically approved unless specifically prohibited. This new approach aims to reduce federal interference in institutional decision-making and to encourage more competition in the accreditor marketplace.

National Science Foundation Caps Indirect Costs
 
The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced [ [link removed] ] a new policy capping reimbursement for indirect research costs at 15% for all new grants awarded to colleges, effective May 5, 2025. This move is intended to prioritize funding for direct scientific and engineering research expenses. However, higher education institutions are likely to mount legal challenges to this decision.
 
The NSF’s decision follows a similar policy introduced by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in February, which led to legal action brought by higher education institutions and higher education associations. A federal judge later blocked [ [link removed] ] the NIH policy, citing violations of regulatory procedures and constitutional protections.

Colorado Makes Multiple Changes to Dental Practice Act
 
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) signed legislation [ [link removed] ] that made numerous changes to the state’s Dental Practice Act. Highlights of the bill include the following:
 • The bill changes the makeup of the Colorado Dental Board by reducing the number of dental therapists from two to one, increasing the number of dental hygienists from two to three and adding an oral and maxillofacial surgeon.
 • The bill adds and updates the grounds for which the Board may take disciplinary action against an applicant for licensure or a licensee, including practicing outside the scope of an articulated plan for a dental hygienist or dental therapist, refusing to make records available to a patient within seven days of a request and failing to provide follow-up care after performing itinerant surgery.
 • The bill requires providers who perform itinerant surgery to develop and maintain protocols for emergency follow-up care.
 • The bill requires an applicant for dental, dental hygienist or dental therapy licensure to pass a jurisprudence examination that tests the applicant’s knowledge of the Dental Practice Act.
 • The bill allows dentists to administer respiratory, oral health and human papilloma virus vaccines.
 • The bill requires the Board to adopt rules that allow a dentist to delegate administration of an immunization by a dental therapist or dental hygienist.
 • The bill updates the list of practices considered to be the practice of unsupervised dental hygiene.
 • The bill repeals the specific dosages of certain drugs that a dental hygienist may prescribe.
 • The bill authorizes the Board to adopt rules that identify safe prescribing alternatives to silver diamine fluoride as a treatment for strengthening teeth and preventing tooth decay.
 • The bill identifies tasks that are deemed to be practicing supervised dental hygiene.
 • The bill requires a dental hygienist who performs an interim therapeutic restoration to confirm a referral for follow-up care with a dentist.
 • The bill limits the number of dental therapists and full-time dental hygienists a dentist may supervise to no more than five.
 • The bill authorizes a dental therapist to direct a dental assistant to assist in activities that are within the scope of the dental therapist.

For a complete list of changes, please refer to the bill summary. [ [link removed] ]

Iowa Governor Signs Bill to Allow Dental Assistants to Practice Without Registering
 
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) signed a bill [ [link removed] ] that allows a person to practice as a dental assistant without being registered by the Iowa Dental Board if the person completes a term of practical training under the supervision of a dentist. The bill requires the Board to adopt rules for the implementation of the bill.

Faculty Licensure Changes Pass South Carolina House
 
The South Carolina House of Representatives passed a bill [ [link removed] ] that, if enacted, would grant the South Carolina Board of Dentistry increased flexibility when deciding to award a faculty license. Specifically, the bill would allow the Board to waive education requirements, which currently require a candidate for a faculty license to meet one of the following:
 • Complete the final two years of a dental program leading to the Doctor of Dental Surgery degree or Doctor of Dental Medicine degree at an accredited dental school approved by the board.
 • Complete at least a two-year, Commission on Dental Accreditation- (CODA-) approved advanced education program in a dental specialty recognized by the American Dental Association.
 • Complete at least a two-year, CODA-approved advanced education program in general dentistry.

The bill has been sent to the Senate for consideration.

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ADEA Advocacy in Action
This appears weekly in the ADEA Advocate to summarize and provide direct links to recent advocacy actions taken by ADEA. Please let us know what you think and how we might improve its usefulness.
 
Issues and Resources
 • ADEA report [ [link removed] ] on teledentistry
 • ADEA report [ [link removed] ] on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on U.S. Dental Schools
 • ADEA policy brief [ [link removed] ] regarding overprescription of antibiotics
 • For a full list of ADEA memos, briefs and letters click here [ [link removed] ] .

Key Federal Issues [ [link removed] ]

ADEA U.S. Interactive Legislative and Regulatory Tracking Map [ [link removed] ]

Key State Issues [ [link removed] ]

The ADEA Advocate [ [link removed] ] is published weekly. Its purpose is to keep ADEA members abreast of federal and state issues and events of interest to the academic dentistry and the dental and research communities.
 
©2025
American Dental Education Association
655 K Street, NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20001
Tel: 202-289-7201
Website: www.adea.org [ [link removed] ]

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B. Timothy Leeth, CPA
ADEA Chief Advocacy Officer
 
Bridgette DeHart, J.D.
ADEA Director of Federal Relations and Advocacy
 
Phillip Mauller, M.P.S.
ADEA Senior Director of State Relations and Advocacy
 
Contact Us:
[email protected] [ mailto:[email protected] ]

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