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The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) Board has formally revised the accreditation standards and requirements for all program types related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) to ensure compliance with recent federal directives and evolving legal interpretations.
This action follows the issuance of the Executive Order titled “Reforming Accreditation to Strengthen Higher Education” (April 23, 2025), which mandates significant changes in how accreditors operate. The order emphasizes a shift away from DEI-based accreditation standards and calls for a renewed focus on:
- Academic quality and student outcomes
- Intellectual diversity
- Eliminating unlawful discrimination
- Reducing barriers to degree completion and innovation
Under this directive, accreditors are required to remove DEI mandates that reference race, ethnicity, sex or other DEI-related terminology. ACEND’s failure to comply may result in monitoring, suspension, or termination of federal recognition by the U.S. Department of Education.
In response and following guidance from our legal counsel, ACEND has revised its standards to preserve the intent of inclusive and respectful educational practices while ensuring full alignment with federal law. These revisions aim to maintain our commitment to high-quality education and professional preparation without imposing unlawful or discriminatory requirements.
ACEND remains committed to supporting your efforts to graduate professionals who are competent, ethical, and respectful of individual differences—within the bounds of current legal frameworks.
The survey will be open until September 29, 2025.
The following is a summary of the changes made to the standards: 2022 Standards, Future Education Model (FEM) Standards, and Advanced Practice Doctoral Education (APD) Standards. To access the standards with tracked changes visit the ACEND website at https://www.eatrightpro.org/acend/accreditation-standards-fees-and-policies/standards-fees-and-policies-introduction.
- RE 1.5.d.2 – removed word “equitable”
- Learning activity 3.3b (FEM 3.2b) – removed word “diverse”
- Learning activity 3.3c (FEM 3.2c, APD 3.2b)) – removed entire RE
- RE 5.2.d and 5.3.c – removed entire REs
- RE 7.1 – removed the last sentence “Programs shall demonstrate by tangible action their commitment to enrolling a diverse student body.”
- RE 8.1.d- removed entire RE
2022 Standards Knowledge Statements and Competencies (RE 3.1a and RE 3.1b):
- Required Component 3.1.a16 - removed “cultural humility, self-reflection, and diversity, equity, and inclusion”
- KNDT 2.5, KRDN 2.6 and KNDT 2.7/KRDN 2.7 – removed “including structural bias, social inequities, health disparities and discrimination”
- CRDN 2.12 – removed word “biases”
- KRDN 3.3, KNDT 2.2, KNDT 3.2 – removed word “diverse”
- CRDN 3.14 – removed words “cultural diversity”
- KNDT 5.1/CNDT 5.1/KRDN 5.1/CRDN 5.1 – removed the words “cultural orientation”
FEM Standards Competencies and Performance Indicators (PI) (RE 3.1a and RE 3.1b-Appendix A):
- PI 1.7.4 – removed word “biases”
- PI 1.7.6 – removed entire statement
- PI 5.1.1 – removed words “cultural orientation”
- PI 5.2.21 – word “diverse” was changed to “varied”
- PI 7.1.6 – words “respects diversity and avoids prejudicial treatment” replaced by “is respectful”
- In addition, several statements under Learning Activities and Practice Illustrations (Column C of Appendix A) and under Demonstration/Assessment (Column D of Appendix A) were removed or revised.
APD Standards Competencies and Performance Indicators (PI) (RE 3.1a and RE 3.1b-Appendix A):
- PI 2.1.a – word “diverse” was changed to “various”
- PI 2.2.b – removed “personal and systemic unconscious bias and”
- PI 3.2.c – now reads: “Plan and guide advocacy efforts to address disparities and support access to food, nutrition, and health services for all individuals.”
- PI 5.2.a – words “inclusive and equitable treatment of diverse” was changed to: “all different types of learners.”