September 16, 2025
Prominent public university leader named to board of the Commission for Public Higher Education
Mark Becker, the longtime president of Georgia State University and immediate past president of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, will join the board of the Commission for Public Higher Education.
With deep experience in higher education leadership and a career-spanning commitment to improving student outcomes, Becker will help guide the development of the commission as it works toward formal recognition from the U.S. Department of Education and begins to recruit public university members.
“I believe there’s a real opportunity for a focused accreditor to strengthen our nation’s public colleges and universities,” Becker said. “I benefited from the transformative power of public higher education, and I have spent my career working to ensure the same opportunity for the current and future generations of students. The time is ripe for innovation in higher education accreditation, and the Commission for Public Higher Education is poised to take advantage of that opportunity to become a powerful engine for improving student outcomes across the sector.”
A statistician by training, Becker brings an emphasis on data-driven improvement and institutional effectiveness. He served as executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at the University of South Carolina from 2004 to 2008, following a series of roles with public universities across the country. During 12 years as president of Georgia State, he oversaw a period of remarkable transformation, with growth in research funding, major gains in student enrollment, improved graduation rates and increased civic and community engagement.
“I am excited to welcome Dr. Becker to the CPHE Board of Directors,” University System of Georgia (USG) Chancellor Sonny Perdue said. “Mark’s leadership at Georgia State University turned it into a national model for student success and showed that bold, innovative ideas can expand opportunity for all. With more than three decades of teaching and leadership at R1 institutions and national experience at the helm of the APLU, he’ll be an incredible partner as CPHE works to strengthen public higher education for everyone.”
During his tenure with the APLU, and in prior roles as chair of the board for the American Council on Education and chair of the board for the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities, Becker was a staunch advocate for the public mission of higher education and for public investment in institutions that effectively advance student opportunity.
“Mark Becker is universally known and respected within the higher education community,” said Ray Rodriguez, chancellor of the State University System of Florida. “His standing and expertise will be valuable assets to the CPHE as it moves forward in seeking recognition from the U.S. Department of Education.”
Peter Hans, president of the University of North Carolina System, welcomed Becker’s appointment as evidence of CPHE’s role in thoughtful, student-focused accreditation reform. “Mark Becker has had a brilliant career driving public institutions toward better outcomes for students,” Hans said. “Experienced leaders in this sector know that there’s a critical role for a public-spirited accreditor to help keep our state universities focused on their mission. I’m grateful to have Mark’s expertise as the Commission for Public Higher Education makes good on its promise to do just that.”
The Commission for Public Higher Education was launched in June. A consortium of six public university systems — the State University System of Florida, the University System of Georgia, the University of North Carolina System, the University of South Carolina System, the University of Tennessee System, and the Texas A&M University System — worked in partnership to create a new, independent accreditor designed to serve public institutions. This commission will create a first-of-its-kind accreditation model for public higher education institutions that will offer high-quality, efficient services prioritizing academic excellence, student outcomes and achievement.
The Commission for Public Higher Education continues to seek comment on its draft accreditation standards, which have been widely circulated among faculty, staff, students and higher education associations. Visit cphe.org to learn more and to submit feedback.
Contact press@cphe.org