Brian A. Kessler, DO, DHA, MS, Appointed to Federal Accreditation Rulemaking Committee

AACOM nominee, Brian Kessler, DO, DHA, MS, dean of the Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine in Hagerstown, MD, was selected to serve on the U.S. Department of Education (ED)'s negotiated rulemaking committee on Accreditation, Innovation and Modernization (AIM). Dr. Kessler is serving as an alternate negotiator representing programmatic accrediting agencies.

We are proud to see Dr. Kessler selected for this important role and look forward to the expertise he will bring to the rulemaking process. With more than 25 years of experience in executive leadership in academic medicine, accreditation and regulatory compliance, Dr. Kessler is exceptionally well positioned to contribute to thoughtful, forward-looking accreditation reform. We are grateful to the U.S. Department of Education for recognizing both his qualifications and the growing impact of osteopathic medical education.

-AACOM President and CEO Robert A. Cain, DO

ED convened its first AIM negotiated rulemaking session April 13-17, 2026. The second session is set to convene in May. These sessions seek to overhaul the accreditation system and could significantly reshape how higher education quality is defined and monitored. ED’s proposals focus on shifting accreditation toward data-driven student outcomes, easing barriers for new accreditors, limiting external influence, addressing cost and credential inflation and ensuring standards comply with federal civil rights laws. View AACOM’s summary of the first AIM session and read AACOM’s press release for more information about Dr. Kessler’s appointment.