Since it was announced on the same day as Gorsuch's nomination, Trump tapping Falwell to head a task force on higher education initially appeared unrelated and less significant. Many of the details regarding Falwell's new position are still unknown, but the move appears to be targeted in part at opening up accreditation standards and federal qualifications for higher education institutions, like religious universities, that have had problems in the past.
Christian law schools such as Liberty are the beneficiaries of the now-defunct O.W. Coburn School of Law at Oral Roberts University. It was here that Christian leaders initially faced questions about how to preserve their institutions' unique character in the face of accreditation standards and federal rules regarding diversity and non-discrimination. At least one other school faced internal battles over whether to allow students to apply for federal financial aid since doing so was seen as threatening the school's ability to control its mission. In heading Trump's task force, Falwell stands to lower the costs of creating such schools and to strengthen their abilities to control their Christian character in the face of conflicting federal rules and laws. This sets the conditions for the proliferation of more insular religious universities and professional programs.
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