Call for Nominations 2026
CHEA Board of Directors
Call for Nominations for the Class of 2026 – 2029
Deadline for Nominations--Friday, March 20, 2026
About CHEA
The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) is a Washington, DC-based institutional membership organization established in 1996 by a referendum of college and university presidents. A national advocate and institutional voice for self-regulation of academic quality through accreditation, CHEA is an association of 3,000 degree-granting colleges and universities and recognizes approximately 64 institutional and programmatic accrediting organizations.
CHEA is the only national organization devoted exclusively to accreditation, serving as a powerful advocate for the responsible independence of colleges and universities in matters of academic quality. A key function for CHEA is scrutinizing accrediting organizations and certifying or “recognizing” those that meet CHEA’s recognition standards. CHEA also provides a range of services from research to policy analysis to conferences and meetings – all focused on cutting-edge issues for accreditation and institutions as we address future challenges in assuring quality in our colleges and universities.
Committee on Directors
The CHEA Board of Directors’ Committee on Directors will develop a slate of board members to present at the May 4, 2026, board meeting. Committee members are Catherine Wehlburg, President, Athens State University (chair); Kassandra Ardinger, Trustee, University System of New Hampshire; Javier Cevallos, President, American Academic Leadership Institute; Erica Holmes, Vice President of Human Resources, Palo Verde College; Eduardo Ochoa, President Emeritus, California State University, Monterey Bay and, David Schmidt, Interim Provost, Webster University.
Board of Directors Composition
The CHEA Board of Directors is composed of no fewer than 17 or more than 20 members elected by a majority vote of the board for three-year terms. A majority of board members must be current or retired chief executive officers of degree-granting colleges and universities. The remaining members shall be current or former trustees, faculty members, academic administrators of higher education institutions, or members of the public at large.
CHEA is seeking nominations for up to 8 members of the class that will serve from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029. Current board members are eligible for re-nomination and re-election unless they have served two full consecutive terms.
Nominations
Click here for an electronic nomination form. Self-nominations are accepted. All nominations must be received by Friday, March 20, 2026.