CHEA Annual Conference Highlights: Accreditation at a Crossroads

A major snow and ice storm may have complicated travel, but it did not dampen the urgency—or the resolve—of the conversations at the 2026 CHEA/CIQG Annual Conference. Despite challenging conditions, higher education leaders, accreditors, policymakers, and institutional representatives convened to examine how accreditation can navigate a rapidly shifting federal and public policy landscape.

Across plenary sessions and focused discussions, participants examined how accreditation, domestically and internationally, can remain a trusted, mission-driven system of quality assurance amid heightened scrutiny, evolving federal priorities, and renewed calls for reform.

The conference opened with remarks from CHEA President Nasser H. Paydar who cautioned against a reactive posture in the face of political headwinds, “In moments like this, it is tempting to become purely reactive—to respond only to external pressure, policy change, or public criticism,” Paydar said. “But accreditation is at its best not when it simply reacts. It is at its best when it looks ahead.”

U.S. Department of Education Under Secretary Nicholas Kent kicked off the program with a keynote address outlining the administration’s growing interest in revisiting accreditation policy as part of a broader effort to modernize federal higher education oversight. While emphasizing accreditors’ efforts to streamline processes without “adding new compliance burden,” Kent cited concerns about student outcomes as a contributor to declining public trust in higher education. He argued that accreditors could do more to reinforce accountability among colleges and universities. 

His remarks prompted candid discussion among speakers around the future of accreditation and the prospects for collaboration with the Department of Education. Heather Perfetti, president of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) and chair of the Council of Recognized Accreditation Commissions, said accreditors see potential common ground with the Department, pointing to shared priorities around integrity, accountability, and transparency. She noted that Kent’s remarks signaled a willingness to listen. “His door is open, and he wants to hear from us,” Perfetti said.

During the opening plenary session, Sonny Ramaswamy, former president and CEO of the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, and Leah Matthews, executive director of the Distance Education Accrediting Commission, stressed that meaningful accountability requires more than narrow metrics or one-size-fits-all approaches. “Accreditation should not become a policeman in imposing a particular ideology—any ideology, doesn’t matter what ideology it is,” said Ramaswamy.

In remarks to conference attendees, Jon Fansmith, senior vice president for government relations at the American Council on Education, highlighted recent Department of Education efforts to revise the Accreditation Handbook and to rewrite the rules governing accreditors through negotiated rulemaking process beginning this spring.

“We are very worried about the independence of accreditation … and this administration’s efforts to bring more political and ideological influence over the accreditation process,” Fansmith said. “We would be concerned about any administration having that authority. That’s not the purpose of accreditation. That is not why accreditation has worked so successfully over time.”

As higher education continues to face uncertainty, trust between universities and accreditors is essential, said Darryll Pines, president of the University of Maryland. For that relationship to function effectively, Pines said accreditors must communicate their standards clearly, offer practical guidance on meeting expectations, and respect institutional missions and values. He emphasized his own positive relationship with UMD’s accreditor, MSCHE, as an example of trust in practice.


Faith‑based institutions were also represented in a plenary discussion featuring Rabbi Ari Berman, president of Yeshiva University; Aaron Dominguez, executive vice president and provost of The Catholic University of America; and Shane Reese, president of Brigham Young University. Panelists pointed to strong graduation rates, low student debt, and employment outcomes at faith-based institutions, and said accreditors are most effective when they clearly understand their institutions’ missions and evaluate standards through that lens.

In a breakout session examining institutional perspectives on changing accreditors, Cecilia Bibbò, a visiting professor at the University at Albany, presented findings from a recent survey exploring the obstacles and considerations involved. The survey found that 80 percent of college leaders had no plans to change accreditors, with only a small number having begun the process. Respondents cited legislative requirements or the loss of federal recognition as the most likely triggers for change. About half reported being “very satisfied” with their accreditor, while roughly one‑third said they were “somewhat satisfied.”

Several sessions also examined accreditation through an international lens, noting that global higher education systems are undergoing parallel transformations. Such was the case of plenary sessions “Global Trends in Tertiary Education Quality Assurance,” and “The Future of Quality Assurance and Accreditation in a Global Higher Education Landscape,” that collectively but uniquely discussed research-based, global trends in tertiary education quality assurance, and emphasized the growing importance of ensuring quality assurance constructs that are robust, credible, transparent, and internationally legible.

Across sessions, a consistent message emerged: accreditation’s credibility depends on its ability to evolve while remaining grounded in its core values. As federal policy conversations continue and public scrutiny intensifies, conference participants reaffirmed that accreditation’s strength lies in transparency, collaboration, and a commitment to evidence-informed improvement. The conversation will pick up again at next year’s conference, scheduled for Jan. 25–28 in Washington, DC.