CHEA Establishes Council of Experts to Strengthen Engagement in Quality Assurance and Accreditation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:
Audrey Hamilton
[email protected]
202-372-9263

Washington, DC — May 11, 2026 — The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) today announced the establishment of a new initiative to strengthen its engagement with leading scholars and practitioners and to further advance its work on academic quality.

The CHEA Council of Experts on Quality Assurance and Accreditation will serve as a structured network of experts, enhancing CHEA’s ability to address emerging issues in higher education, including student outcomes, assessment, institutional effectiveness, innovation, and the growing role of artificial intelligence in teaching and learning.

"Our members need clear, informed perspectives on the issues shaping academic quality,” said Nasser H. Paydar, President of CHEA. “By more intentionally engaging leading experts, CHEA is strengthening our ability to support our members and contribute to informed dialogue at a time of significant change.”

Consisting of 10 distinguished members drawn from across higher education, the Council will contribute to CHEA’s convenings, publications, and strategic initiatives, while helping to identify and interpret emerging trends affecting academic quality and accreditation.

The Council will be chaired by Dr. Stephen P. Hundley, of Indiana University Indianapolis, a nationally recognized leader in higher education assessment and institutional improvement.

The Council is advisory in nature and is intended to complement CHEA’s existing governance structure by strengthening the quality and relevance of CHEA’s convenings, publications, and initiatives, providing timely insight into emerging issues in quality assurance, assessment, and accreditation, expanding connections among institutions, accreditors, and policymakers, and supporting CHEA’s growing international engagement.

The group will also enhance CHEA’s support for its members by providing greater access to leading expertise and emerging practices, informing programming that reflects current challenges and opportunities, and creating additional opportunities for engagement with national and international experts.

The establishment of this initiative reflects CHEA’s continued commitment to advancing academic quality, institutional integrity, and public trust in higher education.

CHEA will begin onboarding Council members in the coming weeks, with initial activities expected to launch later this year.

Currently the full list of members include:

• Chair: Stephen P. Hundley, Founding Executive Director, Center for Leading Improvements in Higher Education and Professor of Organizational Leadership, Indiana University Indianapolis
• Laurie Dodge, Vice President of Quality Assurance and Accreditation, Competency-Based Education Network (C-BEN)
• David Eubanks, Assistant Vice President of Institutional Assessment and Research, Furman University
• Megan R. Good, Executive Director of the Center for Assessment & Research Studies and Assistant Professor of Graduate Psychology, James Madison University
• Malou C. Harrison, Executive Vice President and Provost, Miami Dade College
• Mark Howse, Associate Vice President of Institutional Effectiveness, Morehouse School of Medicine
• Debra Humphreys, Vice President of Strategic Engagement, Lumina Foundation
• Will Miller, Associate Vice President for Continuous Improvement and Institutional Performance, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
• Ken O’Donnell, Provost, University of La Verne
• Carleen Vande Zande, Chief Academic Officer, National Association of Higher Education Systems

To learn more about the Council of Experts on Quality Assurance and Accreditation, click here.

About the Council for Higher Education Accreditation

The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) is the national advocate and institutional voice for academic quality through accreditation. Representing degree-granting colleges and universities, it is the only national organization focused exclusively on higher education accreditation and quality assurance. CHEA plays a central role in recognizing accrediting organizations and strengthening public trust in higher education. For more information, visit www.chea.org.