News from the Council for Higher Education Accreditation – Spring 2024

April 15, 2024

CHEA is pleased to share the Spring 2024 edition of Accreditation Central. CHEA remains active in supporting you—our members—in higher education accreditation. CHEA’s commitment to serving our members, students, and society through advocacy in support of the value of accreditation, institutional autonomy, academic freedom, and commitment to quality in higher education is in our best interests.
 
We are grateful to Cynthia Jackson Hammond, Ed.D., President of the Council for Higher Education; Barbara Gellman-Danley, Ph.D., President of the Higher Learning Commission; Jean Wyld, Ed.D., Professor Emeritus of Springfield College; and Jan Friis, Senior Vice President for Government Affairs of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, for their keen insights and generous contributions to this edition of Accreditation Central.

President’s Update – CHEA’s Commitment to the Highest Standard of Accreditation

Cynthia Jackson Hammond, Ed.D.
President
Council for Higher Education Accreditation

During this election year, the politicization of higher education accreditation is increasingly pronounced, as some policymakers and candidates work to leverage accreditation issues for political gain. This politicization often leads to increased division and polarization within the higher education community as well as erodes the public’s trust in the accreditation process.

Accreditation is being reviewed through a political lens, with attempts to diminish the value of institutional autonomy, independence of higher education, quality assurance, and academic freedom to ensure student success. Institutions and accreditation provide the public a guarantee that higher education is effective in operations, innovative in practice, serves as a platform for critical thinking and individualization, and values the diversity of students, faculty, staff, and the communities served.

To address these conflicting political agendas, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) continues to strengthen lawmakers' and influencers' knowledge and awareness of the rigorous standards CHEA sets for accreditors that support the accreditation processes. The CHEA Standards for Quality Assurance serve as guidance for accrediting organizations as they continue to review institutions with integrity and credibility.

By fostering a culture of transparency and innovation, we will work together to ensure the quality and relevance of higher education in today’s rapidly changing academic landscape. By maintaining a commitment to academic quality and freedom, accreditation can and will withstand the pressures of election-year politics and continue to serve as the gold standard of educational excellence.

The ROI for Higher Education Accreditation

Barbara Gellman-Danley, Ph.D.
President
Higher Learning Commission

Accreditation has a long history of assuring the quality of colleges and universities, providing much more than a link to federal financial aid. Accreditors are thought leaders within the higher education ecosystem and are astutely aware of the context in which we operate.
 
Accreditors provide guardrails and checkpoints for institutions, encouraging a period of self-reflection and visioning for the future.  Accreditation works best when it becomes part of everyone's DNA, from trustees to faculty, staff, and students. Participation as a peer reviewer, board member, and other roles with accreditors is often labeled by individuals as “the best professional development of my career.” The diversity of institutional types within HLC allows members to have a lens into higher education quality that reaches far beyond the boundaries of any one sector.
 
Accreditation lifts the boat but also sends out appropriate warnings when the tides are high, and the warning signs of danger prevail. We are not a singular lifeboat, but rather the lighthouse sending out signals for traveling in the right direction. For institutions that have faced a sanction, most thank us on the other side for providing the impetus to move forward with evidence-based improvements. At HLC, we take great pride in the innovations, growth, and success of our members. The waves are high right now for our industry, but we strongly believe that with a focus on quality assurance, historical values, and a laser focus on all learners, higher education will prevail.

The Value of CHEA Recognition

Jean A. Wyld, Ph.D.
Retired Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Springfield College

The Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) was established in 1996 to create a non-governmental agency for quality assurance in higher education. Created by a referendum of college and university presidents, CHEA offers a system of recognition that “accredits the accreditors” based on standards developed by higher education professionals to ensure the integrity and worthiness of higher education accreditation agencies.
 
The CHEA Recognition process for accreditors is entirely voluntary. It is also quite distinct from the United States Department of Education (USDE) review required to have access to Title IV student aid funds. The USDE review process for accreditors is necessarily focused on compliance with financial aid policies and procedures. In contrast, CHEA’s recognition of an accreditor is based on a review of its standards with a focus on academic quality, transparency, student achievement, integrity of practice, and ethical behavior.
 
Accreditors who voluntarily choose to seek CHEA Recognition are demonstrating their commitment to academic quality. While many may also seek USDE approval, status as a CHEA Recognized accreditor is valued both nationally and internationally. A number of U.S. corporations confirm that their potential new hires are graduates of institutions or programs accredited by a CHEA-recognized accreditor. International higher education institutions also seek confirmation that applicants for their graduate-level degrees or research programs have attended institutions accredited by a CHEA-recognized accreditor.  
 
For institutions considering potential accreditors, the value of CHEA Recognition is clear. CHEA Recognition identifies an accrediting organization that has voluntarily sought and passed a review by higher education professionals, demonstrating a commitment to providing a quality education for students.

No Consensus from the U.S. Department of Education’s (USDE) Institutional Quality and Program Integrity Negotiated Rulemaking Committee

Mr. Jan Friis
Senior Vice President for Government Affairs
Council for Higher Education Accreditation 

The U.S. Department of Education’s (USDE) Institutional Quality and Program Integrity Negotiated Rulemaking Committee recently concluded its meetings without reaching a consensus on five out of the six issues under discussion, including accreditation, state authorization, and distance education.
 
The accreditation proposals were met with opposition to limiting accrediting commission membership and the requirement for visiting every branch or additional location for each institution. This was viewed as potentially adding significant cost to institutions, with one-third of the committee voting against these changes. In the state authorization provisions, two-thirds of the committee voted against a proposal that would require many institutions with larger distance education programs to be approved by name in each state where there are 500 students or more. Additionally, the student achievement section needed further refinement to ensure it did not become merely a benchmarking exercise.
 
Since there was no consensus, USDE will move forward by drafting a notice of proposed rulemaking, which will be published for public comment. Following this, USDE will review the comments before publishing a final rule set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

The College Cost Reduction Act,  H.R. 6951, was approved by a party-line vote in the USDE’s Education and Workforce Committee. This legislation will now be sent to the U.S. House of Representatives floor for a vote. No date for the bill’s consideration has been scheduled.

Most of this legislation focuses on higher education costs. However, it also recommends several significant changes to the accreditation provisions of the Higher Education Act. Some of the accreditation provision changes include the following:

  • Accreditors would focus their evaluations on student achievement measures, such as completion rates, loan repayment, learning outcomes, and earnings after graduation, and the like.
  • Accreditors would not seat board or commission members from their accredited institutions.
  • Allows new gatekeepers/accreditors for federal aid, including states, to designate “quality assurance” entities that could grant access to federal aid. These new accreditors could be states or other entities approved by states.
  • Permits institutions or programs not under sanction to change accreditors without the approval of the U.S. Secretary of Education, including when it is directed by state law.
  • Permits institutions to retain dual accreditation and allows the institution to change its Title IV gatekeeper. 
  • Prohibits the U.S. Secretary of Education from establishing any additional criteria for accreditors other than the standards in the Higher Education Act. 

The bill narrows the function of the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity to only the functions listed in the statute.

Check Out the CHEA Arbitration Program

CHEA has an impartial arbitration process to facilitate non-bindingarbitration between higher education institutions and accreditors consistent with the statutes and current U.S. Department of Education regulations.

The CHEA Arbitration Program is designed to provide an opportunity for parties to address and potentially resolve disputes regarding adverse final accreditation decisions such as denial, withdrawal, or termination of accreditation of an institution. The arbitrators are trained by CHEA and are selected by established criteria.

This arbitration process is available to CHEA members, all recognized post-secondary accreditors and accredited institutions to resolve accrediting decisions.

Arbitration program details are available by reading the CHEA Arbitration Program.

CHEA also produced a short video with questions and answers about the Arbitration Program. The video is also available on the CHEA Arbitration Program webpage. Please take time to view this video to learn how the arbitration program will benefit CHEA members and the higher education accreditation community.

A brochure provides details of CHEA’s Accreditation Arbitration Program. To read the brochure, click on this link, then click on the document’s cover page to access detailed information.

Save the DateMark your 2025 calendar today to attend the CHEA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., January 27 – 30, 2025. 

Webinar IconCHEA Webinar This Week 
Join CHEA-recognized accreditors and member institutions for this timely webinar focused on Microcredentials. On Wednesday, April 17, at 8:00 a.m. (ET). Register to attend the webinar today by clicking here: Webinar: Microcredentials: Protecting Consumers Through Quality Assurance