Higher education is a center for the creation and transmission of knowledge, a vehicle for social and economic mobility, a beacon of national and international influence, and more. But for these outcomes to continue, it must remain an enterprise in which the quality of its processes and products is never in doubt.

Anyone following higher education in the 21st century knows the seismic demographic, technological, sociopolitical, and economic pressures facing it—pressures that have inevitably carried into the accreditation sphere. Yet while accreditation has its challenges and challengers, there are no obvious objections to the core concept of providing objective quality assurance for higher education institutions. Indeed, everyone who understands the higher education landscape agrees that the need for rigorous quality assurance only increases in challenging and uncertain times.

There are, nonetheless, challenges to the accreditation process. In this section we consider the most common types of challenges, as well as some emerging ones. Governing boards need to understand how these challenges can impact their institution. They should also understand their role in addressing them.

Most challenges to accreditation fall generally under one of three categories:

• Challenges to the Accreditor’s Standards
• Challenges to the Accreditor’s Evaluation Processes
• Challenges to the Accreditor’s Policies

Members can access the full toolkit:

Section 1. Introduction

Section 2. Understanding Accreditation Standards and Policies

Section 3. The Accreditation Process: Gaining Value at Every Stage

Section 4. Accreditation Challenges

Section 5. Case Studies, Additional Resources