1.   ANTICIPATING THE FUTURE OF ACCREDITATION COMBASE CONFERENCE Judith Eaton, president council for higher education accreditation SEPTEMBER 2017

2. WHAT ACCREDITATION IS WHERE ACCREDITATION IS NOW WHERE ACCREDITATION IS LIKELY GOING WHAT THIS MEANS FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGES

3. WHAT ACCREDITATION IS…PRIMARY AUTHORITY
REVIEW OF UNIVERSITIES, COLLEGES AND PROGRAMS FOR ACADEMIC QUALITY:
QUALITY ASSURANCE AND QUALITY IMPROVEMENT
INVOLVES ALL OF U.S. HIGHER EDUCATION:
ALL INSTITUTIONAL TYPES = 8,300; PROGRAMS = 24,000
REQUIRED TO RECEIVE FEDERAL AND, SOMETIMES, STATE FUNDS
85 ACCREDITING ORGANIZATIONS: INSTITUTIONAL: REGIONAL AND NATIONAL, PROGRAMMATIC
DECENTRALIZED, NONGOVERNMENTAL, CREATED AND FUNDED BY HIGHER EDUCATION, SELF- AND PEER REVIEW
STANDARDS-BASED, SELF-STUDY, SITE VISIT, DECISION AND FOLLOW-UP

4. WHAT ACCREDITATION IS - 2
FOR YOU, ALL THIS MEANS:
INSTITUTIONAL AND PROGRAMMATIC ACCREDITORS ON YOUR CAMPUS PERIODICALLY
SELF-STUDIES BY INSTITUTION OR PROGRAM
JUDGMENT ABOUT ACCREDITED STATUS
AFFECTING YOUR FUTURE
COMMITMENT TO MISSION AND PEER REVIEW

5. WHERE ACCREDITATION IS NOW….
STILL PRIMARY RELIABLE AUTHORITY….BUT
ACCREDITATION AND PUBLIC DOUBT
QUESTIONS - PUBLIC VALUE OF ACCREDITATION
LIMITED PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN ACCREDITATION
ROLE OF FEDERAL OVERSIGHT
USDE RUNS ACCREDITATION NOW
EXCESSIVE REGULATION
FEDERAL INDICATORS
CALLS FOR GREATER RIGOR – PROTECTING STUDENTS
GATEKEEPING: $170 BILLION
EVIDENCE OF STUDENT LEARNING
FULL INFORMATION ABOUT QUALITY – GRADUATION, EMPLOYMENT, EARNINGS
SUBSTANDARD INSTITUTIONS

6. ACCREDITATION NOW: CONGRESS AND THE ADMINISTRATION
NO ACTION ON REAUTHORIZATION – ALTHOUGH HOUSE AND SENATE MAY BE WRITING
REGULATORY RELIEF – EXPECTED FROM THE 2016 ELECTION
LITTLE HAS HAPPENED IN CONGRESS
USDE HAS TASK FORCES – REGULATION AND ORGANIZATION OF DEPARTMENT
USDE MORE RECEPTIVE TO FOR-PROFITS
ACICS
REGULATORY AGENDA OF PRIOR ADMINISTRATION NOT CARRIED
FORWARD, BUT NO MASSIVE RELIEF TO DATE FOR ACCREDITATION

7. OTHER PRESSING ISSUES ECLIPSE ACCREDITATION
TITLE IV FOR NEW PROVIDERS
FOR-PROFIT SECTOR - SUPPORT AND ATTACK
TITLE IX, SEXUAL ASSAULT, IMMIGRATION, “SANCTUARY CAMPUSES,” POLITICAL CORRECTNESS, IDENTITY POLITICS, PROTESTS AND RIOTS
ROLE OF PRIVATE FINANCING: PRIVATE LOANS, INCOME SHARE

8. AND WITHIN ACCREDITING ORGANIZATIONS NOW….
MOVEMENT TOWARD ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY
RELUCTANCE ABOUT BOTH
ACCEPTING OF GOVERNMENT OVERSIGHT: DON’T
FIGHT, MOLD IT
STAUNCH SUPPORTERS: PEER REVIEW, MISSION,
FORMATIVE EVALUATION

9. ACCREDITATION LIKELY GOING…A RELIABLE AUTHORITY, BUT IN A DIFFERENT WAY
A SHIFT IN CONCEPT
OLDER CONCEPT - PRIMARY AUTHORITY BECAUSE HIGHER
EDUCATION SAYS SO AND THE LAW SAYS SO
NEWER CONCEPT - RELIABLE AUTHORITY ONLY IF SOURCE
OF VERIFIED, EXTERNAL EVIDENCE STUDENT SUCCESS AND
HIGH-QUALITY INSTITUTIONAL PERFORMANCE
UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES
CHALLENGE OF CHANGE - MORE FULLY EMBRACE ACCOUNTABILITY
CHALLENGE OF INNOVATION – FRESH APPROACHES TO QUALITY REVIEW

10. HIGHER EDUCATION LANDSCAPE –A EMERGING, DIFFERENT ENTERPRISE …NEW ACTORS: MOOCS, COMPANIES …NEW PARTNERSHIPS: PURDUE/KAPLAN, MINERVA/KECK, …STRAIGHTERLINE/100+ …NEW CREDENTIALS: BADGES, CERTIFICATES, NANO- DEGREES …USE OF HIGHER EDUCATION: WORK AND EARNINGS, EPISODIC AS WELL AS SUSTAINED …REDEFINING HIGHER EDUCATION…

11. AN INFLECTION MOMENT - ACCREDITATION
CHANGING EXPECTATIONS OF ACCREDITATION
CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF HIGHER EDUCATION
SHIFTING JUDGMENT - WORTH OF ACCREDITATION
PERCEIVED LIMITATIONS OF ACCREDITATION PROCESS – PEER REVIEW - CONFLICT; SELF REPORT - UNVERIFIED; QUALITY IMPROVEMENT - LACKS VIGILANCE
POLITICS - ROLE OF REGULATION
MONEY - $200 BILLION

12. WHERE ACCREDITATION IS GOING: REFORM IDEAS
DIFFERENTIATED REVIEW
FEDERAL QUALITY INDICATORS
“SKIN IN THE GAME”
ALTER FINANCIAL STRUCTURE: PRIVATE LOANS, ISA
NEW QA: QAEs, INNOVATION AUTHORIZERS, THIRD PARTY
“NON-GEOGRAPHIC”
CAP: OCTOBER “ALTERNATIVE,” MARCH: PUBLIC COMMENT/OUTCOMES, FINANCING ACCREDITATION
HERITAGE: DECOUPLE – GATEKEEPING AND ACCREDITATION (MARCH)

13. WHERE ACCREDITATION IS GOING….
TO ANTICIPATE THE FUTURE, LOOK AT THE PRESENT…
USDE: PERFORMANCE DATA (DASHBOARD), TERMINOLOGY GUIDANCE, TRANSPARENCY: CURRENT SLO STANDARDS AND PRACTICE
CONGRESS: ALL BILLS; NO ACTION THUS FAR – RUBIO, WARREN-DURBIN-SCHATZ, MITCHELL/POLIS, LEE – BIPARTISAN INTEREST, SET FEDERAL STANDARDS, STRENGTHEN TRANSPARENCY
THINK TANKS: “THIRD PARTY,” NEW ACCREDITORS, STATES AS ACCREDITORS, EMPLOYERS AS ACCREDITORS

14. WHERE ACCREDITATION GOING: ACCREDITORS ARE PLANNING
SUSTAINED COMMITMENT TO MISSION AND PEER REVIEW
MORE ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY
SERVE AS FEDERAL AGENTS
CAUTIOUS EXPLORATION OF INNOVATION

15. THE BENEFITS OF ACCREDITATION
AND WE ALL SUPPORT…
THE BENEFITS OF ACCREDITATION
ACADEMIC FREEDOM
INSTITUTIONAL INDEPENDENCE
THE INTELLECTUAL INTEGRITY OF THE ACADEMY
THE ACADEMIC AND INTELLECTUAL LEADERSHIP OF THE ACADEMY
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16. WHAT THIS MEANS FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGES…VALUE SHIFT
EMPHASIS ON MISSION GIVING WAY TO PREFERENCE FOR UNIFORMITY
VALUE OF AUTONOMY AND INDEPENDENT JUDGMENT GIVING WAY TO CONFIDENCE IN EXTERNAL REGULATION
ACADEMIC FREEDOM QUESTIONED IN RELATION TO SOCIAL JUSTICE

17. WHAT THIS MEANS FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGES - 2
MAYBE NOTHING
IF AT LEAST PARTIALLY REALIZED:
MORE REGULATION
ANSWERABLE TO ACCREDITATION NOW DESIGNED BY GOVERNMENT
JUDGED BY FEDERAL DEFINITION OF QUALITY
TRANSPARENCY AS DICTATED BY GOVERNMENT
DIMINISHED EMPHASIS:
MISSION
ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP
INDEPENDENCE OF THE COLLEGE
PEER REVIEW, FORMATIVE EVALUATION
OUR ACCREDITATION SYSTEM INCREASINGLY A
FEDERAL SYSTEM

18. SO…ANTICIPATING THE FUTURE…
WHERE WE ARE NOW: SUSTAINING THE TRADITIONAL PURPOSE OF ACCREDITATION, BUT CHALLENGED TO CHANGE AND INNOVATE, ESPECIALLY BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
WHERE WE ARE LIKELY TO GO: AN INCREASINGLY GOVERNMENT-DOMINATED ENTERPRISE WHEN IT COMES TO JUDGING QUALITY – IF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOMINATES ACCREDITATION, IT DOMINATES HIGHER EDUCATION
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: COLLEGES LESS INFLUENCED BY THE TRADITIONAL NORMS OF ACCREDITATION - PEER REVIEW, MISSION - AND MORE INFLUENCED BY GOVERNMENT DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT COUNTS AS QUALITY AND ACCEPTABLE PERFORMANCE

19. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION