In a recent episode of Ed Up’s “Accreditation Insights,” Dr. Robert Manzer, President of the American Academy for Liberal Education, discusses the changing challenges of accreditation in higher education. Dr. Manzer explains that accreditation is a complex recognition process that often leaves institutions uncertain about their status and direction. Some observers even argue that, in its current state, accreditation’s “days are numbered,” as its legitimacy is being called into question.
Dr. Manzer also emphasizes that accreditors hold frontline responsibility for academic
quality. They are not only compliance monitors but should also serve as partners in upholding
institutional missions. Rather than reducing academic rigor to narrow measures like “learning
outcomes,” accreditors could ask better questions of institutions, questions that drive meaningful
reflection on governance, student learning, and faculty engagement. A key solution he outlines is
to re-engage faculty so that academic decision-making and quality assurance are grounded in
scholarly expertise rather than bureaucratic processes.
Cecilia Livengood, Chief Accreditation Officer for the National Association for Academic
Excellence (NAAE) and contributor to “Accreditation Insights,” is cited by Dr. Manzer as an
example of accreditation that is aligned with these characteristics. The NAAE project tests new
ways to establish accreditation as a partnership instead of a regulatory resource. The goal is to
encourage collaboration between accreditors and institutions, focusing on improving governance,
increasing transparency, and building trust.
Cecilia also points out that colleges and universities “do not have to accept a one-size-
fits-all accreditor.” They can select an accrediting body that better matches their educational
mission and values. In doing so, accreditation could shift from being perceived as a rigid external
imposition to becoming a constructive guardrail that preserves institutional autonomy while
ensuring integrity.
Together, the conversation highlights that while accreditation faces uncertainty and
criticism, it also carries significant potential. If depoliticized and redesigned as a collaborative
process, accreditation can move beyond compliance checklists to become a driving force for
academic excellence, faculty governance, and institutional trust in higher education.
CLICK HERE to listen to the episode.