Accreditation doesn’t usually top the list of topics people want to discuss at dinner parties. But if you care about the future of higher education, it probably should.
In Part 1 of a two-episode conversation on EdUp Accreditation Insights, I joined host Dr. Lori Shanderson in welcoming Dr. Robert Manzer, President of the American Academy for Liberal Education. Dr. Manzer has been pushing higher education to rethink the role of accreditation, especially in his recent piece Depoliticizing the University: Reprioritizing Academic Excellence in Accreditation and Faculty Governance.
Our discussion dug into why accreditation has become so politicized, often reduced to compliance checklists, and how this undermines its original purpose—ensuring academic quality. Dr. Manzer argued that accreditation could be a lever for something more ambitious: elevating teaching, engaging faculty governance more deeply, and making academic excellence the central measure once
As I listened, I couldn’t help but reflect on how often accreditation is seen as a hoop-jumping exercise. Faculty (myself included, earlier in my career) don’t usually train in accreditation or assessment, and yet we’re asked to make it work. That disconnect often leaves accreditation feeling burdensome rather than inspiring. But what if accreditors asked better questions—questions that lead to reflection about mission, liberal education, and the overall quality of learning? That could shift the whole conversation.
Part 1 left me both challenged and hopeful. Challenged, because the system as it stands is under enormous pressure. Hopeful, because if accreditation can reclaim its purpose, it might become the tool higher education desperately needs to restore trust and strengthen governance.