AGB-CHEA Joint Advisory Statement on Accreditation & Governing Boards 2022

Preface

The Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) have both recognized the importance of engaging governing boards in the accreditation process. AGB affirms¹ that a key element of board accountability for educational quality and institutional autonomy is awareness of and engagement in the process by which the institution and its various educational programs are accredited. CHEA recognizes and values the responsibility that governing boards share in helping colleges and universities attain the highest possible standards for good governance, management, and student success,² and it actively encourages the involvement of governing boards in this process.³

While accreditation is a critical tool for quality assurance and accountability for higher education, many—perhaps most—board members lack a solid understanding of what accreditation is and why it signals an institution’s commitment to academic quality and fiscal integrity. To help governing boards better understand the process of accreditation, AGB and CHEA have published this updated report; the first was published in 2009 in response to heightened concern about higher education academic quality and heightened pressure for accountability. The higher education landscape has changed significantly since 2009; institutions are operating within an extremely challenging environment—one of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. In addition to the extraordinary stresses posed by the pandemic, including the shift to remote instruction, higher education institutions are grappling with the now routine stresses of declining enrollment, increased public skepticism about the value of higher education, declining state funding, and financial sustainability. They are also grappling with new challenges and opportunities related to freedom of speech and goals of justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion across all institutional levels. Yet another challenge is balancing the promise of technology with sound pedagogy and programmatic and institutional goals.

But perhaps the greatest challenge is that posed by…