Does higher education need accreditation reform or an overhaul?  I have been thinking about this question a lot lately.  We seem to want to tweak the system in hopes that it will improve.  Is it getting better?  Ahh….No.  I think it’s time to actually fix it by starting anew.

I don’t understand the need for both regional and national accreditation.  It seems that we should have one.  Figure out what the standards should be and make all higher education institutions jump through those hoops.  I agree that there needs to be some set of standards, but two sets creates a class system.   Regional is considered better than national, but is it really?  Do we honestly believe that if colleges/universities are “for profit,” then they only care about money?  I have spent a huge chunk of my career working for nonprofit colleges and universities.  I can tell you first hand that they too focus on the all mighty dollar.  All businesses (for profit and non profit alike) need money to operate successfully.  More is always better.

Times have changed.  Needs have changed.  Options have increased.  Methods have increased.  Time to do this differently.