Higher Education: Role of States, Accreditation and Challenges

Since the establishment of State land-grant universities, our country has rightly recognized higher education as an essential public good, in the national interest as reported in chapter 1. But States have also played a critical role to an affordable college education through investing and being a key player in oversight and developing strategies to increase degree attainment. Chapter 2 examines (1) the strengths and challenges of the current U.S. accreditation system in overseeing the academic quality of schools, and (2) potential approaches for improving the U.S. accreditation system's oversight of academic quality. As reported in chapter 3 institutions across the country are providing their students new opportunities to earn a degree. As a result, we're seeing more diversity on campuses and the idea of a traditional student has been turned on its head. Today's students come from a wide range of backgrounds, they are at various stages in their lives and careers, and they have new, unique, and changing needs.