History, Power, and the Possibilities of Higher Education Accreditation 3 views

This research examines institutional accreditation, a core organizing process in U.S. higher education whose mission has shifted over time. Long shaped by tensions between progressive and conservative forces, accreditation has faced escalating political attacks since 2016. Although accrediting bodies often invoke values such as democracy and the public good to legitimize their work, the extent to which these ideals are realized remains underexplored. Through a brief historical analysis, a critical review of current institutional accreditation standards, and interviews with practitioners, this study investigates: (1) how, if at all, historical logics shape contemporary practice and what may be taken‑for‑granted in the standard story of accreditation; (2) how accreditation practitioners perceive their ability to adapt the practice to support democracy and the public good; and (3) how practitioners imagine and enact defenses of accreditation’s legitimacy amid increasing political attacks. Findings indicate that practitioners often misidentify the origins of accreditation, depend on norms that are open to a high degree of contest, and underestimate the importance of accreditation’s historical role in securing higher education’s limited independence from government, an independence that is now rapidly eroding. The study's findings led to several recommendations for practice, including increased critical inquiry of the values and contests surrounding the practice to enhance the field’s ability to defend higher education as a public good in support of a multiracial democracy.

EDD (Doctor of Education)

accreditation; power; political contests; critical discourse analysis

English

All rights reserved by the author (no additional license for public reuse)

2026-04-11