This episode of our special series “Academic Freedom on the Line” takes a look at accreditation, a seemingly complex but essential mechanism for safeguarding both the quality of education our institutions offer as well as the institutional and disciplinary autonomy that allows them to create and enforce standards of rigor without direct interference from the federal government. Robert Shireman of the Century Foundation joins us to demystify the role of accreditation agencies and help us understand why changes to accreditation threaten academic freedom in the United States. 

Links: 

• CDAF’s Executive Power Watch Fact Sheet on Accreditation 
• Robert Shireman’s June 2024 report“Academic Freedom Is Under Attack. College Accreditors May Be the Best Line of Defense” 
• Robert Shireman’s March 2025 Article in the Chronicle “How an Accreditation War Could Start” 
• “AAUP Testimony to NACIQI”
• “Accreditation and Academic Freedom: An AAUP and Council for Higher Education Accreditation Advisory Statement”