Watch the Archive of "Emerging Accreditation Challenges"
As higher education accreditation agencies continue to redefine what counts as institutional quality, academic libraries are at risk of being deprioritized or excluded entirely from key standards and reviews. Our latest webinar, Emerging Accreditation Challenges: What Academic Libraries Need to Know, brings together national library and publishing leaders to unpack what these changes mean for the field and how to respond.
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Recorded October 29, 2025 | 12:00 PM EDT
Hosted by John Chrastka, Executive Director of the EveryLibrary Institute, and Terri Teleen, President of Emerald Publishing, this session explores the growing concern that new accreditation rubrics, such as those adopted by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and proposed by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), are eroding libraries’ visibility and recognition within institutional assessment frameworks.
Drawing on findings from the EveryLibrary Institute’s new report, Institutional Accreditation and the Academic Library: A Strategy for Engagement and Representation, the conversation examines how academic libraries are being written out of standards and self-studies, often unintentionally but with serious implications for mission fulfillment, research support, and student success. We discuss:
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How current and proposed HLC and NECHE draft standards redefine “quality” around outcomes and metrics like retention and completion, often at the expense of academic infrastructure and professional staffing.
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Why the removal of explicit language about libraries and librarians poses risks for institutional funding, governance, and resource allocation.
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How to use the new ACRL Standards for Libraries in Higher Education to align library goals with accreditation language focused on outcomes.
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Practical strategies for reengaging with accreditation through campus partnerships, faculty governance, and consortial comment opportunities.
This webinar also situates these changes in the broader policy context, including Executive Order 14279 and the emerging #DefendResearch movement to protect academic freedom, independent accreditation, and research integrity from political interference.
Related On-Demand Sessions
This webinar builds on the work of our ongoing collaboration with Emerald Publishing to support academic libraries navigating increasingly politicized environments.