Governance and oversight in U.S. accreditation are in flux. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation elected Hether F. Perfetti, president of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and chair of the Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions, to its board effective Jan. 1, 2026 — a move CHEA framed as bolstering institutional experience during a critical period for accreditation. At the same time, the Department of Education postponed the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) meeting for a second time, pushing deliberations into December. The delay adds to uncertainty for institutions awaiting federal guidance on recognition, rule changes and enforcement, and it follows a year of heightened scrutiny of accreditors and new accrediting alternatives promoted by some state leaders.