Generative AI is forcing universities to rethink faculty and staff roles and how accreditation evaluates institutions. A policy essay argues that AI is changing teaching, research, student services and administration, and warns that treating faculty as mere instructional labor will leave institutions unable to adapt. The piece calls on accreditation bodies, HR units and campus leaders to redesign talent systems so faculty can focus on mentoring, scholarship and curriculum design rather than transactional tasks. The author highlights concrete domains where AI is already integrated — lesson development, research synthesis, advising triage and administrative workflows — and urges mission-driven governance and capability-building. For higher-education leaders, the piece signals an immediate need to align accreditation standards with role redesign and faculty development to avoid hollowing out institutional capacity. (Source: opinion piece on AI, accreditation and workforce alignment.)