CHEA is urging careful limits as the U.S. Department of Education advances proposed regulatory changes to accreditation through negotiated rulemaking. In its statement, CHEA said the Department’s stated goals—strengthening accountability, improving student outcomes, and encouraging innovation—were a positive starting point, but warned several provisions could blur lines of responsibility across the higher education system. CHEA objected to proposals that could expand accreditors’ expectations beyond peer review and into legal compliance, and that could narrow accreditors’ ability to evaluate institutional governance. The statement also raised concerns about potential fragmentation if the rules increase competition among accreditors, potentially weakening consistency of standards and public trust. CHEA highlighted transfer-of-credit provisions that shift toward presumed acceptance unless an institution can articulate a clear academic reason not to. The group said such a framework risks undermining institutional autonomy and academic judgment. As institutions and accreditors prepare for what may be a significant compliance shift, CHEA said active engagement by institutional leaders will be essential to preserve accreditation’s core functions—peer review, mission respect, and continuous improvement—while strengthening quality and student success.