A pair of policy voices pressed governing boards and regulators to approach accreditation reform cautiously rather than treat it as a panacea for higher education’s fiscal and political problems. CHEA president Nasser Paydar argued that accreditation is a quality-assurance tool—ill-suited to control tuition or cure enrollment declines—and warned against reforms that would politicize accreditation or narrow it to workforce metrics. The Association of Governing Boards (AGB) released a toolkit aimed at trustees to improve their understanding and productive use of the accreditation process. The toolkit is positioned as practical guidance for boards that must navigate accreditation reviews while overseeing institutional strategy and compliance. Both pieces stress preserving accreditation independence while reducing administrative burden and improving transparency. For trustees, presidents, and accreditation officers, the guidance reframes reform as alignment—strengthening student-success accountability and operational clarity rather than wholesale structural overhaul.