Higher‑education leaders and critics are pressing for a fundamental overhaul of accreditation and regulatory structures. A sector op‑ed called for scrapping the current accreditation model in favor of faster five‑year reviews focused on student outcomes, fiscal responsibility and academic freedom, while Inside Higher Ed launched a new column, 'Tough Love,' to argue colleges must adapt or face decline. Trustees and presidents should expect intensified public and legislative attention on accreditation performance metrics this year. Institutions should prepare concise outcome dashboards, strengthen financial contingency planning and document academic‑freedom safeguards to satisfy both accreditors and emerging federal or state oversight proposals.