FAU Awarded Federal Grant to Lead National Accreditation Innovation

(Photo by Alex Dolce)

Florida Atlantic University has been awarded a $957,200 Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) Special Projects grant from the U.S. Department of Education to develop a national framework that will help colleges and universities navigate one of the most significant shifts in higher education accreditation in decades.

Awarded earlier this year, the project, "Navigating a Multi-Agency Accreditation Transition: A Strategic Framework for Florida Atlantic University," positions FAU as a national leader in developing strategies for institutions transitioning among accrediting agencies while maintaining rigorous standards for academic quality, institutional effectiveness and accountability.

"Accreditation is fundamental to maintaining quality and ensuring public trust," said Ken Dawson-Scully, Ph.D., FAU provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. "This award recognizes Florida Atlantic's national leadership as we develop a scalable framework for institutions to navigate accreditation transitions."

The initiative addresses Absolute Priority 4: Supporting Institutions in Changing Accrediting Agencies, established by the U.S. Department of Education to help institutions adapt to an evolving accreditation landscape.

Led by principal investigator Evonne Rezler, Ph.D., senior associate dean for undergraduate studies within FAU's Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, the project will create a comprehensive, evidence-based framework to enable FAU to maintain accreditation through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), achieve candidacy and membership with the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), and prepare for accreditation by the Commission for Public Higher Education (CPHE) once it becomes operational.

The project is also designed to produce a replicable model that other colleges and universities across the nation can adopt as accreditation options continue to expand.

The project will begin with a comprehensive gap analysis comparing accreditation standards across SACSCOC, HLC and anticipated CPHE requirements to identify areas requiring alignment. FAU also will establish a centralized accreditation task force to coordinate governance and institutional decision-making throughout the transition process.

Additional activities include implementing technology solutions to streamline accreditation management and reporting, providing targeted professional development for faculty and staff, and developing integrated policy templates and compliance guides that support consistency across multiple accreditation standards.

"Accreditation touches every aspect of a university - from academic quality and student success to institutional effectiveness and continuous improvement," said Rezler. "This project gives us an opportunity not only to strengthen Florida Atlantic's own accreditation processes, but also to develop practical tools and strategies that can benefit higher education institutions nationwide. Our goal is to create a sustainable, evidence-based framework that reduces administrative complexity while ensuring institutions remain focused on their core mission of serving students."

The project's anticipated outcomes include maintaining FAU's SACSCOC accreditation while successfully achieving HLC candidacy and membership, followed by institutional readiness for CPHE accreditation within 24 months of the commission's launch.

Beyond FAU, the initiative will produce a national framework guide documenting best practices for multi-agency accreditation transitions. The guide will be disseminated through a dedicated project website, presentations at national conferences and publication in peer-reviewed journals and practitioner-focused publications to support adoption by institutions across the country.

A comprehensive evaluation plan featuring both formative and summative assessments will measure project outcomes and support continuous improvement throughout the grant period.

"A multi-agency lens gives us what no single review can: three independent perspectives on the same university," said Debra Szabo, Ph.D., assistant provost for accreditation and assessment and FAU's institutional accreditation liaison. "It pushes us to define quality, align our priorities in each accreditation process and deliver on our promises."

Ultimately, the initiative will strengthen institutional compliance and quality assurance while supporting FAU's continued R1 research status, academic excellence and student success. By pioneering a strategic approach to multi-agency accreditation, the university aims to help shape the future of accreditation practices in higher education.

The project is led by Rezler and co-principal investigators Szabo; Ying Liu, Ph.D., assistant provost, institutional effectiveness and analysis; Iselgis Garcia, Ph.D., associate vice president, academic finance and administration; and Julie Earles, Ph.D., associate provost, academic affairs, all within FAU's Office of the Provost.

-FAU-