The Department of Education is engaged currently in a negotiated rule making process regarding accreditation in higher education. The issues under discussion are complex, but the principles undergirding them—and the strategies that policymakers can employ to achieve stronger outcomes for students and taxpayers—are relatively simple.
Senior research fellow for higher education Alana Dunagan, and co-founder Michael B. Horn highlight two key dynamics that put current accreditation at odds with innovations that expand access, tackle affordability, and increase the value of American higher education. They also provide recommendations to design an accreditation system that is friendlier to innovation across new instructional models and/or new business models in higher education.
[Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on the Christensen Institute’s blog.]
Alana Dunagan leads the Christensen Institute’s higher education research and works to find solutions for a more affordable system that better serves both students and employers. In this role, she analyzes disruptive forces changing the higher education landscape.
Michael B. Horn is a co-founder and distinguished fellow at the Clayton Christensen Institute. He currently works as a principal consultant for Entangled Solutions.
- What skills are university leaders prioritizing in new hires? - July 1, 2026
- The real work of AI and instructional technology is creative - June 26, 2026
- How smart campuses are turning efficiency into growth - June 24, 2026