"Paul Gaston has done a masterful job of reviewing the history and practice of accreditation in our country. Our way of doing accreditation plays a key role in the strength of American Higher Education. It is very useful to have such an excellent and nuanced review of accreditation from Paul who is so committed to helping campuses improve their work with students and who has such deep experience in the university."

Scott E. Evenbeck, President of the New Community College at The City University of New York.

"Among all the 21st century proposals aimed at improving accreditation, Gaston has got it just right. His thoughtful, compelling, and comprehensive framework, recognizing important developments in accrediting practices to date, calls for accelerated innovations in practices, processes, standards, requirements, and priorities across regional, specialized, and national accreditors. Identifying the complex set of changing and challenging realities that higher education faces, such as new educational providers and modes of learning, an enhanced focus on evidence of student achievement, or the shifting financial sands of higher education, Gaston identifies clear parameters for necessary collaborative reform across accreditors. Let the reform begin."

Peggy Maki, Education Consultant Specializing in Assessing Student Learning

"Accreditation is the lighting rod of higher education, but few understand the nuanced complex changes in the field. Political leaders want to assure that students can transition from two- to four-year institutions without losing credits. University leaders want accreditation to cost less and be less intrusive. Students want it to make colleges more affordable.

Few authors could write a book on accreditation that diverse stakeholders would demand in their library, but Paul Gaston has crafted a balanced, thoughtful explanation of accreditation. With higher education changing faster than it has at any period in its history, Gaston's book is a must-read to understand the sea change impacting higher education and how accreditation can impact our future."

Robert G. Frank, President, The University of New Mexico

"There is a remarkable lack of awareness of the considerable work of the past twenty-five years in assessment of learning, in shifting to student-centered pedagogies, in explicit formulation of learning outcomes, and in developing continuous improvement processes in higher education. Paul Gaston is absolutely right that higher education needs to articulate a shared vision of our work and its significance for the nation. Without such a vision, the issues will be framed by others who are less well-informed, and the policy consequences will be-and have been-unfortunate. Paul Gaston's thoughtful book gives us a balanced assessment of American higher-education accreditation and recommends a measured set of reforms to meet the challenges of this new era."

Eduardo M. Ochoa, President, California State University, Monterey Bay, and former U.S. Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education