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Previous discussionsThursday, December 11, at 12 noon, U.S. Eastern time
Accreditation is a process of external review developed by colleges to ensure and improve quality on an institution-wide and program-wide basis. But the self-regulation of higher education through accreditation has been challenged in recent years, in part because of criticisms led by Education Secretary Margaret Spellings. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation, a leading advocate for accreditation and self-regulation, has begun a multiyear "CHEA Initiative" that aims to respond to public and governmental concerns about the process. As part of that process, and in preparation for the council's annual meeting next month, CHEA and the nation's accrediting agencies are examining matters that include the role of the federal government in accreditation and accountability, the use of student assessments in the accreditation process, and the expectations of the new Obama administration. Questions now facing colleges and the accreditation community include: Are accreditors likely to receive a warmer reception after January 20, or will they face renewed pressure for change from the new administration and Congress? Will the economic crisis put even greater pressure on accreditors to prove that colleges provide value to their students? What are the most important accreditation-related questions facing the new education secretary?
Thursday, August 21, at 12 noon, U.S. Eastern time
Religious questions can come up in many classes, not just those in the religion department, and the resulting terrain can be difficult for an ill-prepared professor to navigate. Students can object to course assignments on religious or political grounds, and classroom discussions can veer off into realms fraught with pitfalls not mentioned on the syllabus. So what's a faculty member to do? An expert in higher-education law, Barbara A. Lee, will answer questions and share strategies for navigating difficult conversations and controversial topics while teaching, without landing yourself — or your institution — in a lawsuit.
Thursday, July 24, at 12 noon, U.S. Eastern time
Four years ago, The Chronicle published a lengthy report on the booming business of diploma mills. The report described how some sophisticated purveyors of spurious degrees were making millions of dollars a year, how intertwined the schemes often were with legitimate higher education, how frequently those operations used fake accreditors and other trappings of legitimacy to mask their frauds, and how many professors had made use of bogus diplomas to advance their careers. Four years later, how much has changed? Is it easier to tell a diploma mill from a real university? What about international institutions? Or online ones? What should be the role of state and federal governments in policing nonaccredited institutions? What does a diploma even mean anymore?
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About live discussions
Join Chronicle editors every Thursday at noon, U.S. Eastern time, for the Brown Bag, a new online discussion. Each week we will be joined by an expert from the world of college finance, technology, management, or other fields for a free and freewheeling discussion. Suggest a topic or guest. 
Go beyond the headlines as we discuss topics making news with the experts in Colloquy. Discussion TranscriptsAsk the Editor of The Chronicle Review The opinion pages of The Chronicle, both in print and online, have changed in recent months. In the main news section, we've created the Commentary section for opinion pieces about higher-education policy. The Chronicle Review, meanwhile, has gone through a redesign and an expansion of its book coverage... (6/12/2008) Free iPhones and a Switch to Google Mail: a Campus Tries Mobile Learning and OutsourcingMobile learning and outsourcing e-mail operations are two of the hottest topics in campus IT today. Kevin Roberts knows a lot about both of them. He has moved his institution, Abilene Christian University, from a home-grown e-mail system to Google Apps for Education, and overseen experiments in group learning using various Google applications. ... (4/24/2008) Marketing Your College in the Age of AdvertisingGood college marketing requires more than a sleek new logo. For an increasing number of institutions, branding campaigns and market research have become key elements in a college's arsenal of strategies for reaching prospective students, faculty members, and donors. ... (4/10/2008) College Tuition, Student Aid, and the Tax SeasonTax season brings all sorts of financial headaches, especially for families facing the formidable cost of a college education. Figuring out how to save for higher education can be especially daunting because of the varying tax penalties that can result from different savings options. What are the most common mistakes families make when applying for financial aid? ... (3/27/2008) Forums
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