Introduction
The spring 2020 COVID-19 pandemic was a catalyst for higher education to embrace online learning, out of both necessity and convenience to serve learners. Institutional accrediting agencies also reacted, making swift and significant changes. The past several months lend insightful foreshadowing into the future of teaching and learning in higher education. Institutional accrediting agencies responded with agility and alignment to federal guidance and waivers of regulations. As with any major shift, there are many moving parts to help stakeholders track the changes taking place.
Collectively, members of the Council of Regional Accreditation Commissions (C-RAC) worked diligently to continue quality assurance evaluations at the same time. Accreditors worked within the guidance provided by the U.S. Department of Education (the Department) in response to the public health emergency, providing accreditors the opportunity to waive certain requirements for institutions including the opportunity for institutions to transition to distance education and for accrediting agencies to conduct virtual site visits. While institutions provided swift and significant changes, without traditional faculty and student preparation for the shift to teaching in a distance education environment, it is critical for higher education to now focus on a future that relies on online learning.