At a time when accreditation is an increasingly critical topic in the higher education community, Walden University announces that its president and provost, Dr. Paula E. Peinovich, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). 

CHEA, an association of 3,000 degree-granting colleges and universities, is a national advocate and institutional voice for self-regulation of academic quality through accreditation. The council recognizes 60 institutional and programmatic accrediting organizations and is the only nongovernmental higher education organization that undertakes the scrutiny and certification of the quality of regional, faith-based, private, career, and programmatic accrediting organizations. The CHEA board includes chief executive officers and top leaders from higher education institutions and universities, as well as public members. 

“I am thrilled to be elected to CHEA’s Board of Directors, particularly at this exciting time when the higher education community is being asked to more closely scrutinize accreditation standards to ensure universities and institutions are providing the very highest quality education for students,” Peinovich said.

Peinovich has worked closely with the accreditation community for more than 20 years, serving on seven accreditation site visit teams for three regional associations. She has served on the American Council on Education’s Commission on Adult Learning and Educational Credentials, worked as a national examiner for the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Baldrige National Quality Program, and frequently appeared as an invited speaker at regional accreditation conferences. Peinovich currently serves on the American Council on Education’s Commission on Women in Higher Education. Focusing on policy studies in higher education, she earned her doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania. 

“As a recognized leader in the higher education community and with her deep commitment to voluntary accreditation to support the highest quality in higher education, Paula will be a valuable member of the board,” said Dr. Judith S. Eaton, president of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. 

“Under her leadership, Walden University has risen to become one of the most respected and innovative online universities, and I’m certain that Paula will bring that passion to this role as she works to support rigorous standards for accreditation,” said Paula R. Singer, chairman of Walden’s Board of Directors and president of Laureate Education’s Online Higher Education division.

In June, Peinovich was one of 90 U.S. university presidents invited to a meeting of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France, where she participated in a dialogue with presidents from universities around the world on how higher education can contribute to building democratic societies. She hosted a poster session on the missions of Walden University and Laureate Education to showcase how aligned they already are with our responsibilities to the greater good.

August Ponder front page