Five independent colleges launch new national academic accreditor

Five independent colleges have announced their status as founding members of the National Association for Academic Excellence (NAAE), a newly established institutional accreditor for U.S. colleges and universities. The participating institutions include Benedictine College, Merrimack College, the University of Mount Saint Vincent, Bellevue University, and Houston Christian University.

NAAE president and CEO Rob Manzer stated that the organization aims to move beyond traditional "box-checking" compliance models to foster genuine institutional improvement. Established as a nonprofit in 2023, the accreditor intends to provide a supportive environment for faith-based and independent institutions. Unlike traditional models, the NAAE operates without geographic or regional restrictions, a shift made possible by 2020 federal policy changes that removed regional scope requirements for accreditors.

As founding members, these institutions will hold seats on the NAAE Board of Directors and the Commission on Accreditation. These bodies are tasked with refining the organization's standards, which focus on ethics, integrity, organizational efficiency, and academic excellence. Manzer emphasized that the association will work exclusively with independent colleges that meet these specific criteria.