Mythbusting Accreditation w/ Dr. Heather Perfetti

In Dr. Heather Perfetti’s own words, accreditation, first and foremost, is really about doing the good work at institutions and doing it well. And we should be celebrating that through accreditation!

In this episode, Dr. Heather Perfetti, President at Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), joins the show to discuss her unique role. We dive deep into the value of the accreditation process and how impactful it can really be for the student experience, as well as touch on the taboo subject of myths that are perpetuated within the accreditation community and why we should be busting them!

Join us as we discuss:

• Mythbusting around accreditation
• Thinking and speaking about accreditation differently
• Shifting the perception of the relationship you have with your accreditors

See Dr. Heather Perfetti’s full bio below!

Dr. Heather Perfetti

An experienced, high-level executive with a demonstrated and diverse history of working in complex educational environments, Heather F. Perfetti, Ed.D., J.D., became President of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education on July 1, 2020. Over the course of her career, she has made an impact in numerous areas of higher education, including academic and student affairs, faculty affairs, legal and regulatory affairs, strategic planning, policy development, and innovative, organizational change management. She joined the Commission as a Vice President liaison to institutions in January 2015, served as Vice President for Legal Affairs and Chief of Staff in July 2017, and was then elevated to Senior Vice President in July 2018. On June 26, 2019, Dr. Perfetti was named President-Elect to begin her transition to President. Dr. Perfetti earned her Doctor of Education degree with specialization in Higher Education Leadership from Northcentral University (CA), the Juris Doctor degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law, the Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Troy University (AL), and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Frostburg State University (MD).