Accreditation, the primary means of assuring and improving academic quality in U.S. higher education, has endured for more than 100 years. While accommodating many changes in higher education and society, accreditation's fundamental values and practices have remained essentially intact, affirming their sturdiness. Accreditation is a form of self-regulation--professionals reviewing professionals and academics reviewing academics. To carry out this process, nongovernmental, independent accrediting organizations were established, usually by professional societies or organizations of colleges and universities. Accreditation in the United States is undergoing a major change as governmental regulatory authority to judge quality expands, eclipsing accreditation's collegial model of quality review. The enormous growth of public and private money in higher education, the commitment to universal access and the accompanying calls for greater public accountability, the growing nationalization of public policy, and the impact of electronic technology have all contributed to this change. Especially over the last six years, this shift has challenged the core values of both accreditation and higher education and now threatens heretofore successful academic practices such as the judging of quality by academics and institutional self-determination. While fully countering the expansion of governmental authority is unlikely, action from the academic community is essential to contain the expansion and preserve core academic values. These actions include greater advocacy for accreditation, a renewed emphasis on the role of institutions in providing academic leadership, an enhanced commitment to public accountability, and a rethinking of approaches to working with the federal government.