1. Institutional Viability, Accountability, and Outcomes: Rethinking Graduation Rates and Accreditor Responsibility

Accreditation Insights opens its 2026 season with a timely and substantive conversation on institutional viability and accountability in higher education. This episode is sponsored by Futured Finance, whose work focuses on improving financial transparency and sustainability across the higher education sector.

In this episode, we are joined by Gary Stocker, Founder of College Viability, a national consultancy dedicated to helpingcolleges and universities strengthen financial sustainability, enrollment strategy, governance, and long-term institutional resilience. Drawing on decades of experience as a president, provost, and senior executive, Dr. Stocker offers a pragmatic and data-informed perspective on the realities facing today’s institutions.

The conversation explores several pressing issues, including the four-year graduation rate, accreditors’ transparency, accreditors' responsibilities, and whether graduation rates alone are an appropriate or sufficient indicator ofinstitutional success. Together, the discussion challenges traditional metrics and encourages a more holistic approach to assessing quality, outcomes, and long-term viability in higher education.