In the United States, accreditation was a mandatory requirement that placed stress, financial burden, and alignment to various standards on universities. The changes that had occurred in educator preparation over the past decade left many institutions confused and untrusting in the process (Burnett, 2020). Due to these changes, the relationship between institution and accreditor varied widely. This research focused on the relationship between the accreditor, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), and educator preparation programs (public and private) in Ohio to determine how the relationship informed preparation for the self-study. My research explored the gap in literature between perceived relationships institutions held about their accreditor and self-study preparedness using Lane and Kivisto's (2008) Principal-Agent Theory. By exploring the history and meaning of accreditation and the faculty workload, and the relationships between universities and accreditors can be better understood. These relationships provided a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities universities and faculty faced that influenced the self-study. Some of the key findings from this research were lack of resources, challenges in meeting standards, and needs for collaboration. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]