The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) is a national, nongovernmental membership organization of degree-granting colleges and universities, the only organization with the sole purpose of providing national coordination of accreditation of higher education institutions and programs. CHEA serves as an advocate, national authority and thought leader on U.S. accreditation and quality. CHEA plays a significant nongovernmental role in oversight of accreditation as the only source of quality review of accrediting organizations outside the federal government. In these roles, CHEA works with Congress and the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) on accreditation issues. Appropriate accountability for accreditation through federal oversight has become a prominent topic of discussion. The purpose of this CHEA "Position Paper" is to offer proposals for changes in federal oversight as this applies to accreditation, whether in law, regulation or sub-regulatory guidance. The suggestions are not intended nor should result in reduced accountability for accreditation, but can provide a more effective and efficient regulatory framework for this important work.