Dr. Lisa Beatty of Dubuque, Iowa has recently been named Director of the ABHE Commission on Accreditation effective July 1, 2021. Dr. Beatty will replace the current director, Dr. Ron Kroll, who is retiring after nine years in the role.
Dr. Beatty has extensive service in higher education and higher education administration. She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Leadership Studies from the University of Iowa, where her doctoral research focused on institutional outcomes of the accreditation process.
Dr. Beatty is currently the Vice President for Academic Affairs at Emmaus Bible College in Dubuque, Iowa, where she has served in a number of faculty and administrative roles since 1992. During her 18-year tenure as chief academic officer at Emmaus, she led efforts to achieve regional accreditation and managed national and regional accreditation relationships for the institution. Dr. Beatty served on the ABHE Commission on Accreditation for two years as a commissioner and two years as chair. She is currently an officer on the ABHE Board of Directors.
In her new role as the COA Director, Dr. Beatty will serve as an advocate for the interests of biblical higher education by engaging in national and international dialogue and policy-making relative to quality assurance and quality improvement in biblical higher education. Her responsibilities include leading the Commission in its evaluation and decision-making processes for COA-accredited institutions and for those seeking accreditation from ABHE. Dr. Beatty will also serve as the point of contact between the ABHE Commission on Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education and Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
We celebrate Dr. Beatty’s appointment as the new COA Director and wish her God’s favor as she leads accreditation efforts for the ABHE Commission on Accreditation.