Book excerpt: The challenge of accreditation in a modern educational environment faces such questions as how to keep an accrediting process which is independent of the government, which respects the diversity of institutions, which keeps the process open whereby institutions can set their own goals and missions and above all improve access to education for the masses and at the same time maintain the confidence of the general public that graduates measure up to the minimum levels of quality. In this volume, James Rogers discusses the current state of accreditation in the United States with special emphasis on historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Maxine Allen and John Austin assess the current status of HBCUs relative to accreditation. Howard Simmons focuses on the importance of blacks' participation in the accreditation process. In the appendix, Regina Norman presents a summary profile of the regional and specialized accreditation of HBCUs. Co-published with the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education.