Walden University’s President Dr. Paula E. Peinovich Joins Council for Higher Education Accreditation’s Board of Directors

Minneapolis—June 27, 2006—At a time when accreditation is an increasingly critical topic in the higher education community, Walden University announces its president and provost, Paula E. Peinovich, PhD, has been elected to the board of directors of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

CHEA, an association of 3,000 degree-granting colleges and universities, is a national advocate and institutional voice for self-regulation of academic quality through accreditation. The Council recognizes 60 institutional and programmatic accrediting organizations and is the only nongovernmental higher education organization that undertakes the scrutiny and certification of the quality of regional, faith-based, private career and programmatic accrediting organizations. The CHEA board includes chief executive officers and top leaders from higher education institutions and universities as well as public members.

“I am thrilled to be elected to CHEA’s board of directors, particularly at this exciting time when the higher education community is being asked to more closely scrutinize accreditation standards to ensure universities and institutions are providing the very highest quality education for students,” said Dr. Peinovich.

Dr. Peinovich has worked closely with the accreditation community for more than 20 years, serving on seven accreditation site visit teams for three regional associations. She has served on the American Council on Education’s Commission on Adult Learning and Educational Credentials, worked as a national examiner for the U.S. Department of Commerce Baldrige National Quality Program, and been a frequent invited speaker at regional accreditation annual conferences. Dr. Peinovich is presently serving on the American Council on Education’s Commission on Women in Higher Education. She earned her PhD, focusing on policy studies in higher education, from the University of Pennsylvania.

“As a recognized leader in the higher education community and with her deep commitment to voluntary accreditation to support the highest quality in higher education, Paula will be a valuable member of the Board,” says Dr. Judith S. Eaton, president of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

“Under her leadership, Walden University has risen to become one of the most respected and innovative online universities, and I’m certain that Paula will bring that passion to this role, as she works to support rigorous standards for accreditation,” said Paula R. Singer, chairman of Walden University’s Board of Directors and president of Laureate Education’s Online Higher Education division.

Dr. Peinovich became president and provost of Walden University, an accredited online institution, in 2003 after more than 15 years of professional experience in institutions that provide educational access for adult learners around the globe. Over the last three years, Walden University has increased its enrollment to more than 21,500 students and has rounded out its comprehensive master’s and doctoral degree offerings to include graduate programs in education, psychology, management, public policy and administration, health and human services, and engineering and IT, as well as bachelor’s completion programs in business.

Real People. Real Change. Learn more at http://realpeople.waldenu.edu/.

About Walden University
Since 1970, Walden University has offered working professionals the opportunity to earn advanced degrees through distance learning. Today, this comprehensive, accredited online university offers master’s and doctoral degrees in education, psychology, management, public policy and administration, and health and human services, as well as master’s programs in engineering and IT and bachelor’s completion programs in business. For more information, visit www.WaldenU.edu.

Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association, www.hlcommission.org; 312-263-0456.