Higher education is under growing pressure to offer faster, more flexible credential offerings beyond the traditional degree. For Higher Learning Commission President Barbara Gellman-Danley, the challenge for accreditors and academic leaders is to move fast and creatively without compromising standards.

"You're serving an opportunity up to the students for more choice: degrees, microcredentials, reduced-credit degrees, et cetera," Gellman-Danley says on The University Business Podcast. "What we all care about, though, is high quality."

As the leader of the largest institutional accreditor in the country, Gellman-Danley is increasingly shaping how institutions and learners navigate the "wild, wild west" of the short-term credential marketplace. These programs have gained traction, particularly among nontraditional learners, because of their flexibility and workforce relevance.