The US Department of Education's (ED's) responsibilities for the distribution of federal financial aid and collecting data are well-known to the general public. Few know of the department's role in quality assurance, however, and its relationship to the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI)--a federal advisory committee situated in ED and focused on accreditation. Along with accreditation agencies and state boards of higher education, NACIQI is a statutorily required part of the American system of higher education. NACIQI's obscurity, though, could reinforce the public perception that colleges and universities operate without visible oversight, which may further erode the public's trust. This report aims to shed light on these less publicized aspects of quality assurance by focusing on NACIQI, its statutory role, and its relationships with other actors in the triad which is made of the states, ED, and accreditation agencies.