[1] AALE was formed in 1992 with the stated purpose of "supporting and recognizing excellence in undergraduate liberal arts teaching and learning through accreditation.
"[5] In July 1995, the U.S. Department of Education granted AALE official recognition as an institutional accreditor for colleges and universities.
[6] In December 2006, the U.S. Department of Education suspended AALE's authority to accredit new institutions and programs.
[9] In the ruling that lifted the restrictions for a period of three years (expiring in December, 2010), Education Secretary Margaret Spellings wrote of "continued concerns stemming from AALE's being cited consistently since 2001 for either not having clear standards with respect to measuring student outcomes or not collecting and reviewing data on how institutions it accredits measures student outcomes.
[7] Since January 2011, AALE has been led by acting president Charles E. Butterworth, an emeritus professor of politics and government at the University of Maryland.