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Higher Learning Commission Publications

The Higher Learning Commission has developed educational materials for administrators and peer reviewers to help them in their role as part of the accreditation process.

To order a publication, fill out the Publications Order Form / Price List, 04/11.

The Handbook of Accreditation, Third Edition

The Handbook provides essential information about Commission policies, procedures, and practices, and is an invaluable resource for affiliated institutions or institutions seeking affiliation. This edition of the Handbook is presented in a custom-designed binder for maximum flexibility.

Disclaimer: The Handbook of Accreditation, Third Edition, was published in 2003.  Readers should review the new and revised policies in addition to the Handbook to ensure the most up-to-date information is being used.

In addition to the Handbook and the Policy Book, the Commission has a number of Statements to provide additional guidance.

• Commission Statement on Assessment of Student Learning
• Also see the article on Student Learning, Assessment and Accreditation
• Commission Statement on Diversity
• Commission Statement on General Education
• Commission Statement on Accountability 

The Commission provides guidance for institutions and peer reviewers in its Statement on Peer Reviewers Serving as Independent Consultants or on Mock Teams to Institutions that are Accredited by or Seeking Accreditation with the Commission.

Institutional Accreditation: An Overview, 2010 Edition

This booklet provides brief general information about the accreditation of higher learning organizations by The Higher Learning Commission, the Criteria for Accreditation, frequently asked questions, and resources. It is designed as a resource for institutions to help communicate with their community about the accreditation process.  

Policy Book

The Commission has a number of institutional policies that affect the affiliation of colleges and universities with the Commission. The policy book is updated throughout the year. 

Bylaws

The Commission adheres to the following Bylaws which were approved in 2010. 

Submitting Required Materials

Prior to accreditation-related reviews, the institution provides the peer reviewers and the Commission with a set of required materials. Beginning in Fall 2011, these materials must be submitted electronically in PDF format for the majority of evaluations.  

Required Materials and Submission Procedures: PEAQ Comprehensive Visit
Required Materials and Submission Procedures: PEAQ and AQIP Change Visit
Required Materials and Submission Procedures: Focused Visit

Visiting Institutions During the Current Economic Crisis

The Commission recently issued a paper providing advice for HLC Peer Reviewers when visiting institutions during the current economic crisis.

A Collection of Papers on Self-Study and Institutional Improvement, 2010

The Commission publishes a collection of papers based on the presentations from the Annual Meeting.  The collection, available on a flash drive, may be purchased by submitting the Publications Order Form.

Guidelines and Principles of Good Practice

The Commission has developed information on good practice throughout the accreditation process. The following tools should provide guidance on improving quality education.

Commission Endorses Guidelines on Assessment

The Higher Learning Commission has endorsed guidelines, Committing to Quality: Guidelines for Assessment and Accountability, published by the New Leadership Alliance for Student Learning and Accountability in 2012.  The guidelines help colleges and universities in improving the quality of a college degree by asking them to set clear goals for student achievement, regularly gather and use evidence that measures performance against those goals, report evidence of student learning, and continuously work to improve results.  

Guidelines for the Evaluation of Distance Education (On-line Learning)

This document was developed in 2009 by the Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions (C-RAC). The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is a member of C-RAC. HLC provides these guidelines as a resource for its affiliated institutions and its Peer Review Corps.

Report of the Task Force on the Professional Doctorate

The Commission developed a Task Force on the Professional Doctorate and called on it to study the current trends and growth in creation of professional doctorates and to develop recommendations. The recommendations are organized into three overarching issues: institutional context, program content, and shared quality assurance.

Principles of Good Practice in Adult Degree Completion Programs

In order to facilitate the evaluation of adult degree completion programs in member institutions, the Board of Trustees has adopted a set of principles developed by a special task force, as a framework for program implementation. These principles also are used by team members in evaluating patterns of evidence during accreditation reviews.

Guidelines for Assessing Prior Learning for Credit

In conjunction with the Principles of Good Practice, the Board also accepted the recommendation of the task force and adopted the guidelines developed by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education that deal with assessing prior learning for credit.

Report of the Task Force on Adult Degree Completion Programs

This report provides a summary of the study conducted to learn what member institutions are doing in programs designed specifically to address the needs of working adults.

Report of the Task Force on Baccalaureate Education in the Community College Setting

The task force studied the various contexts in which baccalaureate education is and can be offered on community college campuses and in higher education centers. The task force concluded that accreditation standards and processes must expect all institutions providing baccalaureate education in a community college setting to weigh the offering against institutional mission and values, including an institutional commitment to enhance access.

Commission Guidance on Determining Qualified Faculty

This report provides guidance to higher education organizations and to peer reviewers in determining and evaluating faculty qualifications in various higher education contexts.

Good Practice on Transfer of Credit

Each institution determines its own policies and procedures for accepting transfer credits, including credits from accredited and non accredited institutions, from non-U.S. institutions, and from institutions that grant credit for experiential learning and for adult learner programs. An institution’s periodic review of its transfer policies and procedures should include evaluation of their clarity to those who administer them, to the students who follow them, and to employers and other stakeholders.

Principles of Good Practice in Overseas International Education Programs for Non-U.S. Nationals

These principles, initially developed through the Council of Postsecondary Accreditation and endorsed by all regional accrediting commissions in 1990, have informed the reviews of scores of international educational ventures. The principles speak to matters that deserve the scrutiny of all institutions engaged in or planning to engage in developing campuses or moving educational programs abroad.