Complete the form below to submit comments on the proposed revisions to HLC’s Criteria for Accreditation and related policies. Comments are due by May 13, 2024.
Summary of Revisions
The proposed changes were developed through collaboration with member institutions, peer reviewers, and stakeholders from the higher education ecosystem. The proposed changes would:
- Emphasize HLC’s mission-reflective approach.
- Eliminate subcomponents from each Core Component.
- Combine Criteria 3 and 4 into one Criterion on “Teaching and Learning for Student Success.”
- Clarify, simplify and streamline language throughout the policy.
HLC’s Board of Trustees approved the proposed revisions on first reading on February 29, 2024. The Board will consider the policy for adoption on second reading at its June meeting. If adopted, the revisions would go into effect on September 1, 2025.
Proposed Criteria Revisions
Comment Form
All questions are optional.
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Criterion 1. Mission
The institution’s mission is clear and articulated publicly; it guides the institution’s operations.
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1.A. Mission Alignment
The institution’s educational programs, enrollment profile and scope of operations align with its publicly articulated mission.
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1.B. Mission and Public Good
The institution’s operation of the academic enterprise demonstrates its commitment to serving the public good.
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1.C. Mission and Diversity of Society
The institution provides opportunities for civic engagement in a diverse, multicultural society and globally connected world, as appropriate within its mission and for the constituencies it serves.
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Criterion 2. Integrity: Ethical and Responsible Conduct
In fulfilling its mission, the institution acts with integrity; its conduct is ethical and responsible.
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2.A. Integrity
Actions taken by the institution’s governing board, administration, faculty and staff demonstrate adherence to established policies and procedures.
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2.B. Transparency
The institution presents itself accurately and completely to students and the public with respect to its educational programs and any claims it makes related to the educational experience.
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2.C. Sufficient Board Autonomy
In discharging its fiduciary duties, the institution’s governing board is autonomous and empowered to act in the best interest of the institution, including the students it serves.
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2.D. Academic Freedom and Freedom of Expression
The institution supports academic freedom and freedom of expression in the pursuit of knowledge as integral to high-quality teaching, learning and research.
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2.E. Knowledge Acquisition, Discovery and Application
The institution adheres to policies and procedures that ensure responsible acquisition, discovery and application of knowledge.
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Criterion 3. Teaching and Learning for Student Success
The institution demonstrates responsibility for the quality of its educational programs, learning environments and support services, and it evaluates their effectiveness in fulfilling its mission through procedures designed to promote continuous improvement and student success. The rigor and quality of each educational program is consistent regardless of modality, location or other differentiating factors.
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3.A. Educational Programs Appropriate to Higher Education
The institution maintains learning goals and outcomes that reflect a level of rigor commensurate with the program level and content of each of its educational programs.
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3.B. Exercise of Intellectual Inquiry Integral to Programs
The institution’s core requirements engage students in collecting, analyzing and communicating information; in mastering modes of intellectual inquiry or creative work; and in developing skills adaptable to changing environments.
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3.C. Sufficiency of Faculty and Staff
The institution has the faculty and staff needed for effective, high-quality programs and student services.
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3.D. Support for Student Learning and Resources for Effective Teaching
The institution provides an appropriate range of student support services that take into account the needs of its student populations, as well as the teaching resources and infrastructure necessary to drive student success.
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3.E. Assessment of Student Learning
The institution improves the quality of its educational programs based on its assessment of student learning.
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3.F. Program Review
The institution improves its curriculum based on periodic program review.
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3.G. Student Success Outcomes
The institution’s student success outcomes demonstrate improvement, taking into account the institution’s mission, the students it serves, and benchmarks that reference peer institutions.
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Criterion 4. Sustainability: Institutional Effectiveness, Resources and Planning
The institution’s resources, structures, policies, procedures and planning enable it to fulfill its mission, improve the quality of its educational programs, and respond to future challenges and opportunities.
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4.A. Effective Administrative Structures
The institution’s administrative structures are effective and facilitate collaborative processes such as shared governance; data-informed decision making; and engagement with internal and external constituencies as appropriate.
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4.B. Resource Base and Sustainability
The institution’s financial and personnel resources effectively support its current operations. The institution’s financial management balances short-term needs with long-term commitments and ensures its ongoing sustainability.
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4.C. Systematic and Integrated Planning and Improvement
The institution engages in systematic strategic planning. It relies on data-supported enrollment forecasts and integrates its planning with insights it has gained based on assessment of student learning, evaluation of institutional operations, scanning of the external environment, and financial capacity.
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