Substantive Change: Off-Campus Activities
Prior HLC approval or notification may be required for substantive changes related to additional locations and branch campuses.
Definitions of additional location and branch campus
Off-Campus Instruction Provided Through a Consortial Arrangement
If an institution provides instruction through a consortial arrangement at a facility separate from its main campus, the facility may qualify as an additional location and therefore require prior HLC approval. This requirement applies if it is possible for students at the location to complete 50% or more of the courses in an academic program leading to a degree or other credential conferred by the institution. This is the case even if, among the consortial partners, the instruction that the institution provides at that location accounts for less than 50% of the academic program.
Manage Location and Campus Records in Canopy
Chief Executive Officers, Accreditation Liaison Officers and Location Coordinators can view and update their institution's branch campus and additional location records in HLC's Canopy system. To access these records, click on "Location and Campus Update" in the Institution section of the main menu or under the Quick Links section of the Canopy homepage.
Types of Requests
The following information is provided for general guidance. Institutions planning a change related to their off-campus activities should contact their HLC staff liaison to confirm that prior HLC approval or notification is required.
Suspension for More Than One Semester
Joining the Notification Program for Additional Locations
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Opening
Prior HLC Approval Required
How to Apply
Submit the Branch Campus and Additional Location Application . Institutions may request approval for one branch campus per application.
Possible Review Processes
Review and Decision-Making Timeline
Approximately three to five months from submission of complete application, depending on review process
Follow-up Evaluation
If the branch campus is approved, a campus evaluation visit will be conducted within six months of matriculation of students and initiation of instruction at the campus.
Prior HLC Approval Required
How to Apply
Submit the Branch Campus and Additional Location Application . Institutions may request approval for up to three additional locations per application.
Institutions in the Notification Program for Additional Locations: Submit new location(s) for approval in Canopy. HLC will charge a single substantive change fee for every 10 locations submitted within the same calendar month. (For example, if 12 locations are submitted in the same month, HLC will charge two change fees; if 27 locations are submitted, HLC will charge three change fees. There is no limit on the number of locations that can be submitted each month.)
Note: If an institution is rapidly expanding its additional locations, HLC may request that it also submit an application for a change in its Mission or Student Body.
Possible Review Processes
Review and Decision-Making Timeline
Approximately three to five months from submission of complete application, depending on review process
Follow-up Evaluation
If the additional location is approved and it is one of the first three active locations begun by the institution, an additional location confirmation visit will be conducted within six months of matriculation of students and the initiation of instruction at the additional location.
Relocation
If an institution plans to change the geographic location of a branch campus or additional location, it must follow the steps below for prior HLC approval.
Prior HLC Approval Required
How to Apply
Submit the Branch Campus and Additional Location Application . In the application, indicate that the institution is closing the branch campus at the original address and opening it at a new address. The institution should include its plan for teaching out students at the campus's original address in the application.
Possible Review Processes
Review and Decision-Making Timeline
Approximately three to five months from submission of complete application, depending on review process
Follow-up Evaluation
If the branch campus is approved, a campus evaluation visit will be conducted within six months of matriculation of students and initiation of instruction at the campus.
Prior HLC Approval Required
How to Apply
Submit the Branch Campus and Additional Location Application . In the application, indicate that the institution is closing the additional location at the original address and opening it at a new address. If the additional location offers a full degree or certificate program, the institution should include its plan for teaching out students at the location's original address in the application.
Possible Review Processes
Review and Decision-Making Timeline
Approximately three to five months from submission of complete application, depending on review process
Follow-up Evaluation
If the additional location is approved and it is one of the first three active locations begun by the institution, an additional location confirmation visit will be conducted within six months of matriculation of students and the initiation of instruction at the additional location.
Closure
Prior HLC Approval Required
How to Apply
Submit a provisional plan for teaching out students at the branch campus. See HLC’s Teach-Out Procedure for details about this process and instructions for creating and submitting a provisional plan.
Review Process
Review and Decision-Making Timeline
Approximately three months from submission of complete application
Prior HLC Approval Required
How to Apply
Submit a provisional plan for teaching out students at the additional location. See HLC’s Teach-Out Procedure for details about this process and instructions for creating and submitting a teach-out plan.
Review Process
Review and Decision-Making Timeline
Approximately three months from submission of complete application
HLC Notification Required
How to Notify HLC
The Accreditation Liaison Officer should mark the location or campus as closed in Canopy.
HLC Notification Required
How to Notify HLC
The Accreditation Liaison Officer should mark the location or campus as closed in Canopy.
HLC Notification Required
How to Notify HLC
The Accreditation Liaison Officer should mark the location or campus as closed in Canopy.
Suspension for More Than One Semester
HLC Notification Required
How to Notify HLC
The Accreditation Liaison Officer should mark the location or campus as inactive in Canopy.
Note: An additional location may remain as inactive for a maximum of two consecutive years. After that time, HLC will require the institution to either activate the location (with students present) or close the location.
Reclassification
If an institution decreases its operation at an approved branch campus to the point where it would be considered an additional location, the institution should contact HLC to change its location classification.
HLC Notification Required
How to Notify HLC
Submit a letter explaining why the location no longer meets the branch campus definition and confirming that it has all the elements of the additional location definition. The letter should also include the exact name and street address of the branch campus in question. Submit this information as a single PDF file at hlcommission.org/upload. Select ”Change Requests“ from the list of submission options to ensure that the letter is sent to the correct HLC staff member.
Please note: Once a branch campus has been reclassified as an additional location, the action cannot be reversed. In the event that the institution wishes to reclassify that location to a branch campus, it will have to reapply for the branch campus designation and host a campus evaluation visit upon approval.
If an institution increases its operation at an approved additional location to the point where it would be considered a branch campus, the institution should apply for approval of the location as a branch campus.
Prior HLC Approval Required
How to Apply
Submit the Branch Campus and Additional Location Application
Possible Review Processes
Review and Decision-Making Timeline
Approximately three to five months from submission of complete application, depending on review process
Follow-up Evaluation
If the branch campus is approved, a campus evaluation visit will be conducted within six months of matriculation of students and initiation of instruction at the campus.
Joining the Notification Program for Additional Locations
An institution with access to the Notification Program for Additional Locations will be able to open new additional locations after notifying HLC prior to initiating any new additional locations and receiving an acknowledgement that HLC has added the new additional location to its systems. The program is appropriate for institutions that have a distributed network of additional locations and intend to open new additional locations frequently during the year.
Program Eligibility
To qualify for the program, an institution must demonstrate that it has appropriate systems to ensure quality control of locations that include clearly identified academic controls; regular evaluation by the institution of its locations; a pattern of adequate faculty, facilities, resources and academic/support systems; financial stability; and long-range planning for future expansion. Institutions are eligible to apply for admission to the Notification Program if they meet the criteria for eligibility identified in HLC policy Review of Substantive Change (INST.G.10.020).
Important: An institution may be suspended or removed from the program if it meets any of the conditions identified in HLC policy. HLC also reserves the right to reconsider this privilege at any time and for any reason it deems appropriate.
There are two levels of access to the program: (1) additional locations in the United States and (2) additional locations in the United States and internationally. An institution must have at least three active locations within the geographic scope of a program level before applying for access to that level.
Prior HLC Approval Required
How to Apply
Submit the Notification Program for Additional Locations Application
Review Processes
Review and Decision-Making Timeline
Approximately five months from submission of complete application
There are two levels of access to the program: (1) additional locations in the United States and (2) additional locations in the United States and internationally. An institution must have at least three active international locations before applying for access to level 2.
Contact the institution’s HLC staff liaison
Contact the institution’s HLC staff liaison to discuss changing the institution’s stipulation to a broader level of access to the Notification Program. A change of stipulation typically occurs as part of a comprehensive evaluation. An institution’s staff liaison is identified in its Institutional Status and Requirements Report.
Questions?
Contact HLC at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Review HLC's Glossary for definitions of terms related to substantive change.
