Coronavirus Updates
HLC’s first priority is the safety of its institutional representatives, peer reviewers, program attendees and staff. It has been closely monitoring information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the State Department about the coronavirus outbreak, also referred to as COVID-19. To support the efforts of institutions as they respond to this challenging situation and to ensure the safety of HLC’s stakeholders, HLC has adjusted its accreditation work and canceled or postponed upcoming events.
Details about these changes are provided below. HLC also is communicating directly with institutions, peer reviewers and program attendees as needed. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact HLC.
HLC is aware of the challenges brought on by the coronavirus outbreak and offers the following guidance for members, addressing a few common questions, particularly following the U.S. Department of Education's issuance of its March 5, 2020 memorandum Guidance for Interruptions of Study related to Coronavirus (COVID-19), and its March 17, 2020 memorandum Information for Accrediting Agencies Regarding Temporary Flexibilities Provided to Coronavirus Impacted Institutions or Accrediting Agencies.
The most common questions at this time are in regard to reducing the length of the academic year, assignment of incomplete or pass/fail grades, waiving graduation requirements, offering distance education and accelerated classes. HLC recognizes all these considerations as potential solutions an institution might contemplate as it navigates the unique circumstances of maintaining academic integrity during a public health emergency. Temporary alterations to policies and procedures permits institutions to document decisions that allows them to retrace their steps when the crisis has passed, while allowing their students to move forward.
Length of Academic Year
The March 5 memorandum indicates that the U.S. Department of Education is authorized under 34 CFR § 668.3 to approve a reduced academic year. If at any point an institution determines it will close as the result of a campus health emergency, it should contact its assigned School Participation team at the U.S. Department of Education to request a temporary reduction in the length of its academic year. This is because of the Title IV implications associated with such decisions, including possible return of Title IV considerations and calculating satisfactory academic progress.
Institutions should provide advance notice to HLC if they intend to seek such approval from the Department and upon receiving any approval from the Department for a reduced academic year.
Assignment of Grades
HLC does not opine on institutional decisions related to the assignment of grades beyond its more general requirements related to academic integrity and academic rigor.
The assignment of grades is within the discretion of an institution's faculty. Institutions wishing to make decisions that would contravene their own policies should be prepared to document their decision-making process and articulate that rationale in a manner that demonstrates a commitment to academic integrity and student achievement. Within its Criteria for Accreditation, HLC has articulated requirements related to integrity in academic functions (Core Component 2.A) and academic rigor (Core Component 3.A) as well as in Assumed Practice C.1, all of which presume an institution's commitment to the achievement of carefully designed student learning outcomes for its programs at every level.
Waiving Graduation Requirements
In some instances, institutions may be considering whether to waive graduation requirements for certain students. The elimination of a graduation requirement for students currently enrolled constitutes a waiver and an institution considering issuing waivers should be prepared to document its decision-making process as well as their issuance. Institutions offering academic programs that prepare students for a licensure, certification or other qualifying examination are responsible for exploring other relevant authorities' requirements prior to making any decision to waive graduation requirements. This is because waivers may compromise a student’s ability to achieve licensure or certification.
Distance Education and Accelerated Formats
Likewise, if considering offering courses via distance education or accelerated formats, institutions preparing students for a licensure, certification or other qualifying examination must take into account other relevant authorities' requirements or accommodations for similar reasons.
Reminder: Institutions that need to adjust normal operations to protect the health and safety of their campus communities, while providing alternative methods of instructional activity should notify HLC of the adjustment, including the steps it takes to ensure quality and continuity in its instructional activity.
The U.S. Department of Education has released two significant documents containing guidance to accreditors in response to the public health emergency. Guidance for Interruptions of Study Related to Coronavirus (COVID-19) permits accreditors to waive certain requirements for institutions to accommodate students whose enrollment was interrupted as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Information for Accrediting Agencies Regarding Temporary Flexibilities Provided to Coronavirus Impacted Institutions or Accrediting Agencies provides flexibility, within set requirements, for accreditors to conduct virtual visits or extend an institution’s reaffirmation or sanction/show-cause order beyond the maximum timeframe provided for in the accreditor’s policies. At a teleconference meeting on March 20, HLC’s Board of Trustees adopted a temporary emergency policy to exercise the flexibilities afforded by these documents. All other HLC policies will apply. However, to the extent the temporary policy conflicts with pre-existing policy, it will supersede requirements in pre-existing policies until it is repealed.
Institutions may find that they need to adjust normal operations to protect the health and safety of their campus communities, while providing alternative methods of instructional activity. HLC will be as flexible as possible within the U.S. Department of Education’s expectations. If an institution needs to adjust its business operations in substantial ways (for example, reducing or suspending face-to-face class sessions), an institution should notify HLC of the adjustment, including the steps it takes to ensure quality and continuity in its instructional activity. Please contact the institution's HLC staff liaison with any questions.
All institutions with visits in spring 2020 have received communications from HLC regarding the status of their visit. HLC conducted an internal analysis to determine which accommodation was most appropriate for each institution.
HLC has conducted webinar training for peer reviewers about conducting comprehensive evaluations during the Spring 2020 review cycle at HLC. A recording of this training is available.
Regardless of the accommodation provided, HLC continues to ensure consistency and integrity in reviews.
Please contact the institution’s HLC staff liaison or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions.
HLC is mindful of the exceedingly difficult times institutions are experiencing due to COVID-19. Institutions that experience a disruption to operations are asked to submit whatever information is currently available for the Institutional Update by April 3 and modify any incomplete numbers when they have them. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to submit updated numbers.
The 2020 HLC Annual Conference has been canceled. HLC will be refunding all registration fees. See HLC's Annual Conference Notice for full details.
Important: Please note that individual reservations must be canceled directly with the hotel. If you had a reservation at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, HLC will cancel all reservations in the HLC Room Block and the one night deposit will be refunded.
HLC staff had planned several important conference sessions to keep institutions and peer reviewers posted about accreditation issues. To ensure stakeholders have that information, HLC will develop additional webinars to offer this summer on the new Criteria for Accreditation and other pertinent information. Please contact HLC at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions or concerns.
Other HLC elective programs and events scheduled in March and April have been canceled, postponed or moved online, including the following:
- Assessment Academy Orientation (Spring 2020 cohort): Canceled
- Persistence and Completion Academy Results Forum (Fall 2015 and Spring 2016 cohorts): Redesigned as a virtual event to be held March 19, 2020.
- Student Success Academy Initiatives and Infrastructure Roundtable (Fall 2019 cohort): Postponed until June 2020.
- Events related to HLC’s Quality Awareness Initiative: Postponed until later this year.
Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with questions related to Academy events. Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with questions related to Quality Awareness Initiative events.