Differential Accreditation

2021–Present

In 2021, HLC launched a project to pilot differential accreditation by institutional sector. In developing this project, HLC recognizes the growing interest among some colleges and universities for quality indicators such as accreditation standards to be attentive to the interests, needs, aspirations and constraints of the sector in which an institution operates. An advisory group of institutional presidents who represent a diverse range of settings and institution types is working with HLC to develop the pilot project.

Stakeholders' Roundtable

2020–22

To gain insight into employer interest and attitudes related to higher education credentials, HLC convened a roundtable of corporate leaders. These leaders wrote thought papers to offer recommendations on the changing landscape of accreditation and quality assurance as well as expectations of institutional transparency related to credentials and learner competencies.

Evolving: Accreditation and the Credential Landscape (April 2022)

Innovation Zone

2018–2019

HLC’s Innovation Zone, comprised of 10 representatives from institutions in HLC’s region, identified opportunities for HLC and its members to be more supportive of innovation. The group developed proposals related to improving HLC’s substantive change process and creating a new process for HLC to work with institutions to test innovation in higher education.

A Space to Innovate (November 2018)

Continuous Improvement of the Substantive Change Process (November 2018)

Partners for Transformation

2017–2019

HLC’s Partners for Transformation was a blue-ribbon panel tasked with offering innovative ideas on accreditation of colleges and universities. This group of higher education thought leaders conceptualized 21st-century accrediting practices that assure quality in higher education and ultimately better benefit students in today’s world.

The group’s work culminated in a series of thought papers on student-focused accrediting agencies, an accreditation infrastructure focused on shared services, and the roles of the Triad of federal and state bodies and accrediting agencies.

Innovation: Beyond the Horizon and the Future of Higher Education (April 2019)