Policy Index | Policies

Higher Learning Commission

About HLC
- - About Us
    
    HLC accredits colleges and universities in the United States.
    
    Background
    
    HLC Community
    
    Career and Service Opportunities
  - Who We Are
    
    President and Executive Leadership Team
    
    Board of Trustees
    
    Institutional Actions Council
    
    Staff Directory
    
    Staff Liaisons
    
    Peer Corps
Accreditation
- - Seeking Accreditation
    
    Processes and requirements for applying for and achieving HLC membership
    
    Standard and Open Pathways
    
    Evaluation cycles for accredited institutions to reaffirm compliance with HLC requirements
    
    Institutional Update
    
    Annual survey on institutional enrollment, academic offerings, operations and finances
    
    Substantive Change
    
    Requirements regarding changes to operations or academic offerings
    
    Off-Campus Activities
    
    Evaluations of branch campuses and additional locations
    
    Financial and Non-financial Indicators
    
    Annual analysis of institutional health
    
    Decision Making
    
    Processes for taking action on institutional evaluations
    
    Monitoring
    
    Processes for following up on issues of concern at accredited institutions
    
    Sanctions, Show-Cause Orders and Adverse Actions
    
    Actions and processes related to non-compliance with HLC requirements
Peer Review
- - Resources
    
    Peer Reviewer Responsibilities
    
    Expectations and requirements for HLC peer reviewers
    
    Materials for Teams and Panels
    
    Documents and forms for conducting accreditation reviews
    
    Peer Reviewer Training Resources
    
    Upcoming events and recordings of past webinars
  - HLC Online Systems
    
    Canopy
    
    Assurance System
    
    SAP Concur
Policies
- - February 2023 Updates
  - Browse Policies
    
    Criteria and Requirements
    
    Criteria for Accreditation, Assumed Practices, Eligibility Requirements
    
    Compliance With Federal Regulation
    
    Federal Compliance, fraud and abuse, teach-out arrangements
    
    Institutional Processes
    
    COVID-19 response, membership, reaffirmation, decision making, sanctions, monitoring
    
    HLC Obligations
    
    Public notices, complaints, relationships with external agencies
    
    Commitment to Peer Review
    
    Peer reviewer eligibility, terms of service, standards of conduct
    
    Policy Adoption and Review
    
    Policy review and revision process requirements
News and Reports
- - Publications
    
    White Papers
    
    Position Statements
    
    Resource Guide
    
    Guidelines on Accreditation Requirements
  - Higher Education Initiatives
    
    Student Success and Outcomes
    
    Leadership and Advocacy
    
    Equity
    
    Innovation
Programs and Events
- - Process Events
  - Elective Programs
    
    Standard Pathway Resources
    
    Seminars and webinars
    
    Academies
    
    Long-term programs on improvement
    
    Workshops
    
    Intensive topic-based programs
  - Annual Conference
    
    Call for Proposals
    
    Conference Resources
    
    Community
    
    Sponsors and Exhibitors
For Students and Communities
- - Outreach to HLC
    
    Submit Comments
    
    Provide feedback about a college or university
    
    File a Complaint
    
    Report accreditation-related issues at a college or university
  - Accreditation Reviews
    
    Upcoming Campus Visits
    
    Calendar of peer review visits to colleges and universities
    
    Outcomes of Reviews
    
    Actions taken on recent accreditation reviews

HLC Policies

February 2023 Updates

Adopted Policy Changes

Proposed Policy Changes

Browse Policies

Section 1: Criteria and Requirements

Section 2: Compliance With Federal Regulation

Section 3: Institutional Processes

Section 4: HLC Obligations

Section 5: Commitment to Peer Review

Section 6: Policy Adoption and Review

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