HLC provides Accreditation Liaison Officers (ALOs) a number of opportunities to participate in professional development and training. In addition to the training resources below, ALOs are invited to explore HLC's Program and Events.

Upcoming Events

ALO Orientation: An Introduction to the Role

October 16 - November 19, 2023 | Register Now

This six-week, self-paced orientation to the role is for new Accreditation Liaison Officers (ALOs) responsible for managing their institution's accreditation process. The training covers institutional accreditation and peer review, including managing substantive change activities on your campus, communicating effectively with HLC, and data reporting to HLC. This orientation will be hosted through SparQ, HLC's online platform for collaborative learning. A $150 registration fee applies.

For those who attended the ALO sessions during the 2023 Annual Conference, this training will dive deeper into topics covered during Accreditation Liaison Officers: An Overview of the Role.

Writing a Monitoring Report Webinar

October 19, 2023 | Register Now

During this moderated panel session, presenters will discuss the interim report submission process and how it is analyzed. Explore frequently assigned topics and the most helpful types of evidence. Hear suggested ways you can ensure your reports meet HLC’s expectations.

Overview of Substantive Change Webinar

November 16, 2023 | Register Now

Is your institution planning on expanding its academic offerings or opening a new location? Dive into the process of substantive change with HLC staff members. This webinar, the first of a series of three, will cover various aspects of substantive change including review processes, screening forms, application overview, official letter process and more.

Managing Your Institution’s Substantive Change Activity Webinar

December 11, 2023 | Register Now

Learn about HLC’s different substantive change applications, documents required to submit a complete application, how to navigate the decision process and tracking your substantive change information through Canopy.

Managing Your Institution’s Off-Campus Activities Webinar

January 24, 2024 | Register Now

Learn about expectations regarding additional locations and branch campuses and how to use HLC’s many resources to declare and monitor your off-campus activities.

2024 HLC Annual Conference: Higher Ground

April 13-16, 2024 | Chicago, IL

The 2024 conference will explore the ways colleges and universities rise up to meet the needs of their students and society. Whether through imparting the skills and knowledge needed for today’s workforce, fueling innovation, or exploring solutions to our most pressing problems, higher education is the force that propels us all to Higher Ground.

Learn More

Webinar Recordings

Criteria for Accreditation

These sessions walk participants through each Criteria in detail, discussing their content, context and intent. Recorded January 2023.

• Criteria 1 & 2 (Recorded October 2022)
• Criterion 3
• Criterion 4
• Criterion 5

Open Pathway Year 4 Assurance Argument: Process, Evidence, Review

Designed for institutions preparing for their Year 4 Assurance Review, this session focuses on how best to position an institution to update HLC about its activities. Recorded April 2023

Federal Compliance Overview for Institutions

This webinar introduces HLC institutional representatives to recent changes to HLC’s Federal Compliance process, forms and technology. Recorded September 2020.

Preparing for a Comprehensive Evaluation

Institutional representatives and a team chair share lessons learned during a virtual comprehensive evaluation held in fall 2020. Recorded at the HLC Annual Conference April 2021.

Preparing for a Focused Visit

Learn from experienced team chairs about expectations and how to plan for a successful focused visit. Recorded at the HLC Annual Conference April 2021.

Teach-Out Process, Policies and Updates

This session walks attendees through updates to and details of HLC's policy and processes on teach outs. Recorded September 2020.

Online Learning Consortium Webinar Series

Accessible Learning Environments

Most accessibility components are simple to understand and implement once designers are aware of the tools and techniques available to them. Recorded February 2021.

Assessment Strategies

Develop an understanding of how to provide oversight for assessment strategies used in online education. Recorded February 2021.

Creating Effective Assessments

Participants will explore the differences between summative and formative assessments, and discuss strategies for implementing them. Integrating multiple forms of assessment allows students more opportunities to evaluate their performance. Recorded January 2021.

Ensuring Quality and Success in Digital, Blended and Online Learning

Moving forward, ensuring quality will remain an essential part of every institution’s plan related to digital, blended and online learning that supports student success. The question is: What does engaging, effective and high-quality digital, blended and online learning look like? Recorded April 2022.

Evaluating Online Faculty

Share methodologies for evaluating online faculty and learn how to develop an evaluation form aligned with institutional goals. Recorded February 2021.

Facilitating Synchronous Sessions

More of us are meeting, teaching and presenting in face-to-face, synchronous online sessions where we can feel closer than ever to students and colleagues in online learning environments. This Online Learning Consortium Workshop provides an overview of strategies for conducting these types of sessions. Recorded February 2021.

Flipped Classroom

Participants will explore different flipped classroom design models and the educational benefits of the flipped design. Recorded January 2021.

Focusing On Equitable Treatment of Students

Build awareness of how to encourage the development courses that are accessible and inclusive for disabled and diverse students and institutional personnel. Recorded January 2021.

From Reactive to Strategic: Planning for a Blended Future

To go from reactive to strategic, institutions must build upon what has been learned during the pandemic about remote work and learning; foster their capacity for big picture thinking; and take advantage of the affordances offered by digital, blended and online learning. Recorded April 2022.

Increasing Interaction and Engagement

Attendees will explore theories and practices that foster student engagement, including the use of multimedia feedback, discussion techniques and group involvement. They will also learn how to best address barriers to engagement and develop a plan for courses which will lead to greater student involvement and engagement. Recorded January 2021.

Managing Faculty Workload and Supporting Faculty

Identify strategies for managing administrative and teaching workloads and consider developing a support plan for online adjunct, part-time or non-tenured faculty. Recorded January 2021.

Strategies to Improve Retention

Participants explore the most significant challenges to the retention of online student and potential solutions for retaining online students. Recorded January 2021.