Providing you tools to excel.

Training Resources

Whether you’re a representative of a member institution or an HLC peer reviewer, you need tools to engage with HLC accreditation processes and procedures. Browse upcoming programs and events as well as a library of training resources that will help you be successful in your role.

Upcoming Training Opportunities

Writing About Quality: Crafting a Persuasive Assurance Argument

Institutions Training Workshop

November 12 & 14

Institutions with an Assurance Review scheduled from September 2026 – May 2027 as part of a Year 4 or Year 10 evaluation are invited to this workshop that provides practical strategies for developing a compelling Assurance Argument.

Accreditation Cycles and Processes

Criteria for Accreditation

The videos below walk through the revised Criteria that went into effect on September 1, 2025. They address each Criterion in detail, discussing their content, context and intent. Recorded February 2025.

Additional resources on the revised Criteria for Accreditation

Criterion 1

Criterion 2

Criterion 3

Criterion 4

Substantive Change for Institutions

Initiating Substantive Change: Screening Forms and Applications

Take a deeper look at HLC’s substantive change screening forms, including those for changes to existing programs, new degree programs and contractual arrangements. Recorded January 2025.

Overview of Substantive Change

Understand the process of substantive change with HLC staff members. This webinar will cover various aspects of substantive change, including review processes, screening forms, applications, official letter requests and more. Recorded November 2023.

Managing Your Institution’s Substantive Change Activity

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. Recorded December 2023.

Managing Your Institution’s Off Campus Activities

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. Recorded March 2024.

More Resources for Institutions and Peer Reviewers

Introduction to the Standard and Open Pathways
Get an overview of activities involved in the Standard and Open Pathways throughout the 10-year accreditation cycle. Explore similarities and differences between the pathways, and how quality improvement is conducted and demonstrated in each.
Benchmarking and Review of Student Success Outcome Measures
Get an update on our Evaluating Student Success Outcomes initiative with a focus on HLC’s student success indicators. Hear about how HLC will evaluate three institutional measures of student success, including assigning institutions to peer groups and setting benchmarks for each measure. Recorded September 2025.
Beyond the Criteria for Accreditation: Understanding HLC Requirements
In this webinar, get an overview of HLC requirements beyond the Criteria including the Assumed Practices, Federal Compliance Requirements, Eligibility Requirements, and the Obligations of Membership. Recorded June 2025.
Federal Compliance Overview
This webinar introduces HLC institutional representatives to recent changes to HLC’s Federal Compliance process, forms and technology. Recorded September 2024.
Pell Eligible Prison Education Programs: An Overview
This webinar covers HLC’s Pell-eligible Prison Education Program (PEP) process including policy, substantive change application, additional location confirmation visit for PEP, screening form and PEP stipulation. Recorded November 2023.
Coming in 2026: Sample Assurance Arguments
HLC will publish new sample Assurance Arguments written to the Criteria that went into effect September 1, 2025, after the first evaluations conducted under the revised Criteria are complete.