Higher Learning Commission

HLC’s Board of Trustees took the following actions at its meeting on June 23, 2022.

Proposed Policies

The Board approved the following proposed policy changes on first reading. HLC invites comments on these proposals before the Board takes final action on second reading in November 2022. Comments should be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by September 19, 2022.

• Clarification Regarding “Days”
  The proposed policy changes would implement consistent use of the term “days” in HLC policies to signify calendar days. In instances where a different use is required, these instances will be stated in the applicable policy as “business days.”
• Rules Regarding Prior Peer Reviewer Evaluation and Decision-Making Activity
  HLC’s policies include requirements indicating when peer reviewers may be assigned to an evaluation of an institution after having previously participated in an evaluation or HLC Academy activity involving the same institution. The proposed policy changes would set similar requirements for members of the Institutional Actions Council (IAC). The changes would also indicate when peer reviewers and IAC members may be assigned to an evaluation or decision-making activity regarding an institution after having previously participated in an IAC decision-making activity involving the same institution.
• Special Monitoring
  The proposed changes would provide HLC’s President more flexibility in designing protocols that capitalize on a variety of existing mechanisms to gather information, evaluate evidence and make appropriate decisions that serve the interest of students and the public. Additional changes would clarify triggering circumstances, explain Advisory Visits and detail the impact of designations on certain types of substantive change activity.

Adopted Policies

The Board adopted the following policy and bylaw changes on second reading. The policies and bylaws are effective immediately.

• Board of Trustees Nominations Process
  The bylaw changes modify the process for nominating trustees to serve on HLC’s Board of Trustees. Under the previous process, a Nominating Committee comprised of individuals from member institutions provided a pool of nominees to a committee of Board members, who developed a slate of nominees to stand for election. The adopted changes simplify the process such that the Board committee serves as the nominating committee.  
• Corporate Formalities
  The bylaw changes formalize the role of Treasurer as a corporate officer, provide that HLC’s President may appoint other employees to serve as a corporate officer, and clarify language related to election, resignation and removal of officers. 
• Grounds for Certain Adverse Actions
  The policy changes standardize the grounds for denial or withdrawal of candidacy and withdrawal of accreditation. The changes also establish that certain additional Board procedures are not applicable in situations where the Board withdraws candidacy or withdraws accreditation because an institution has ceased to operate as an institution of higher education or has lost its legal authorization to operate as an institution of higher education and grant degrees in HLC’s jurisdiction. 
• Institutional Practices for Verification of Student Identity and Protection of Student Privacy
  The policy change clarifies that institutions’ obligations to use processes that protect student privacy go beyond student identity verification in distance and correspondence education offerings. The change aligns HLC policy more closely with federal regulations. 
• Public Member Representation on the Institutional Actions Council
  The policy changes clarify that, per federal regulations, every HLC decision-making body, including individual committees of the Institutional Actions Council (IAC), must have one public member for every seven committee members. 
• Publication of Policies on Transfer of Credit
  Federal regulations provide that an institution’s policies related to transfer of credit must disclose certain information. Further, an institution is required to make these policies publicly available. The adopted policy change ensures that HLC explicitly articulates the minimum requirements imposed by federal regulation are required to be included in an institution’s policies related to transfer of credit. 
• Student Achievement and Other Data Reporting
  The policy changes identify what data must be disclosed by all institutions; take into account the relevance of mission-specific data in the context of student achievement; conform language in policy with instructions appearing in HLC’s Federal Compliance and Institutional Update materials; and reinforce HLC’s expectations that underperforming institutions will develop effective strategies to continuously improve. 
• Substantive Change Policy and Review Processes
  The policy changes articulate the purpose of HLC’s substantive change review and approval process and clarify procedures related to desk reviews and approval of substantive change requests by HLC staff.  The changes also specify substantive change requirements for institutions under a provisional certification with the U.S. Department of Education, and add a requirement in the Obligations of Membership regarding institutions notifying HLC when they are placed under or removed from a provisional certification status.

Deadline for Dual Credit Faculty Qualifications Requirements Extended to 2025

During 2016 and 2017, approximately 150 HLC member institutions applied for and received extensions related to their compliance with HLC’s Assumed Practice B.2.a as that requirement applies to dual credit faculty.

HLC will communicate directly with these institutions by the end of this month to share the news that the Board has agreed to extend the deadline for enforcement of faculty qualifications requirements in the context of dual credit education from September 1, 2023, to September 1, 2025. All institutions with dual credit enrollment programs that have previously applied for and received an extension are automatically granted this extension. There is no need to re-apply.

Based on feedback HLC has received from its stakeholders, the Board and staff at HLC remain committed to examining current HLC policy and related guidelines for ways to support student access to high quality dual credit programs.

To provide actionable input that directly supports this goal, write to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the subject line “Dual Credit” no later than September 30, 2022.

Dues and Fees Schedule

The Board adopted the 2022–23 Dues and Fees Schedule. Dues invoices were sent to institutions during the last week of June.

EVOLVE 2025 Strategic Plan Update

HLC staff presented a progress report on the organization’s work related to the EVOLVE 2025 Strategic Plan.

Institutional Actions

The Board took action on a number of institutions. These actions are available on the June 2022 Recent Actions page.

Next Meeting

The Board’s next meeting will be held on November 3–4, 2022.