Publications

Policies
Guiding Values
Decision Making
Peer Corps
Federal Compliance
Guidelines on HLC Requirements
Pathways Cycle Master Charts
Quality Assurance
Improvement
Substantive Change Information
Substantive Change Applications
Comprehensive Evaluations
Monitoring and Reporting
Off-Campus Activities
Eligibility and Candidacy
Statements
C-RAC Documents
Reports

Policies

HLC Policies include the Criteria for Accreditation and Assumed Practices that all member institutions must adhere to in order to maintain accreditation.

Assumed Practices

Bylaws of the Higher Learning Commission (June 2010)

Criteria for Accreditation

Institutional Appeals (September 2020)

Recently Adopted Policy Changes

Recently Proposed Policy Changes

Policy Book

Guiding Values

HLC’s Criteria for Accreditation reflect a set of guiding values. HLC articulates these guiding values so as to offer a better understanding of the Criteria and the intentions that underlie them.

Guiding Values

Decision Making

Decision Making Information

Peer Corps

Peer Review Team Resources

Peer Corps Member Position Description

Peer Reviewer Responsibilities and Expectations of Service

Federal Compliance

HLC’s Federal Compliance Program assures that member institutions are meeting their Title IV program responsibilities and complying with the expectations of specific federal regulations accreditors must enforce as part of their recognition by the U.S. Department of Education.

Federal Compliance Filing by Institutions (December 2020)

Federal Compliance Overview (December 2020)

Federal Compliance Program

Guidelines on HLC Requirements

The following guidelines have been developed to assist institutions and peer reviewers in determining whether an institution is meeting the Criteria for Accreditation or other HLC requirements:

Dual Credit: Guidelines for Institutions and Peer Reviewers (September 2020)

Qualified Faculty: Guidelines for Institutions and Peer Reviewers (September 2020)

Personally-Identifiable Information Submitted to HLC: Guidelines for Institutions and Peer Reviewers (July 2019)

School of Record Guidelines (September 2020)

Two-Year Institutions Seeking to Offer the Baccalaureate Degree: Considerations of Readiness (September 2020)

Pathways Cycle Master Charts

The following charts illustrate institutional activities, peer review activities and HLC decision-making actions throughout each reaffirmation cycle:

Open Pathway 10-Year Cycle Chart

Standard Pathway 10-Year Cycle Chart

Quality Assurance

Institutions are expected to have the standards, processes and will for quality assurance. Institutions must produce evidence to HLC that they have the capacity to assure their own quality.

HLC provides a number Assurance System demonstration sites for institutions that are preparing for an upcoming Assurance Review or Systems Appraisal.

Assurance System Manual (March 2021)

Open Pathway Year 4 Assurance Review (March 2019)

Providing Evidence for the Criteria for Accreditation (September 2019)

Improvement

Improvement is a main component of the Pathways for Reaffirmation of Accreditation. Institutions address improvement depending upon their current Pathway.

Quality Initiative Process (September 2020)

Institutional Proposal Template (June 2019)
Proposal Panel Review Form (March 2017)
Institutional Report Template (June 2019)
Report Panel Review and Recommendation Form (March 2017)

Substantive Change Information

HLC recognizes the need for institutional change and supports change that improves educational quality. HLC has defined conditions under which an institution needs to obtain authorization before implementing changes.

Substantive Changes Requiring Prior HLC Approval or Notification

Change of Control, Structure or Organization Process (September 2020)

Institutional Circumstances Requiring HLC-Approved Teach-Out Arrangements (July 2020)

Substantive Change Applications

Apply for approval of a substantive change using the appropriate application below.

Branch Campuses and Additional Locations (November 2020)

Certificate Programs

Change of Length of Term Affecting Allocation of Credit Hours (November 2020)

Clock/Credit Hour Conversion, Substantial Increase or Decrease in Clock or Credit Hours, or Substantial Change in Content Required for One or More Programs (November 2020)

Competency-Based Education Programs (November 2020)

Distance Delivery (November 2020)

Mission and Student Body (November 2020)

New Programs (November 2020)

Notification Program for Additional Locations (November 2020)

Programs Offered Through Contractual Arrangements (November 2020)

Comprehensive Evaluations

During a comprehensive evaluation, peer reviewers determine if an institution continues to meet the Criteria for Accreditation. Comprehensive evaluations include various components.

Multi-campus Visit: Information for Institutions and Peer Reviewers (February 2021)

Exit Session Protocol for Commission Visits: Commission Procedure (March 2015)

Student Opinion Survey Overview (March 2021)

Monitoring and Reporting

HLC relies on constant contact with member institutions to ensure quality higher learning. The Institutional Update and focused visits are two ways HLC maintains contact.

Institutional Update Guide (February 2021)

Institutional Designations (December 2019)

Interim Reports Procedure (July 2018)

Off-Campus Activities

Once approved and established through HLC’s Substantive Change process, institutions’ new locations are monitored through peer review visits and are subject to a decision-making process depending on the location type.

Additional Location Confirmation Visit: Information for Institutions and Peer Reviewers (September 2019)

Campus Evaluation Visits: Information for Institutions and Peer Reviewers (September 2019)

Multi-location Visits: Information for Institutions and Peer Reviewers (June 2015)

Multi-Location Visit Institutional Report Template (August 2019)

Eligibility and Candidacy

Institutions may be affiliated with HLC by gaining accredited status or candidate status. HLC determines whether an educational institution is to be considered for accreditation through its Eligibility Process.

Seeking Accreditation (March 2021)

Institutional Forms

Certification Form (March 2019)

Data Form for Candidacy Visit (November 2020)

Student-Faculty Ratio Worksheet (March 2019)
Composite Financial Index Worksheet (November 2020)

Substantial Presence Form (March 2019)

Statements

HLC occasionally releases statements expressing its views on issues important to higher learning.

Evaluation of Distance Education (March 2021)

Public Information Statement: Commission Requirements of Institutions for State Authorization (April 2010)

Statement on Marketing Practices at For-Profit Institutions (August 2010)

Statement on the Accreditation of High Schools (June 2012)

Student Learning, Assessment, and Accreditation (2007)

C-RAC Documents

As a member of the Council of Regional Accrediting Commmissions (C-RAC), HLC occassionally participates in the issuance of joint statements and guidelines.

Guidelines for the Evaluation of Distance Education (On-line Learning) (2021)

Regional Accreditors Announce Common Framework for Defining and Approving Competency-Based Education Programs (2015)