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.
Bylaws of the Higher Learning Commission (June 2010)
Institutional Appeals (September 2020)
Recently Adopted Policy Changes
Recently Proposed Policy Changes
Policy Book
- Section 1: Criteria and Requirements
- Section 2: Required by Federal Regulation
- Section 3: Institutional Processes
- Section 4: Commission Obligations
- Section 5: Commitment to Peer Review
- Section 6: Policy Adoption and Review
- Appendix A: Assumed Practices in Effect Prior to November 5, 2020
- Appendix B: Policies Related to the AQIP Pathway
- Appendix C: Criteria for Accreditation in Effect Prior to September 1, 2020
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.
Decision Making
Peer Corps
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
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 (June 2019)
AQIP Pathway Systems Portfolio and Appraisal Overview (October 2017)
Open Pathway Year 4 Assurance Review (March 2019)
Providing Evidence for the Criteria for Accreditation (September 2019)
Improvement
Improvement is a main component in all three Pathways. Institutions address improvement depending upon their current Pathway.
Quality Initiative Process (June 2019)
- 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)
Change of Length of Term Affecting Allocation of Credit Hours (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 (July 2019)
Exit Session Protocol for Commission Visits: Commission Procedure (March 2015)
Student Opinion Survey Overview (March 2019)
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 (January 2019)
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 2019)
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 (July 2009)
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) (2009)
Reports
HLC-sponsored reports focus on higher learning topics that may lead to future resources.
2020 Trends in Higher Education (January 2020)
A State Perspective on Consumer Protection in the Changing Higher Education Landscape: Practical Steps and Recommendations in Cases of Institutional Closure —Illinois Board of Higher Education (September 2019)
Professional Doctorate: Report to the Board of Trustees from the Task Force (June 2006)
Innovation Zone Recommendations
A Space to Innovate (November 2018)
Continuous Improvement of the Substantive Change Process (November 2018)
Partners for Transformation
Innovation: Beyond the Horizon and the Future of Higher Education (April 2019)
Student Success Initiatives
Defining Student Success Data: Recommendations for Changing the Conversation (December 2018)
Defining Student Success Data: Recommendations for Differentiation for Disaggregation (January 2019)
Defining Student Success Data: Recommendations for a Glossary of Terms (February 2019)
Testing Student Success Data: Findings and Recommendations (March 2019)