Publications

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)

Maintaining Institutional Autonomy (November 2019)

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)

Stipulations

Stipulations describe an institution's relationship with HLC, including certain conditions placed by HLC on an institution's development of new activities or programs.

Institutional Stipulations (September 2021)

Institutional Update

The Institutional Update is an annual survey on the organizational health of HLC’s member institutions.

Institutional Update Guide (February 2021)

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 (August 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 (September 2021)

Certificate Programs

Change of Length of Term Affecting Allocation of Credit Hours (September 2021)

Clock/Credit Hour Conversion or Substantial Increase or Decrease in Clock or Credit Hours Required for a Program (September 2021)

Competency-Based Education Programs (September 2021)

Distance Delivery (September 2021)

Mission and Student Body (September 2021)

New Programs (September 2021)

Notification Program for Additional Locations (September 2021)

Program Content (September 2021)

Programs Offered Through Contractual Arrangements (September 2021)

Comprehensive Evaluations

During a comprehensive evaluation, peer reviewers determine if an institution meets the Criteria for Accreditation and other HLC requirements. 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

Routine monitoring of an accredited institution may be required if a peer review team or panel determines that an institution is in compliance with the Criteria for Accreditation, but there is a concern regarding the Criteria for Accreditation or other HLC requirements that requires additional HLC follow-up. This routine monitoring may take the form of a required interim report or focused visit. HLC may also assign special monitoring to an institution, in the form of an institutional designation or advisory visit, if concerns arise regarding the integrity of the institution and its educational programs may be jeopardy.

Focused Visit Procedure

Institutional Designations (December 2019)

Interim Reports Procedure (May 2021)

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 (May 2021)

Campus Evaluation Visits: Information for Institutions and Peer Reviewers (May 2021)

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

Multi-Location Visit Institutional Report Template (August 2019)

Seeking Accreditation

Institutions may seek accreditation with HLC through one of two routes: the Eligibility Process and Candidacy or, for institutions currently accredited by a historically regional accreditor, the Accelerated Process for Initial Accreditation. Both options require institutions to demonstrate that they meet HLC's Criteria for Accreditation and other HLC requirements in order to achieve accreditation.

Accelerated Process for Initial Accreditation: Process Overview (September 2021)

Eligibility Process and Candidacy: Process Overview (September 2021)

Institutional Forms

Application for HLC Membership

Substantial Presence Form (September 2021)

Institutional Data Form (September 2021)

Compliance With the Eligibility Requirements Form (September 2021)

Compliance With the Assumed Practices Form (September 2021)

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.

Evaluation of Distance Education (2021)

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