Accreditation Status and Records
HLC provides tools and guidance for institutions to communicate their accreditation status and manage their accreditation relationship.
Status and Stipulations
An institution’s status and stipulations describe its relationship to HLC.
Accreditation Status
An institution’s HLC status indicates whether the institution is accredited or a candidate for accreditation. If an accredited institution is on sanction, Administrative Probation or Show-Cause, or is undergoing certain Change of Control transactions, this information will also be included in its status.
Stipulations
Stipulations describe certain approvals or limitations placed by HLC on an institution’s development of new programs or other activities. An institution’s stipulations are available in its Institutional Status and Requirements Report. Some information from the stipulations, such as an institution’s degree program levels, is also published in HLC’s Directory of Institutions.
How to Communicate Your Institution’s Status With HLC
Mark of Accreditation Status
Each member institution displays HLC’s Mark of Accreditation Status on its website using code supplied by HLC. The Mark is an easy way for institutions to ensure that they always communicate their current HLC status. The Mark displays the institution’s status and links visitors to the institution’s Statement of Accreditation Status in our Directory of Institutions.
Important: HLC logos are reserved for HLC-produced materials. Except for the Mark of Accreditation Status code provided by HLC, institutions should not use HLC logos in their online or print communications.
Instructions for Displaying the Mark
Accreditation Liaison Officers, CEOs and Data Update Coordinators can access instructions for displaying the Mark, including the necessary HTML code, on the institutional dashboard in Canopy.
An institution’s domain name must be registered with HLC to display the Mark of Accreditation Status. Contact [email protected] with any questions or to change the domain where the Mark is displayed.
Describing Your Institution’s Status
For accredited institutions:
Option 1:
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.Option 2:
[Institution Name] is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
For candidate institutions:
Option 1:
Candidate for accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission.Option 2:
[Institution Name] is a candidate for accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Describing Reaffirmation of HLC Accreditation
When an institution’s accreditation is reaffirmed by an HLC decision-making body, the institution may report that its accredited status has been continued. Be sure not to suggest that accreditation is granted for a certain period of time. Accreditation is a continuing relationship between the institution and HLC, without a set time period or expiration date.
Institutions Seeking HLC Membership
An institution is not an HLC member and does not have status with HLC until it is granted candidacy or initial accreditation. Institutions seeking HLC membership, either through the Eligibility Process or Accelerated Process for Initial Accreditation, may publicly disclose that they have submitted an application for HLC membership and provide a timeline for the process.
Accreditation Records
Institutional Status and Requirements Report
The Institutional Status and Requirements (ISR) Report is a document available in Canopy that allows chief executive officers (CEOs) or Accreditation Liaison Officers (ALOs) to review and manage information regarding the institution’s accreditation relationship. This report is intended to inform the institution only and is not available to the public. It includes:
- The institution’s complete history with HLC.
- Information on the status of current or upcoming accreditation events.
- Information on the institution’s designated pathway, stipulations and related events.
How to Download Your Institution’s ISR Report
Canopy Resources
HLC’s Canopy system allows institutional representatives to view many details about an institution’s status and relationship with HLC. These records include:
- Institution Profile: provides basic information about the institution’s accreditation relationship (for all institutional users)
- In-Process and Upcoming Reviews: lists submitted substantive change applications and other in-process and upcoming reviews (for CEOs and ALOs only)
- Accreditation History: lists completed accreditation activities (for CEOs and ALOs only)
Request an Official HLC Letter
Request an official letter from HLC to verify your institution’s accredited status, the inclusion of a particular program or location within the institution’s accreditation, or other aspects of the institution’s accreditation.
Request Institutional Records
An institution’s ALO or CEO may request copies of certain documents related to their institution’s accreditation from HLC. The records include materials from evaluation processes, action letters and other documents from the past 10 years.
