ALO Orientation: An Introduction to the Role at HLC
September 29 – November 14
Start: September 29, 2025
End: November 14, 2025
Location: Virtual
Registration Fee: $200 per person
Register by: September 22, 2025 | 11:59 p.m.
This orientation will equip you with the information, resources and tools you need as a new Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO). Lead by an experienced ALO, this virtual course will guide you through content and activities to help you get familiar with your role. The course will cover communication and reporting requirements, resources available to you, HLC policy highlights and more.
You’ll create an action plan for carrying out your responsibilities in the first year of the role, as well as a plan for getting familiar with substantive change activities on your campus. You’ll also be able to connect with other new ALOs the course during live Zoom sessions:
- Welcome/Meet Your Cohort: Thursday, October 2 at 1:00 p.m. CT
- Midpoint Check-in: Thursday, October 23 at 1:00 p.m. CT
- First Year Action Plans: Thursday, November 6 at 1:00 p.m. CT
Course Modules
- The Role of the ALO
- Understanding Your Most Recent HLC Evaluation
- Introduction to Substantive Change
- The ALO’s Work on Campus
- A Personalized Action Plan for Your First Year as an ALO
Who Should Attend?
New ALOs responsible for coordinating and managing their institution’s accreditation relationship with HLC are invited to attend.
If you have attended HLC’s Annual Conference, this training will dive deeper into topics covered during ALO-related sessions.
Program Fees
$200.00 per person
Payment Options
Credit Card
Payment via credit card is preferred. HLC accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.
Checks/ACH
Please email [email protected] with your check’s tracking information if you select this method.
Additions & Replacements
Modifications
After registering, you can modify your information using the confirmation code received in the confirmation email after registration. For assistance, email [email protected].
Cancellations & Refunds
You can cancel your registration online using the confirmation number you received in your registration confirmation email. If you’re unable to cancel your registration online, please email [email protected].
Refunds resulting from cancellations will be based on the following dates:
- Cancellations requested on or before September 13, 2025 will be eligible for a full refund, less a $25 processing fee per person.
- Cancellations requested between September 14 and September 28, 2025, will be eligible for a 50% refund, less a $25 processing fee per person.
- No-shows or cancellations requested on or after September 29, 2025 are not eligible for a refund.
Meet the Facilitator
Lexi Kvasnicka-Gates
Professor of Psychology, Dakota College at Bottineau
Lexi Kvasnicka-Gates is a professor of psychology at Dakota College at Bottineau (DCB), a small community college located just south of the Canadian border in rural North Dakota. She began leading the college’s accreditation efforts in 2017 and now serves as Director of Accreditation and ALO. Dr. Kvasnicka-Gates helped change the accreditation-culture at DCB from one of compliance to one of continuous quality improvement.
Technology and Materials
SparQ
Participants will access this orientation through SparQ, HLC’s collaborative learning hub. Prior to the start of the course, you’ll receive an email from [email protected] with your login and more information about navigating the course.
If you do not receive the email invitation to SparQ prior to the start date, check your spam/promotions folders first, then contact [email protected].
Zoom
Three live sessions will be held via Zoom. Attendees, or their institutions, are responsible for installing and configuring any software or hardware necessary to participate. Follow these steps while checking device compatibility:
Additional Zoom guidelines and event-specific instructions will be sent out to registered attendees closer to the event date.
