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Coming Soon: Assurance Filings in Canopy 

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As HLC has previously announced, we are working to expand our Canopy system to include Assurance Filings and Reviews that are currently conducted in the separate, stand-alone Assurance System. This expansion of Canopy continues our work to streamline and simplify the technology that supports our accreditation processes. 

The first Assurance Filings in Canopy will be launched in March 2025 for institutions writing to the revised Criteria for Accreditation (effective September 1, 2025), and the Assurance System will be sunset during fall 2025. Here’s what to expect in both systems over the coming months. See Assurance Filings Moving to Canopy for additional details and updates as the project moves forward. 

Canopy 

New Primary Filing Coordinator Role 

HLC has created a new institutional contact role, the Primary Filing Coordinator, for the individual who will be responsible for the development and submission of Assurance Filings in Canopy.  

Individuals in this role will be given access to Canopy by March 2025. They will be able to view general institutional information and will have full access to their institution’s Assurance Filing when it is activated in the system.  

(The role of Assurance System Coordinator will be sunset in fall 2025, with the removal of the stand-alone Assurance System.) 

Access for Institutions 

Institutions with an evaluation involving an Assurance Filing in academic years 2025–26 and 2026–27 will be given access to their filing in Canopy no later than the end of March 2025. We will notify these institutions when their filing is available and provide training and support on using the new features of the system. 

Other institutions will be given access to their Assurance Filing in Canopy when the date of their next comprehensive evaluation, Assurance Review or evaluation related to seeking accreditation is scheduled.  

For institutions on the Standard and Open Pathways, this change means that we will no longer make the institution’s next Assurance Filing available immediately after its last Assurance Review or comprehensive evaluation is complete. Instead, institutions will receive access to the Assurance Filings for their Year 4 and Year 10 evaluations in Year 2 and Year 8, respectively. 

We are making this change because most institutions do not start working on their next Assurance Filing until 1–2 years before the evaluation date. In the past, giving early access to the filing has led to complications if there is turnover at an institution or changes to HLC’s Criteria in the years between an institution’s evaluations.  

Access for Peer Reviewers 

Peer reviewer access to Assurance Reviews in Canopy will function similarly to the current Assurance System. When they are assigned to an evaluation that involves an Assurance Review, peer reviewers will be able to access the institution’s materials and the Assurance Review dashboard shortly after the institution’s lock date. We will provide training for peer reviewers later this year. 

Design and Functionality 

While HLC is planning certain enhancements to Assurance Filings and Reviews, much of the functionality will be familiar to current Assurance System and Canopy users. The basic structure of the Assurance Filing remains the same, with an introduction, narrative sections for each Criterion and Core Component, and an Evidence File of PDF documents and limited URL sources. Institutions will still be able to add a team of contributors for their Assurance Argument, with roles and access levels similar to what is available in the current system. 

Please note, we are not able to migrate existing Assurance Arguments and Evidence Files from the Assurance System to Canopy. Institutions will be responsible for building their Assurance Filing when they are given access to the new filing in Canopy. 

Assurance System 

The legacy Assurance System will be sunset after reviews conducted during the 2024–25 academic year are complete. If an institution wishes to save its Assurance Argument narrative or Evidence Files in the legacy system, we encourage institutions to export their materials by September 1, 2025. See Assurance Filings Moving to Canopy for instructions. 

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