Publications

Resource Guide

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Download the 2024 Resource Guide

White Papers

Consumer Awareness: Curating Information About Higher Education (July 2023)

Written in collaboration with the Credential Engine and the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, this report looks at the current state of higher education information and identifies ways to help consumers navigate it.

The Role of Equity in Quality Assurance (September 2022)

The HLC Peer Corps Committee on Diversity, provides recommendations to HLC on the role of equity in quality assurance: how institutions demonstrate alignment to standards and their stated mission and goals, measure and assess the commitment, and show progress and continuous improvement.

Equity in Access and Student Success Survey (2021)

HLC reports on the findings of a survey of its member institutions on equity in access and student success. Survey participants provided important insights into the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices currently taking place at their campuses, as well as practical strategies to address inequities among the communities that they serve.

Criteria for Accreditation

Key Findings of the Application of the Criteria for Accreditation, Academic Year 2023 (January 2024)
Based on the findings from the comprehensive evaluations conducted in academic year (AY) 2023, September 2022 – August 2023, HLC examines how the Criteria for Accreditation work for member institutions over the years and explores the areas of challenge for institutions.

Key Findings of the Application of the Criteria for Accreditation, Academic Year 2022 (March 2023)
Looking at the data from comprehensive evaluations held between September 2021 and August 2022, this report examines trends in how institutions meet the Criteria for Accreditation, differences across institutional context, and challenges faced by institutions.

Key Findings of the Application of the Criteria for Accreditation, 2017–22 (January 2022)
This retrospective analysis of comprehensive evaluations conducted between 2017–22 sheds light on the evolving nature of quality assurance, areas of challenge faced by institutions, as well as HLC’s efforts to continuously improve processes and strengthen support for the membership.

Institutional Update

2024 Institutional Update Data (September 2024)
HLC’s analysis of data reported by our membership indicates potentially strengthening post-pandemic enrollment numbers.

2023 Institutional Update Data (September 2023)
This report provides a broad overview, coupled with historical context and national trends, of student enrollment, program completion, institutional workforce and financial resources of HLC’s membership.

2022 Institutional Update Data (September 2022)
This report provides an overview of student enrollment, program completion, institutional workforce and financial resources of HLC member institutions. The report also puts these measures into historical and national context, in some ways revealing how the pandemic has impacted institutions since 2020.

2021 Institutional Update Data (September 2021)
This analysis of student enrollment, program completion, workforce, and financial resources, drawn from the 2021 Institutional Update data, demonstrates the strength and resilience of HLC member institutions in times of crisis and disruptive challenges.

Member Survey

Findings of the 2021 Member Survey (May 2022)
Institutional representatives and HLC peer reviewers provide feedback on the value of HLC membership, importance of HLC’s thought leadership and advocacy work, experience with HLC processes, engagement with HLC elective programs, and HLC outreach.

Survey on Alternative Credential Offerings and Quality Assurance Needs (June 2023)

A report on the findings from a survey of HLC’s membership on institutions’ current alternative credential programs and their needs related to those offerings.

Evolving: Accreditation and the Credential Landscape (April 2022)

Corporate leaders offer recommendations on the changing landscape of accreditation and quality assurance, as well as expectations of institutional transparency related to credentials and learner competencies.

Partners for Transformation: Innovation—Beyond the Horizon and the Future of Higher Education (April 2019)

Higher education thought leaders conceptualize 21st-century accrediting practices that assure quality in higher education and ultimately better benefit students in today’s world.

A Space to Innovate (November 2018)

Institutional representatives identify ways for HLC and its members to be more supportive of innovation.

Continuous Improvement of the Substantive Change Process (November 2018)

Institutional representatives offer suggestions for streamlining HLC’s substantive change process, while assuring increased transparency and objectivity for decisions made.

Dual Credit in U.S. Higher Education: A Study of State Policy and Quality Assurance Practices (February 2013)

A descriptive analysis of current dual credit policies across the United States with implications for assuring the quality of dual credit courses that are offered by accredited postsecondary institutions.

Leadership Lessons Learned (July 2024)

HLC President Barbara Gellman-Danley shares her lessons learned as a higher education leader.

Postsecondary Education in Prison Programs and Accreditation—General Considerations for Peer Reviewers and Accreditors (October 2022)

HLC collaborated with the Vera Institute of Justice on this guidebook for accreditors and their peer reviewers, providing insight into the unique context and goals of postsecondary education in correctional facilities.

Evaluating Student Success Outcomes: Phase 1 Update (May 2024)

HLC describes our proposed benchmarks for evaluating institutional performance in three IPEDS educational outcome measures: first-year retention rate; graduation rate within 150% of normal time; and completion and transfer rate at 8 years after entry to college.

Growing With Data: A Partnership With the National Student Clearinghouse (September 2022)

HLC presents the findings from the first phase of its data partnership with the National Student Clearinghouse, in which the Clearinghouse provided HLC with student outcome metrics reported by HLC member institutions in aggregate for use as existing HLC benchmarks.

Testing Student Success Data: Findings and Recommendations (March 2019)

A group of HLC member institutions present their findings and recommendations from research to test variables that affect student success.

Defining Student Success Data Paper Series

Representatives from HLC member institutions, national higher education organizations, state agencies and national data organizations identify ways in which HLC may contribute to the student success conversation.

C-RAC Graduation Rate Survey Summary Report (February 2018)

The Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions (C-RAC) summarizes the results of graduation rate surveys conducted by all regional accrediting agencies that participated in the national initiative.

HLC’s Graduation Rate Survey Findings (July 2017)

HLC presents its findings from a survey on how institutions track students’ academic outcomes, how they work to improve those outcomes, and the contexts affecting specific student populations.

A New Look at Transfer Admissions (July 2021)

An HLC staff liaison and two institutional representatives explore scenarios when the sudden closure of a college prompted its former students to inquire at other institutions in the area about continuing their studies as transfer students. They offer a rich and candid look at how institutions may provide transfer applicants with both admission and posting of a significant number of transferred credits.

Teach-Out Toolkit (November 2020)

Institutional representatives and representatives from higher education state agencies who have been involved in teach-out situations provide guidance and tools to help institutions prepare for and implement successful teach outs.

A State Perspective on Consumer Protection in the Changing Higher Education Landscape: Practical Steps and Recommendations in Cases of Institutional Closure (September 2019)

Representatives from the Illinois Board of Higher Education provide insight into the work the Board has undertaken to support affected students and other stakeholders when a postsecondary institution closes.

2024 Trends in Higher Education (March 2024)

HLC compiles an annual list of higher education trends to inform its work to support member institutions and provide insight into the future of postsecondary education.

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:

Determining Faculty Qualifications

HLC’s Determining Faculty Qualifications (November 2023) provides guidance to institutions and peer reviewers in evaluating institutional policies and procedures for determining faculty qualifications. The guidelines highlight the Criteria for Accreditation and Assumed Practices that speak to the importance of institutions accredited by HLC employing qualified faculty for the varied and essential roles faculty members perform.

Dual Credit Faculty Qualification Requirements: During 2016 and 2017, approximately 150 HLC member institutions applied for and received extensions related to their compliance with HLC’s Assumed Practice B.2.a as that requirement applies to dual credit faculty. In June 2022, the HLC’s Board of Trustees extended the deadline for enforcement of faculty qualifications requirements in the context of dual credit education from September 1, 2023, to September 1, 2025. All institutions with dual credit enrollment programs that have previously applied for and received an extension are automatically granted this extension. There is no need to re-apply.

Personally Identifiable Information

HLC has provided guidelines on personally identifiable information (PII), which is defined as any information about an individual that allows the individual to be specifically identified. This includes, but is not limited to: name, address, telephone number, birthday, email, social security number, bank information, etc. A document does not include PII if personal information is de-identified or is provided in the aggregate.

When submitting information and documents to HLC, institutions are asked to carefully consider whether information or documents containing PII must be included. If the information or documents must be included for evaluative purposes, institutions should redact the PII where possible. If redaction of the PII will interfere with the evaluative value of thedocument, institutions should clearly identify the document as containing PII (for example, through a cover page or prominent notation on the document). Institutions are not expected to redact or identify information or documents where the only PII included is employee or Board member names and work contact information.

Dual Credit

These guidelines offer institutions and peer reviewers formal guidance on the evaluation of dual credit activity at member institutions. HLC defines dual credit courses as “courses taught to high school students for which the students receive both high school credit and college credit.” Dual credit programs are reviewed during an institution’s comprehensive evaluation, but also may be reviewed at other times if concerns about the programs arise.

Maintaining Institutional Autonomy

These guidelines are intended to provide member institutions that are not separately incorporated from a parent organization with a framework for how they can satisfy HLC’s expectation that the institution’s governing board is able to demonstrate sufficient autonomy.

School of Record

Institutions acting as a School of Record must be able to ensure academic integrity and transparency in the transcription of coursework taken abroad by students. They also must ensure appropriately trained personnel are evaluating such courses or programs and that the institution has established processes for evaluation that are applied in a consistent fashion. These guidelines highlight the Criteria and Assumed Practices relevant for these institutions.

Two-Year Institutions Seeking to Offer the Baccalaureate Degree

Before launching baccalaureate programs, two-year institutions must seek HLC approval through a substantive change request. These guidelines are meant to assist institutions in an internal review of readiness. The guidelines also serve as a reference to peer reviewers who may be asked to evaluate the change requests.

Evaluating Reduced-Credit Bachelor’s Degree Programs

These guidelines assist institutions and peer reviewers in evaluating reduced-credit bachelor’s degree programs in the context of HLC’s Criteria for Accreditation. The guidelines apply to institutions initially seeking to offer, and then subsequently offering, a reduced-credit bachelor’s degree program. Likewise, the guidance will inform peer reviewers evaluating an application from an institution that is seeking to offer a reduced-credit bachelor’s degree program, or evaluating an institution that is offering such programs.

Position Statements

HLC is an active member of the higher ed community. We work regularly with other higher ed organizations, including the Council for Regional Accreditation Commissions, to communicate with other members of the Triad on issues that matter to you. Check out the Advocacy Agenda to see position statements made by HLC.

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