Frequently Asked Questions

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The HLC and UND: Frequently Asked Questions

What is accreditation and why should we care about it?

Accreditation is a process involving both self-study and external team evaluation. An accreditation association “validates” or “certifies” that institutions of higher education have met expectations. If the association does so validate, the institution is then “accredited.”

This validation is important because (A) parents prefer to send their children to, (B) students prefer to attend, and (C) employers prefer to hire students from schools that are accredited rather than those that are not. In addition, being accredited is a necessary condition for receiving many types of federal funding, including grants and student aid. Essentially, accreditation is a pre-condition for operation in today’s educational environment.

For a more detailed explanation, refer to the following web site:
http://www.ncahlc.org/information-for-the-public/public-information.html

At this site, a particularly informative item is the Overview booklet. Go to the HLC resources website (http://www.hlcommission.org/information-for-institutions/publications.html) and click on “This booklet” under “Institutional Accreditation: An Overview (2010 edition).

 

What is the HLC?

The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is the body that determines whether or not UND maintains its institutional accreditation. The HLC is the primary accreditor for higher educational institutions within a 19 state area.

From the HLC web site (http://www.ncahlc.org/):

The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an independent corporation and one of two commission members of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), which is one of six regional institutional accreditors in the United States. The Higher Learning Commission accredits degree-granting post-secondary educational institutions in the North Central region.

 

What does the HLC do?

From the HLC Handbook of Accreditation (third edition, page 1.1-1):

An institutional accrediting body evaluates an entire organization and accredits it as a whole. It assesses formal educational activities and also evaluates governance and administration, financial stability, admissions and student personnel services, resources, student academic achievement, organizational effectiveness, and relationships with outside constituencies.

 

Why do a self-study?

UND’s Provost, Paul LeBel, answers this question as follows:

The institutional self-study is the most valuable part of the regional reaccreditation process. It provides an occasion for all of us to examine where our university is, how we got here, where we aspire to be in the next 5-10 years, and what would be required for us to reach our goals.

The HLC self-study is particularly significant coming as it does soon after the “conversations about the future of UND” that occurred in 2010. Our self-study will enable us to drill down into the strategic priorities identified during those conversations, to benchmark and assess the progress that has been made, and to develop the initiatives that are critical to the on-going commitment to being an Exceptional UND.

While the self-study is required for reaccreditation, its principal beneficiaries are members of our own community: our students and others whom we serve. I am confident that we will emerge from the self-study having clearly articulated a compelling vision, claimed our distinctive identity, and set ambitious and achievable goals in all parts of our mission of teaching and learning, research, scholarly and creative activity, and service.

 

How might I be involved?

Faculty and staff involvement will occur in at least three ways. Joan Hawthorne, Donna Pearson, and Pat O’Neill are already working as co-leaders of the study, under the direction of Provost Paul LeBel. Co-chairs for the five criterion committees will be appointed in early spring. Together, these co-leaders, the Provost, and the criterion co-chairs will comprise the self-study steering committee. This group will organize and oversee the self-study effort.

Members of criterion working committees will be appointed by late Spring 2011 or very early Fall 2012. Serving under the leadership of criterion co-chairs, members can expect to meet regularly throughout the 2011-12 academic year and (less regularly) into Fall 2012. Their task will be to gather information and evidence that can be used to paint a picture of the university’s processes, procedures, and structures related to institutional purposes and the accreditation criteria. Working committee members will analyze findings to identify strengths and weaknesses of what’s currently in place, and they will provide insight into directions for future growth and change.

Criterion advisory committees, also appointed in late Spring 2011 or early Fall 2012, will work on a similar calendar although meeting less frequently. Advisory committee members will contribute, as needed, to the gathering and analysis of information. But their primary function will be to provide consultation, response, and feedback to the working groups and the co-chairs as information is gathered, findings are analyzed, and drafts are constructed.

Reporting Model

Finally, all members of the university community are invited to contribute to the process by helping to locate relevant information and evidence, staying up-to-date on findings from the self-study process as work continues, and responding to drafts as they are constructed and posted. And all members of the community will be asked to contribute to the success of the HLC team visit in Fall 2013, participating in any ways that team members request during their site visit to the university.

Watch this website and the University Letter for more details on opportunities for self-study participation.

 

What will be the timeline for this project?

This is essentially a three-year process. Preliminary planning has been underway since Fall 2010. Steering committee members, criterion working group members, and advisory committee members will begin work in late Spring or very early Fall 2011, and an intensive process of information collection will occur in 2011-12. The 2012-13 year will be spent in arranging evidence, double-checking, and drafting. Several opportunities will be provided for members of the campus community to provide input and feedback. We expect our HLC team visit to occur in Fall 2013. 

Timeline

Timeline Revise

 

What are the criteria for reaccreditation?

There are five criteria to be met for reaccreditation. The HLC is updating criteria, so revisions have been occurring even while our work is underway. Final changes and approval of the new criteria are scheduled for Spring 2012, but the most current information is always available through the HLC website (see link below).

The current criteria are as follows:

Criterion One: Mission

Criterion Two: Ethical and Responsible Conduct

Criterion Three: Teaching and Learning – Quality, Resources, and Support

Criterion Four: Teaching and Learning – Evaluation and Improvement

Criterion Five: Resources, Planning, and Institutional Effectiveness

To see more information on current criteria, visit the HLC “Proposed Revisions” site at http://www.hlcommission.org/information-for-institutions/proposed-revisions-to-the-criteria-for-accreditation.html