HLC Accreditation
The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an independent corporation and 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. 51¸£ÀûÉç has been continuously accredited by HLC since 1921. Our next comprehensive evaluation will take place in 2023.
HLC Statements and Guidelines on Assessment
The HLC has produced or endorsed a number of documents explaining the importance of assessment in higher education.
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This two-page statement explains why the HLC values assessment and what qualities it expects to see in a strong assessment system.
Excerpt: "In October 1989, the Commission first posited that assessment of student learning is an essential component of every organization’s effort to evaluate overall organizational effectiveness. In February 2003, The Higher Learning Commission adopted a newly revised position statement ... to reaffirm and strengthen this position. ... [T]he Commission makes clear the centrality of student learning to effective higher education organizations and extends and deepens its commitment to and expectations for assessment. Indeed, the Commission asserts that assessment is more than a response to demands for accountability, more than a means for curricular improvement. Effective assessment is best understood as a strategy for understanding, confirming, and improving student learning." -
This eleven-page paper is a brief guide to best assessment practices, from setting ambitious goals to reporting evidence and results.
From the HLC's publications page: "The Higher Learning Commission has endorsed guidelines, Committing to Quality: Guidelines for Assessment and Accountability, published by the New Leadership Alliance for Student Learning and Accountability in 2012. The guidelines help colleges and universities in improving the quality of a college degree by asking them to set clear goals for student achievement, regularly gather and use evidence that measures performance against those goals, report evidence of student learning, and continuously work to improve results." -
This five-page guide to assessing online learning was developed by the Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions (C-RAC), of which the HLC is a member.
Program Accreditation
Many of our individual programs are also accredited by state or national professional accreditation bodies. Details about these accreditors can be found on Lindenwood's Consumer Information page.