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Accreditation Team Visits

What is accreditation?
Accreditation is a universally acknowledged standard of institutional quality. Specifically, HLC defines five criteria, which demonstrate institutional effectiveness. The five criteria are:

  1. Mission;
  2. Integrity: Ethical and Responsible Conduct;
  3. Teaching and Learning: Quality, Resources, and Support;
  4. Teaching and Learning: Evaluation and Improvement;
  5. Resources, Planning, and Institutional Effectiveness         

Accreditation by HLC provides assurance to the public that the College has met the established criteria and the evidence indicates that the College will continue to meet them.  Jefferson was first accredited by HLC in 1969.

What is HLC?
HLC stands for the “Higher Learning Commission.”  The HLC mission is, “Serving the common good by assuring and advancing the quality of higher learning.”  HLC accredits colleges and universities in a 19-state region of the United States. HLC is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a gatekeeper agency. HLC has agreed to fulfill specific federally defined responsibilities within the accreditation processes to assure quality in higher education for the students who benefit from federal financial aid programs.

Why is accreditation important to Jefferson College and its students?

Re-Accreditation is important! For example:

  1. Jefferson College transfer courses will continue to be accepted by other colleges.
  2. Students will continue to have the opportunity to apply for federal financial aid, such as Pell grants.
  3. Students will be assured that they are receiving a high quality education.

    
When is the on-site evaluation?
The HLC Peer Review Team will be on our campus March 11-12, 2019.

How can you help?
Keep informed about your campus and the accreditation effort so that you can talk knowledgeably to the HLC Peer Review Team when they visit the campus.  Visiting team members may talk to individuals or groups informally or formally. Volunteer to be part of a group if a meeting is requested by the HLC Peer Review Team. If you have questions, please feel free to contact members from the Accreditation Committee, or Higher Learning Commission conference attendees or Assurance Argument Task Force Members.

Peer Review Team
HLC Peer Review Teams are volunteers of approximately 1,600 faculty and administrators from institutions within the 19-state North Central region. They are responsible for assuring that an institution is complying with the accreditation criteria as well as for helping an institution advance within the context of its own mission.

COMING SOON!
Executive Summary report: Jefferson College (Fall 2018)