As many of you may know, the institution is gearing up for its 10-year reaccreditation process with the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), the university’s accreditation agency, which will officially begin this August. Reaccreditation of the university is our #1 priority over the next two and a half years and is a valuable (and required) process of self-evaluation and improvement that will culminate in a document that we will submit for review to HLC in summer 2026 in preparation for an external team visit that will occur in Fall 2026. This initiative will require our steadfast commitment, positive energy, and a collaborative approach as we all work to ensure the continuing accreditation of the institution.
Over the past two weeks, I have been in conversation with Dr. Sue Hines, vice president of Academic Affairs – SGPP, Dr. Darren Row, vice president for Academic Affairs – College, and Tracy Lehnertz, assistant vice president for Institutional Effectiveness, regarding the process. I am grateful that they have agreed to serve and lead the process as our Reaccreditation Steering Committee. Additionally, Tracy has agreed to serve as our reaccreditation coordinator, a role that she has held two other times for the university for its last two 10-year reviews with HLC.
In the next two weeks, invitations will be sent to a select group of about 10 people who will be asked to serve in leadership roles on reaccreditation subcommittees. Once finalized, that group will participate in a day-long retreat in August to learn more about the criterion by which the university will be evaluated, be educated on the process that the university will undertake, and begin to develop proposed committee membership lists, which will be finalized in October. Additionally, this summer, you may begin to receive requests from staff in the offices of Institutional Effectiveness, and Accreditation, Compliance and Assessment for key documents that will be used in the reaccreditation process. Please give those requests your immediate attention as the team works to prepare for the next steps. You will hear more information about reaccreditation activities at our convocation in August.
