Continued News
Report of November 2012 Board Actions
Proposed Policy Changes
The Board approved on first reading the following proposed revised policies related to transparency. The Commission will disseminate a sample packet of materials related to this change in early December. The Commission invites comments on these proposed policies before the Board takes final action in February 2013. Comments can be sent to
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. Comments must be received by January 18, 2013.
Policy changes related to transparency
Adopted Policy Changes
The Board adopted the following revised policies. They are effective immediately unless otherwise noted.
The Board adopted on second reading the following revision to the bylaws:
Institutional Actions
The Board of Trustees took action on a number of institutions. The Board of Trustees took an additional institutional action at a conference call on October 3, 2012. These actions have been posted on the Commission's website.
Audit Approved
The Board of Trustees received and accepted the Fiscal Year 2012 independent auditors' report. The audit report is now available on the website.
Report of June 2012 Board Actions
The Board of Trustees of the Higher Learning Commission met on June 28-29, 2012. The following actions took place.
Adopted Policy Changes
The Board of Trustees adopted the following revised policies. They are effective immediately unless otherwise noted.
Policy changes related to federal compliance
Policy changes related to pathways for reaffirmation of accreditation. Additional information is available on the Pathways for Reaffirmation of Accreditation
Proposed Policy Changes
The Board approved on first reading the following proposed revised policies and bylaw changes. The Commission invites comments on these proposed policies and bylaw changes before the Board takes final action in November 2012. Comments can be sent to
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. Comments must be received by September 14, 2012.
Policy changes related to approval of a change in length of term affecting allocation of credit
Policy changes related to Commission staff
Policy changes related to withdrawal of application for candidacy or for initial accreditation
Policy changes related to peer reviewers. Additional information is available in the Statement on Peer Reviewers Serving as Independent Consultants or on Mock Teams to Institutions that are Accredited by or Seeking Accreditation with the Commission
The Board approved on first reading the following proposed revision to the bylaws: Proposed bylaws amendments related to terms of office
Statement on the Accreditation of High Schools
The Board adopted a Statement on the Accreditation of High Schools.
2013 Dues and Fees Schedule Adopted
The Board adopted the preliminary budget for fiscal year 2013 and the Dues and Fees Schedule for fiscal year 2013. Dues invoices were mailed July 2. The only change to the 2012-13 dues is a $100 increase to the base dues. This follows two years in which the Commission had not changed the rate or the formula for calculating dues.
Institutional Actions
The Board of Trustees took action on a number of institutions. These actions have been posted on the Commission’s Web site.
Report of February 2012 Board Actions
The Board of Trustees of the Higher Learning Commission met on February 23-24, 2012. The following actions took place.
Adopted Policy Changes
The Board adopted the following revised policies. They are effective immediately unless otherwise noted.
Policy changes related to Criteria for Accreditation
Policy changes related to Institutional Obligations of Affiliation
Policy changes related to exit session
Policy changes related to 1) electronic records and communication and 2) peer reviewers on the handling of Commission records
For additional information on the new Criteria for Accreditation, see the Criteria Booklet.
For the current versions of these documents, visit:
Criteria for Accreditation
Minimum Expectations within the Criteria for Accreditation
Obligations of Affiliation
Proposed Policy Changes
The Board approved on first reading the following proposed revised policies. The Commission invites comments on these proposed policies before the Board takes final action in June 2012. Comments can be sent to
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
. Comments must be received by May 9, 2012.
Policy changes related to Pathways for Reaffirmation of Accreditation
Policy changes related to federal compliance
Institutional Actions
The Board of Trustees took action on a number of institutions. These actions will be posted on the Commission’s Web site once the institutions have been notified.
Commission Endorses New Guidelines on Assessment
The Higher Learning Commission has endorsed new guidelines, Committing to Quality: Guidelines for Assessment and Accountability, published by the New Leadership Alliance for Student Learning and Accountability. 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.
Committing to Quality: Guidelines for Assessment and Accountability is available for download. Hard copies will be available at no cost at the 2012 Higher Learning Commission Annual Conference.
Relations with Governmental Agencies
The U.S. Department of Education has announced rules requiring all institutions participating in Title IV to be able to document compliance with state laws in all states where they offer distance or correspondence education. To address this need, SHEEO, the national association of state higher education executive officers, is developing a directory of agencies responsible for implementing state quality assurance laws as well as a compendium of state laws and regulations.
Other information about federal regulations.
HLC Receives Lumina Grant
The Commission is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a grant of $425,000 from the Lumina Foundation to explore the applicability and usefulness of Lumina’s Degree Qualifications Profile through HLC’s new Open Pathway model for reaffirmation of accreditation.
Commission Approves Policy Regarding ALO
At the November 2010 board meeting the Trustees passed a policy requiring each institution to designate an Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO).
