HLC is an independent corporation that was founded in 1895 as one of six regional institutional accreditors in the United States. As one of six regional associations that accredit schools, HLC’s territory spans 19 states, from West Virginia to Arizona and from Minnesota to Arkansas.
While many academic agencies accredit particular programs of study (education, nursing, business, etc.), HLC and other regional accrediting agencies are responsible for assuring that entire colleges and universities meet certain standards in terms of their missions, operations, and activities in teaching and student learning, discovery and promotion of knowledge, and service.
Accreditation is an assurance to the public that an institution is properly prepared to do its job. On a more practical level, the HLC and the other accrediting agencies have been designated as the "gatekeepers" for federal funds in higher education, including student financial aid. In addition, students wishing to transfer credits and degrees between institutions must generally do so from accredited schools. Unaccredited schools are not eligible for many kinds of federal support and other institutions will not recognize its courses or degrees. For more information, visit the HLC website.
HLC has recently adopted a new set of criteria for evaluation. The four Criteria for Accreditation are:
1. Mission
2. Integrity: Ethical and Responsible Conduct
3. Teaching and Learning for Student Success
4. Sustainability: Institutional Effectiveness, Resources, and Planning
The team will already have received RCTC’s Assurance Argument as well as materials from previous HLC reviews of the College. During the visit, they will seek to validate the content of the Assurance Argument in terms of the strengths we have declared and data that support them, as well as concerns that need attention or issues that may confront us in the future.
Team members will hold virtual meetings with key individuals and groups from across the campus and will have open meetings that are less structured. These meetings are designed to allow the team to ask questions that they may still have after reviewing our Assurance Argument and better help them in making a determination about the College’s accreditation status.
The HLC review team will write a report that addresses the four criteria for accreditation and send a draft to the campus a few weeks after the visit. The team will note the components that have and have not been met and any qualifications or concerns. After receiving the draft, the President will have a chance to correct factual errors, and the final report will be submitted to the HLC no more than nine weeks after the visit.
The team may determine that all criteria have been met with no recommended follow-up activities before the next scheduled visit. If there are criteria in which the institution has not fully met, there is a range of possible actions, including required progress reports on how the institution is dealing with particular issues and monitoring reports that include additional visits by more review teams. HLC staff estimate that 85% of institutions will have some kind of activity required.
RCTC must review the report, both for the validation of the things that we are doing well and for advice about ways in which we can improve what we are doing. Particular issues may be referred to committees and/or departments for examination and action.
If follow-up action is required by HLC, RCTC must show that it is addressing the issues identified by the peer review team.
We hope to receive confirmation that the College's major projects to ensure student success and equity are on the right track and that we are meeting the obligations of our mission to provide a quality education to students. We also hope to receive recommendations on additional activities that may assist us in better meeting our mission.