Some major events happen in a 10-year cycle.The U.S. Census does a population count. People celebrate milestone birthdays. And, if you are in higher education, the 10-year mark means it’s time for a visit from the Higher Learning Commission.
Every decade, HLC reviewers conduct a comprehensive evaluation of an academic institution to ensure it meets or exceeds the set educational and ethical standards. If it does, the university receives reaffirmation of accreditation. Because HLC is a federally recognized accreditation agency, its “seal of approval” is also necessary for institutions to be eligible for federal financial aid funding
This fall — on Nov. 13 and 14 — HLC evaluators are coming to UM-Dearborn. The university has earned accreditation through HLC since the 1970s.
“HLC wants to know about the great work and activities that everyone on this campus undertakes every day to educate and help our students achieve their dreams,” Associate Provost Mitch Sollenberger said. “This time around (for the HLC visit) we also have the Go BluePrint for Success Strategic Plan and the Key Performance Indicators that were set earlier this year. Both of those were — and are — really important for documenting the work we are doing as a university. The planning and documenting that we do as a campus goes hand and hand with the information HLC wants to see — it’s made the reporting organic.”
Sollenberger said during the November visit there will be campus forums that UM-Dearborn faculty and staff are highly encouraged to attend. There will also be a student-focused HLC event, along with more targeted meetings with selected groups. Campus leaders will share more information regarding the HLC visit activities at the beginning of the Fall 2023 semester.
Director of Academic Success Jess LaGrange said much of the preparation, which has been underway since fall 2020, is complete. Now UM-Dearborn’s HLC Coordination Team — made up of staff and faculty across campus — wants to let the UM-Dearborn community know about the upcoming visit so they can mark their calendars. HLC Coordination Team members are Sollenberger, LaGrange, Provost Faculty Fellow Susan Everett, Financial Services Director Noel Hornbacher, Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness Director Rick Michalski and History Professor Pam Pennock.
To have fun with advertising the visit, LaGrange created movie-style “Coming Soon” posters that will be posted around campus starting in September. LaGrange said it’s important to have a good turnout at the forums to support campus colleagues, to tell UM-Dearborn’s story, and to learn more about the HLC process and its mission.
She also pointed out that faculty and staff from all areas across the university helped with the reports and volunteered to assist during the HLC visit. “We’ve really been impressed with how much people are willing to help. We know how busy you all are,” LaGrange said. “Thank you.”
History Professor Pam Pennock said faculty and staff across the university have shared how their individual units and departments support the HLC criterion reporting, which includes how UM-Dearborn is committed to the public good, how the institution establishes and follows policies and processes to ensure fair and ethical behavior, how UM-Dearborn provides support for student learning and resources for effective teaching, and more. All criteria are listed on the UM-Dearborn HLC website.
“Through the HLC reporting process, we’ve learned that it is important to write and reflect about the work we do in a report so that we have a record. That helps with the process of continuation too — for example, you can look back and see if students struggled with writing skills in a particular course and, if they did, what remedies the faculty member put in place,” Pennock said. “With so much happening on campus, there is always something new to add to the report. We are doing many amazing things that speak directly to the HLC criteria.”
Sollenberger said in addition to saving the November dates, he hopes the campus community will read the information available on the HLC website over the summer. It Includes policies and practices for accreditation and a campus HLC timeline.
If you have questions about the HLC visit, reports or the website, reach out to Sollenberger.
Article by Sarah Tuxbury.
