Accreditation Update: January 31, 2013

As the College moves into the final year of its self-study and continues to make preparations for the Higher Learning Commission Comprehensive Evaluation, the Self-Study Steering Committee has been not only considering the Criteria for Accreditation, but also those areas that the Higher Learning Commission listed as "topics requiring institutional attention" during its last visit.  As part of our preparation, we are expected to reflect seriously on those issues and provide evidence to the Commission documenting the extent to which we believe they have been addressed.  The evaluation team indicated that five topics should receive attention by Concordia; the Commission expects us to have made progress in each.  The next few updates will provide a little more information about those topics.  Information about the first and second topics can be found here and here.

The third topic requiring institutional attention that was highlighted during the 2003 Higher Learning Commission visit was that Concordia College needed to "invigorate and enhance efforts to attract, welcome, and support minority constituency groups."  The evaluation team asked the College to increase its scholarship budget for minority students and for Concordia to be "more intentional and focused in its efforts to create and sustain a welcoming and supportive environment for minority and international students."

Concordia will highlight a number of specific emphases and successes that we can document in this area.  First, though the percentage remains small, the college has seen a steady increase in the percentage of undergraduates identified as students of color, growing from 3.9% in 2002 to 6.9% in the fall of 2012.  Second, we will note initiatives in the College's strategic plans, with the 2005-10 plan focusing on "enhancing the diversity of faculty, students and staff."  The 2012-17 plan, "Whole Self, Whole Life, Whole World" is more specific in its goals, calling for the College to increase domestic students of color to 12% and international students to 6% of the undergraduate student body. Additionally, the College will emphasize the efforts of the Office of Intercultural Affairs, the Office of Student Success and Retention, and the ongoing initiatives of the Office of Enrollment.

A booklet describing all of the requirements of the Higher Learning Commission can be found here. If you have questions about the Higher Learning Commission or Concordia’s approach to the self-study, please direct them to either of the coordinators - Kristi Loberg or Michael Wohlfeil - or to any of the members of the Self-Study Steering Committee.

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