Accreditation Update: April 30, 2012

Several weeks ago, we described the role of the Higher Learning Commission as it monitors institutions to ensure that they are in compliance with federal regulations.  Those of you who followed the recent Faculty Senate discussion on the definition of a credit hour know that it represented an explicit example of ever-expanding oversight of higher learning by the U.S. Department of Education.

Another aspect of accreditation that requires significant attention is a set of regulations that the Commission calls Assumed Practices.  Originally named General Institutional Requirements, subsequently classified as Minimum Expectations, and now known as Assumed Practices, this set of  requirements includes those practices that all institutions are expected to follow, regardless of their institutional mission or context.

Revolving around the areas of integrity, teaching and learning, resources, planning, and institutional effectiveness, the Assumed Practices include some 50 different requirements.   Though the Assumed Practices are detailed and specific, we are not required to address these practices explicitly in our report, but rather are expected to review them as part of our self-study process and to ensure that we are in fact meeting all of them.  The Self-Study Steering Committee is regularly considering this list and monitoring Concordia's compliance.  If you have interest, you may view the entire text of the assumed practices, beginning on page eight of this document.

The following examples (three of the more than 50) provide a glimpse into the type of practices that are assumed by the Higher Learning Commission:
  • A.2. "The institution has ethics policies for faculty and staff regarding conflict of interest, nepotism, recruitment and admissions, financial aid, privacy of personal information, and contracting."
  • B.2.c. "Faculty participate substantially in oversight of the curriculum -- its development and implementation, academic substance, currency, and relevance for internal and external constituencies."
  • D.4. "The institution maintains effective systems for collecting, analyzing, and using institutional information."
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 and Michael Wohlfeil -- or to any of the members of the Self-Study Steering Committee.

Higher Learning Commission


Criteria for Accreditation

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