Accreditation Update: October 29, 2012

As has been noted previously, the Criteria for Accreditation of the Higher Learning Commission have five separate categories. Under each criterion are a series of core components and subcomponents, in all totaling 21 core components and an additional 58 subcomponents. As part of our reaccreditation process, Concordia College needs to provide evidence that it meets all of these. During the next few campus updates, we will be providing a little more detail about each of the Criteria for Accreditation.  Updates about criteria one, two, and three can be found here, here, and here.

The fourth criterion addresses the importance of continuous improvement, and emphasizes the evaluation and assessment of our educational programs. The Commission expects that we have current and meaningful goals for student learning in all of our programs, both curricular and co-curricular, and that we assess these goals regularly.  The inclusion of co-curricular programs represents a significant change from previous approaches to accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission and calls for even greater attention to assessment than has been expected in the past.

This criterion also expects institutions to demonstrate attention to retention, persistence, and completion rates in our programs.  Several elements of the College's recently adopted plan, "Whole Self, Whole Life, Whole World," align with this component, especially with the College's explicitly stated commitment to increasing Concordia's first-to-second year retention rate to 90% and to achieving a four-year cohort graduation rate of 70%.  Achieving both of these goals would represent substantial increases from our present rates.

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 and Michael Wohlfeil - or to any of the members of the Self-Study Steering Committee.

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