Accreditation
Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
Overview
The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an independent corporation that was founded in 1895 as one of six regional institutional accreditors in the United States. HLC accredits degree-granting post-secondary educational institutions in the North Central region, which includes the following 19 states:
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- New Mexico
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- South Dakota
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Its mission
Serving the common good by assuring and advancing the quality of higher learning.
HLC Contact Information
Higher Learning Commission
230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500, Chicago, Illinois 60604-1411
Phone: 800.621.7440 / 312.263.0456 . Fax: 312.263.7462 . [email protected]
HLC Resources
The Standard Pathway consists of a number of activities during a ten-year cycle. The cycle is detailed on the Standard Pathway Overview website.
Kirtland has formed the Standard Pathways Team (SPT) to guide the College through the ten-year accreditation cycle. Members of the team include the ALO Liaison/Director of Institutional Research, the Vice President of Instructional Services, the Vice President of Student Services/Registrar, the Director of Library Services & Tutoring, the Director of Financial Aid, and 2 representatives from the faculty.
HLC Complaint
Students, faculty, staff and members of the public may submit a complaint about an HLC-accredited or candidate institution. The complaint process is designed to identify substantive problems with an institution’s ability to meet the Criteria for Accreditation. HLC’s policy on complaints provides a full description of the type of complaints that HLC will review.
Complaints may be submitted by filling out the form on the HLC’s Complaints webpage.