Important moment for the college. That’s why over the ...

[Pages:3]Hello Kirkwood Colleagues,

Our Higher Learning Commission (HLC) accreditation visit is just weeks away on November 4-6. As I have mentioned before, this will be a very important moment for the college. That's why over the course of the next few weeks I will be sending messages to all of you about what we can expect from the HLC and what they will be looking for from the college. Also, be sure to check Have You Heard for additional information about the visit as we get closer to the visit dates.

For this first message I would like to start with the basics.

What is the HLC? The HLC accredits Kirkwood and over 1,000 colleges and universities in a 19-state region. It's one of six regional institutional accreditors. Institutions are evaluated against the Criteria for Accreditation to confirm that the institution meets requirements and is pursuing institutional improvement. The HLC's comprehensive evaluation is based on a peer-review system staffed by over 1,600 higher education professionals.

What HLC Accreditation Means ? Kirkwood's mission is clear and articulated publicly. Our mission guides everything we do. ? We act with integrity. We are ethical and responsible.

? Kirkwood is committed to providing the highest quality education possible regardless of how it is delivered.

? We constantly evaluate the effectiveness of our programs through processes designed to promote continuous improvement.

? Kirkwood's resources, structures and processes fulfill our mission, improve the quality of our offerings and allow us to respond to future challenges and opportunities.

Why should you care? Accreditation by a nationally recognized accreditor assures the public that our college meets the criteria for being named an accredited institution. While other outside agencies accredit many individual degree programs, the HLC accredits the entire college. This accreditation helps qualify Kirkwood for federal financial aid and ensures our credits transfer to other colleges. Without it, the value of a Kirkwood degree would be significantly lessened.

How can you support the HLC review? ? Know Kirkwood's mission, vision and values. ? Understand how your responsibilities are aligned with the mission. ? If asked, be prepared to share your Kirkwood story: o How do you assess your student's success? (faculty perspective) o How are you to assure you are meeting the eight student outcomes? (faculty perspective) Analytic Inquiry Civic Engagement Collaboration and Teamwork Communication Diversity and Inclusion Ethical Reasoning Information Literacy Quantitative Reasoning o How does what you do contribute to student success? (staff perspective) ? Review the information included at kirkwood.edu/accreditation and on KIN.

As I mentioned, more information is forthcoming. Please review this information along with all of the HLC communications in the coming weeks. If you have any additional questions throughout the entire process, please contact Bill Lamb or Connie Thurman. They would be more than happy to help.

Lori

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