Did you know that Hennepin Technical College is undergoing one of the most important reviews within higher education?
In this coming year, we will have the accreditation visit with the Higher Learning Commission. The Higher Learning commission is our accrediting body for our college. Full accreditation from HLC verifies that we are fulfilling our mission of providing a quality education and we are engaged in continuous quality improvement. It is also a necessary requirement for us to receive any federal funding, including student financial aid.
At Hennepin Tech, we are currently working on our 10 year accreditation report to the HLC, known as the "Assurance Arguement." This report will be one of the ways we show the commission how we are upholding academic standards while pursuing our ambitious plans for the future. And, as an opportunity to tell our unique and inspiring story. This assurance arguement will be completed late this spring, and our site visit from HLC peer reviewers will be in October. This may seem far in the future, but we have much preparatory work between now and then.
We want everyone on campus to feel connected to the reaccreditation process. Becoming familiar with the HLC criteria and understanding how your role supports this is an important part of our collective success. There are four criteria for accreditation:
- Our Mission
Is our mission clearly stated, articulated publicly, and guiding our operations? - Integrity
Is everyone associated with Hennepin Technical College acting with integrity and conducting themselves in an ethical and responsible manner? - Teaching & Learning Process
Do we have high quality educational programs and support services? And, are we assessing student learning and improving programs based on these assessment results? - College Sustainability
Do we have policies and procedures in place to guide operations? Do we have effective administrative and financial structures to ensure our future sustainability? And, do we have planning processes in place in order to respond to future challenges and opportunities?
To help us with the preparation for this visit, we have planned activities and resources that will introduce you to the HLC criteria and help you make connections between those requirements and the work that you do each and every day.
One of the resources you will see is a video series explaining each of the criteria to you. Please take time to view these short videos and any other resources that we provide and make available so that come next October, you're ready, you feel confident, and you help us in our ten year reaccreditation process.
Help us tell our story. Thank you so much.