Just a little more than two months from now, peer reviewers from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) will be with us on campus. Their visit is the ultimate step in an ongoing process that accredits our university as a whole. Although HLC accreditation is a process of continuous improvement, site visits like this one happen only once a decade. The HLC oversight committee has worked diligently to complete important pre-visit steps, and now, it’s time for the whole campus community to play a part.

Where We Are in the Process

During the fall semester, the HLC oversight committee completed a draft of our Assurance Argument — the written document that demonstrates how we align with the criteria and core components that HLC peer reviewers use to evaluate us. The peer reviewers will read the Assurance Argument in advance of their visit. While they’re on campus, they’ll probably want to dive deeper on specific elements of the Assurance Argument.

How You Can Help

Attend an Open Forum

During the peer reviewers’ site visit, they’ll hold open forums. All members of our campus community — faculty, staff and students — are invited to the open forums, and everyone is encouraged to attend one.

After the peer reviewers have had time to read our Assurance Argument, we’ll know more details about the forums’ scheduling. Until then, the HLC oversight committee suggests blocking your calendar for the duration of the visit; that’s the full day of Monday, March 30 and the morning of Tuesday, March 31. Once the HLC oversight committee knows more details about the forums, you’ll find the schedule posted on the HLC website.

“When you attend an open forum, it’s helpful to know examples of how your unit lives out our mission, acts with integrity and supports student learning,” says Dr. Tamera Jahnke, dean of the College of Natural and Applied Sciences and a member of the HLC oversight committee. “Supervisors may receive questions about budget management and whether they have the tools they need. And we may all be asked about the development and implementation of ‘Igniting Opportunity,’ our strategic plan.”

Get Ready to Go Maroon

Over the next few weeks, the HLC oversight committee will continue to spread the word about key insights from our Assurance Argument, such as our areas of strength and areas where we have potential to improve. In upcoming messages, we’ll share some of these strengths and opportunities, and you’re likely to hear about them at staff meetings and other gatherings of university personnel. This information will provide useful context for the peer reviewers’ visit.

As we look ahead to their visit, plan to share your MO State spirit. March 30–31 is a perfect time to sport BearWear and showcase Maroon pride. As Provost Clarenda Phillips says, “We want everyone who visits our campus to get a sense of our culture and some understanding of what it means to be part of the MO State community.”

And keep in mind that HLC accreditation processes help us in our mission to serve students. Jahnke, who has often served as an HLC peer reviewer for other institutions, says, “I tell universities that HLC is here to ensure they’re around — not just another 10 years — but for 100 years. It’s helpful to have someone ‘open up the hood’ and look at our institution with outside eyes so that we can be around for another 100 years.”

HLC Resources

• MO State’s HLC Website (for official documents and updates, including the schedule for open forums, once it is finalized)
• HLC FAQ (answers to common HLC questions, plus links to relevant resources)
• Assurance Argument Summary Presentation