HLC Comprehensive Evaluation

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Reaffirmation of Regional Accreditation

The process for reaffirmation, le​d by the HWC Operations Team, has been collaborative across the entire campus community involving over ninety people to date. Both the Assurance Argument and the compliance element of our reaffirmation have been led by committee work and operationalized by targeted action teams. Work groups include committees for each assurance criterion made up of faculty, staff, and administrators; a federal compliance committee, a syllabus action team, a promotions action team, a website action team, and our HLC Steering Committee.

If you have questions regarding Harold Washington College’s institutional accreditation, please contact us at hwc_hlc@ccc.edu.              

Comprehensive Evaluation Process

There are five components to the Comprehensive Evaluation and reaffirmation process under the HLC Open Pathway:

  1. Quality Initiative (QI): Completed between years 5 and 9 of the 10-year cycle. The QI provides the college with the opportunity to develop or continue a quality improvement project.
  2. Federal Compliance Review: A report submitted within the last year of the 10-year cycle to ensure the college is in compliance with Title IV program responsibilities and other U.S. Department of Education Regulations under the Higher Education Act.
  3. Assurance Argument: A comprehensive narrative with supporting evidence submitted by the college within the last year of the 10-year cycle. The argument is the college’s opportunity to address how it has met the HLC criterion for accreditation.
  4. Student Opinion Survey: Survey completed electronically by current students and informs HLC peer review teams about students’ opinions and experiences at the institution. The survey is an opportunity for students to participate in the reaffirmation process.
  5. Comprehensive Evaluation Visit: Is an on-site, 1.5-day visit to the college by an assigned team of HLC peer reviewers. The purpose of this visit is to verify that statements made by the college in submitted materials are accurate, as well as to review the college’s capacity to meet criteria for accreditation.