St. Cloud State’s accreditation was reaffirmed last week by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), the Chicago-based organization that evaluates post-secondary institutions in 19 mostly mid-western and south-central states.
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HLC officials visited campus in November 2016, meeting with students and employees.
The next HLC campus visit is expected in 2020-21. The next reaffirmation of accreditation is expected in 2026-27.
St. Cloud State officials are tasked with preparing a report, by the 2020-21 school year, on two areas of concern: Assessment of student learning and financial sustainability.
“We recognized, going into our HLC Accreditation visit, that assessment and financial stability and growth would be key areas of attention,” said Ashish Vaidya, interim president. “Our final report from HLC recognizes our efforts to-date, but lays out clear expectations for continued improvement going forward.”
In a message to campus, Vaidya thanked faculty, staff and students who served on the accreditation committees.
St. Cloud State earned its accreditation through HLC’s Standard Pathway, one of three options for maintaining accreditation. It follows a 10-year cycle and focuses on quality assurance and institutional improvement.
Improvement topics are integrated into comprehensive evaluations conducted during the cycle, as well as through interim monitoring.
HLC is recognized as the regional accreditation body by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
