Southeastern & Institutional Accreditation with HLC
Accreditations and Program Review Schedule
What is the Higher Learning Commission (HLC)?
The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an independent corporation that was founded in 1895 as one of six regional accreditors in the United States. HLC accredits degree-granting post-secondary educational institutions in the United States. HLC is an institutional accreditor, accrediting the institution as a whole.
HLC is governed by a Board of Trustees elected by the membership and administered by a president selected by and accountable to that Board. The current president is Dr. Barbara Gellman-Danley, a former Vice-Chancellor for the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.
Southeastern Oklahoma State University’s current Statement of Accreditation Status with HLC can be viewed here.
The Higher Learning Commission
230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500
Chicago, IL 60604-1413
Phone: 800-621-7440/312-263-0456 Fax: 312-263-7462
Email: info@hlccommission.org
What is accreditation?
- Assuring and advancing the quality of higher education by setting higher standards for higher education institutions. Accreditation reviews ensure that SE meets HLC’s Criteria for Accreditation and is pursuing continuous improvement.
- Required to be eligible for federal student financial aid. Accreditation reviews ensure that SE follows the U.S. Department of Education requirements, ensuring that students have access to federal funding.
- Validates Southeastern Oklahoma State University in requests for public or private support.
- HLC affords faculty, staff, students, and other stakeholders the opportunity to submit comments regarding institutions that are undergoing a comprehensive evaluation for Reaffirmation of Accreditation.
Pathways to Reaffirmation of Accreditation: SE is on the Open Pathway—10-Year Cycle
- Requires annual reports by the Institutional Research Office and the Chief Financial Officer.
- Requires that we notify HLC of significant changes as those changes are made.
- Requires a Quality Initiative Project (QIP) proposal and final report in years 5-9.
- Requires an updated assurance argument with evidence in years 4 (2018) and 10 (2023-2024).
- Requires a site visit in year 10 (Nov. 2023) by a trained peer review team.
- SE’s first accreditation approval from HLC was in 1922.
- SE’s last 10-Year Comprehensive Evaluation was in 2013-2014.
- SE’s next 10-Year Comprehensive Evaluation is in 2023-2024, with a campus visit in Nov. 2023.
HLC’s evaluation includes a Federal Compliance Review, a review of the University’s Assurance Argument, a Student Opinion Survey, and site visit from the HLC peer review team.
HLC 2023 Criteria for Accreditation