NWC News Desk

Materials for NWC accreditation visit now available to the public online

Posted August 16, 2017
By NWC News Desk

After nearly three years of preparation for Northwest College’s  September 11-12 visit by its accrediting agency, the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), materials are now available to the public on NWC’s website.

The public can review the college’s Assurance Argument, a document and evidence files that demonstrate NWC meets criteria for reaccreditation, at http://www.nwc.edu/sites/accreditation/2017/report/.

“It takes years and an incredible amount of energy for a college to fully examine and evaluate itself before it can present its findings to an accreditation agency,” NWC President Stefani Hicswa said.

The college will host an evaluation visit Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 11-12, 2017, by a team representing the HLC.

“The team will review the institution’s ongoing ability to meet the HLC’s criteria for accreditation,” Hicswa said. “Accreditation allows transfer institutions to accept our students’ credits and students to receive financial aid—basic elements at the core of any institution of higher education.”

NWC sought public comments last January in accordance with HLC requirements. Comments were required to be about “substantive matters related to the quality of the institution or its academic programs” and went directly to the HLC.

The HLC is a regional accreditation agency that accredits degree-granting colleges and universities in the country’s 19-state north central region.