North Central Association of Colleges and Schools - HLC

Post secondary accreditation is an assurance for all students, teachers or community members that their school of choice not only meets, but also surpasses new regional, national and international expectations for higher learning. Regional accreditation is the most respected level of accreditation in the United States. There are seven different regionally accrediting bodies for post secondary education; the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) for the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS) is one of the oldest and most respected of these seven.

The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS) consists of two commissions that accredit institutes in the North Central region of the United States. These Commissions are the Higher Level Commission (HLC), which grants accreditation to degree-granting higher education schools and the Commission of Accreditation and School Improvement (CASI), which grants accreditation to elementary, secondary and non-degree granting post secondary schools.

The HLC includes over 50 online and campus colleges in Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, New Mexico, South Dakota, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Wyoming.

The Core Values of the NCACS HLC

Recognised by the US Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), the NCACS HLC has made it their mission for over a century to advance the quality of higher education. Their core values of quality, integrity, innovation, diversity, inclusiveness, service, collaboration and learning are the basis used to promote a continuous increase in the standard of post secondary education in the North Central region.

The NCACS HLC Accreditation Process

The NCACS HLC accreditation process is based on five criteria with a self-study analysis performed by the institute and an evolution and review by the Higher Learning Commission team. The criteria include the following: mission and integrity; preparing for the future; student learning and effective teaching; acquisition, discovery and application of knowledge; and engagement and service. Once accreditation has been granted, the HLC will perform a review every ten years to ensure the school continues to thrive and surpass the standards.

Because the process is so selective and precise, you can be assured your education is at the highest level of integrity, innovation and learning.

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, The Higher Learning Commission is recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.

Article References

The Higher Learning Commission
http://www.ncahlc.org

North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement
http://www.ncacasi.org

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
http://www.northcentralassociation.org