Infographics

 Note: Infographics have two pages. Please be sure to view both pages. 

	Criterion 1: Mission
	Criterion 2: Integrity: Ethical and Responsible Conduct
	Criterion 3:  Teaching and Learning: Quality, Resources and Support
	Criterion 4: Teaching and Learning: Evaluation and Improvement
	Criterion 5: Institutional Effectiveness, Resources and Planning
	Federal Compliance

Executive Summary

Executive Summary

Criteria

The following are the Higher Learning Commission Criteria for Accreditation. Each has a number of sub-components which are included elsewhere on this website.

Criterion 1 - Mission

The institution’s mission is clear and articulated publicly; it guides the institution’s operations.

• 1.A. The institution’s mission is articulated publicly and operationalized throughout the institution.
• 1.B. The institution’s mission demonstrates commitment to the public good.
• 1.C. The institution provides opportunities for civic engagement in a diverse, multicultural society and globally connected world, as appropriate within its mission and for the constituencies it serves.

Criterion 2 - Integrity: Ethical and Responsible Conduct

The institution acts with integrity; its conduct is ethical and responsible.

• 2.A. The institution establishes and follows policies and processes to ensure fair and ethical behavior on the part of its governing board, administration, faculty and staff.
• 2.B. The institution presents itself clearly and completely to its students and to the public.
• 2.C. The governing board of the institution is autonomous to make decisions in the best interest of the institution in compliance with board policies and to ensure the institution’s integrity.
• 2.D. The institution is committed to academic freedom and freedom of expression in the pursuit of truth in teaching and learning.
• 2.E. The institution’s policies and procedures call for responsible acquisition, discovery and application of knowledge by its faculty, staff and students.

Criterion 3 - Teaching and Learning: Quality, Resources, and Support

The institution provides quality education, wherever and however its offerings are delivered.

• 3.A. The rigor of the institution’s academic offerings is appropriate to higher education.
• 3.B. The institution offers programs that engage students in collecting, analyzing and communicating information; in mastering modes of intellectual inquiry or creative work; and in developing skills adaptable to changing environments.
• 3.C. The institution has the faculty and staff needed for effective, high-quality programs and student services.
• 3.D. The institution provides support for student learning and resources for effective teaching.

Criterion 4 - Teaching and Learning: Evaluation and Improvement

The institution demonstrates responsibility for the quality of its educational programs, learning environments, and support services, and it evaluates their effectiveness for student learning through processes designed to promote continuous improvement.

• 4.A. The institution ensures the quality of its educational offerings.
• 4.B. The institution engages in ongoing assessment of student learning as part of its commitment to the educational outcomes of its students.
• 4.C. The institution pursues educational improvement through goals and strategies that improve retention, persistence and completion rates in its degree and certificate programs.

Criterion 5 - Institutional Effectiveness, Resources and Planning

The institution’s resources, structures, and processes are sufficient to fulfill its mission, improve the quality of its educational offerings, and respond to future challenges and opportunities.

• 5.A. Through its administrative structures and collaborative processes, the institution’s leadership demonstrates that it is effective and enables the institution to fulfill its mission.
• 5.B. The institution’s resource base supports its educational offerings and its plans for maintaining and strengthening their quality in the future.
• 5.C. The institution engages in systematic and integrated planning and improvement.

Federal Compliance

HLC conducts a Federal Compliance Review to assure member institutions are meeting their Title IV program responsibilities as well as complying with f specific regulations set forth by the U.S. Department of Education. Compliance with these requirements by both institutions and HLC is necessary to ensure that institutions accredited by HLC are eligible for federal financial aid. The Federal Compliance Review consists of the following areas:

1. Assignment of Credits, Program Length and Tuition
2. Institutional Mechanisms for Handling Student Complaints
3. Publication of Transfer Policies 
4. Practices for Verification of Student Identity
5. Protection of Student Privacy
6. Publication of Student Outcome Data
7. Standing With State and Other Accreditors
8. Recruiting, Admissions and Related Institutional Practices

To read the SNC Federal Compliance Filing, click here.

Sample Questions

Here are a few examples of questions review team members may ask. The visiting team members may also ask general and SNC-specific questions. Please answer all questions honestly and thoughtfully while being constructive (these meetings are not intended to be gripe sessions – reviewers learn nothing from negative rants and most often ignore them). SNC’s Assurance Argument identifies and discusses the strengths and challenges SNC faces, and the evaluation team will be aware of these. Your interactions with the evaluation team will reinforce our findings and provide strong evidence that we meet the Criteria for Accreditation.

General Questions for Everyone

Sample Questions for Students

Sample Questions for Faculty

Sample Questions for Staff

Sample Questions for Trustees

General Questions for Everyone

• Have you read the SNC Assurance Argument or one of the summaries?
• What do you know about or how would you describe SNC’s mission? How do you contribute to that mission? 
• What do you think is special or what stands out to you about SNC and an SNC education?
• What are SNC’s greatest strengths?
• What are the biggest challenges SNC faces? 
• Does SNC provide sufficient technology support for students and staff?
• How would you describe the campus climate? What are your general opinions about morale?
• Do you believe academics and student success are top priorities at SNC?
• What do you think would most help the College meet its enrollment, diversity, and/or assessment goals? What could be improved or made better? 
• Describe changes that are taking place on campus. What are your opinions of them?

Sample Questions for Students

• What is it like being a student at SNC?
• Why did you choose to enroll at SNC? Have your expectations been met?
• What do you like best about SNC? What would you change if you could? 
• Would you recommend SNC to other students? Why or why not?
• Are our academic programs relevant and current?
• Have you experienced problems getting the courses you need in a timely manner?
• Do you think the College is clear in its communication with students about topics such as financial aid, costs, and graduation requirements? What improvements would you recommend?
• How is the relationship between students and faculty here?
• What opportunities do you have to interact with people and cultures different from your own?
• What opportunities do you have to gain experience related to your career goals?
• Describe the opportunities here for student leadership.
• What opportunities do students have to provide input into important initiatives and decisions?

Sample Questions for Faculty

• What is it like to work at SNC?
• What are the characteristics of an SNC education?
• What is your discipline’s vision for the future? How does this relate to SNC’s vision?
• Talk about shared governance and how faculty participate in decision-making at different levels of the college.
• How would you describe the relationship between faculty and administration? What works and what needs improvement?
• Describe the relationship between SNC faculty and staff. What collaborations currently exist?
• What resources are available to support faculty? Are these sufficient in meeting faculty needs?
• Is your discipline actively involved in assessing student learning and using the outcomes data for program improvement? 
• How are your students doing once they graduate?
• What opportunities do students in your program have to gain experience with research? Community or civic engagement? Diversity or multiculturalism?
• In what ways does the Core achieve its goals for students? How could it be improved?
• What are some current faculty issues? How are faculty members working to address these issues?
• Does your discipline offer courses or programs via distance education? If so, how do you ensure quality?

• Describe any campus processes that could be improved or made more efficient.
• How does SNC support students who are underprepared or struggling?
• What do you believe have been the major accomplishments of SNC over the last ten years? What challenges do you believe SNC will need to deal with in the next ten years?
• How does SNC support the community at large?
• Have SNC administrators established a culture of trust within the university?
• Are you familiar with the College-Wide Learning Outcomes?
• Do you understand the FERPA policy?

Sample Questions Staff

• How does your department support the Catholic, Norbertine, and Liberal Arts Mission? How does your department contribute to student learning and development?
• What is it like to be a staff member at SNC?
• What opportunities do you have for professional development? 
• How are staff involved in campus decision-making processes? Do you think staff have sufficient input into decisions that affect them?
• How would you describe the relationship between staff and administration? What works and what could be improved?
• What are some important benefits about working at SNC? What do you like best about your job? What would you change if you could?
• How do departments across campus work collaboratively? What works well and what could be improved? Do you believe your work is valued?
• How does your department assess or evaluate effectiveness? How are you using assessment findings?
• Describe any campus processes that could be improved or made more efficient.
• What do you believe have been the major accomplishments of SNC over the last ten years?
• Have SNC administrators established a culture of trust within the university?
• What challenges do you believe SNC will need to deal with in the next 10 years?
• What are the biggest resource challenges at SNC?

Sample Questions for Trustees

• Have you read the SNC Assurance Argument or one of the summaries?
• What do you know about or how would you describe SNC’s mission? 
• What are SNC’s greatest strengths? What are the biggest challenges SNC faces? 
• What, if any, governance issues concern or worry you?
• Is there anything in the HLC criteria and/or the College’s Assurance Argument regarding the Board of Trustees that raises questions in your mind?
• What do you think would most help the College meet its enrollment, diversity, and financial goals? What could be improved or made better? 
• Describe changes that are taking place on campus. What are your opinions of them?

Evaluation Categories

Components of a Comprehensive Evaluation

• Assurance Review 
• Federal Compliance Review
• Student Opinion Survey
• Comprehensive, On-site Evaluation Visit Conducted by a Peer Review Team

HLC conducts an Assurance Review to determine whether an institution complies with the Criteria for Accreditation and other HLC requirements. On the Open Pathway, (St. Norbert’s chosen pathway) Assurance Reviews are conducted in Years 4 and 10 as part of broader comprehensive evaluations. SNC has already submitted our Assurance Argument and Evidence File and they are accessible on this website. The Assurance Argument contains a detailed narrative with links to documentation noting how SNC is meeting each criterion and its subcomponents. The links in the Assurance Argument make up the Evidence File. The full Assurance Argument can be found here.  An Executive Summary of our Assurance Argument can be found here. 

HLC conducts a Federal Compliance Review to assure member institutions are meeting their Title IV program responsibilities as well as complying with the expectations of specific regulations accreditors must enforce as a part of their recognition by the U.S. Department of Education. Compliance with these requirements ensures that institutions accredited by HLC are eligible for federal financial aid.

HLC conducts a survey of student opinion to inform peer review teams conducting comprehensive evaluations. HLC will aggregate the data and remove any identifying information of faculty, staff, and students. A report of the survey results will be provided to the team and the institution prior to the visit. 

The team of peer reviewers conducting the comprehensive evaluation reviews these materials in preparation for the on-site visit. The purpose of the on-site visit is to verify that the claims made by the institution in its submitted materials are accurate. Visits typically last 1 ½ days. 

Frequently Asked Questions

About Accreditation and About HLC

What is accreditation?

Why is accreditation important?

What are HLC's Criteria for Accreditation?

What is an "Assurance Argument?"

What is the purpose of the peer review visit?

What happens during the on-site visit?

Who are these "peer reviewers" and how are they selected?

What are my responsibilities during the peer review team's on-site visit? 

How will the findings be reported?

What are the possible outcomes of the visit? 

General FAQs

What can I do to support the HLC review? 

What is accreditation?

• Institutional accreditation validates the quality of an institution's academic programs at all degree levels and modes of delivery. It assures students, parents, and employers that an institution is providing a quality educational experience and doing so with integrity; it also evaluates the institution as a whole, including its governance and administration, adherence to mission, the sustainability of its finances, and the sufficiency of its resources. 

Why is accreditation important?

• Accreditation is important to St. Norbert College because it  provides current and potential students assurance that they are receiving a quality education that will be recognized as such by potential employers or licensing boards as well as by other colleges or universities in case a student transfers or pursues a higher degree. Employer-paid tuition reimbursement programs often require that participants enroll in accredited institutions.
• The U.S. Department of Education recognizes accreditation as a marker to allow the institution to disperse federal (Title IV) student financial aid.

What are HLC's Criteria for Accreditation?

• HLC has five criteria for accreditation:
  • Criterion 1. Mission
  • Criterion 2. Integrity: Ethical and Responsible Conduct
  • Criterion 3. Teaching and Learning: Quality, Resources, and Support
  • Criterion 4. Teaching and Learning: Evaluation and Improvement
  • Criterion 5. Institutional Effectiveness, Resources and Planning

What is an "Assurance Argument?"

• The Assurance Argument is an opportunity for SNC to conduct a self-study to evaluate its ongoing compliance with accreditation criteria. The Assurance Argument contains a detailed narrative with links to documentation noting how SNC is meeting each criterion) and Evidence File (a compilation of documents that provide evidence that SNC is in compliance with HLC’s Criteria for Accreditation). A summary of our Assurance Argument can be found here. The full Assurance Argument can be found here. 

What is the purpose of the peer review visit?

• The on-site visit verifies that the assurances made by the institution in its submitted materials are accurate. The peer reviewers review these materials in preparation for the on-site visit. Peer review team visits typically last 1 ½ days.

What happens during the on-site visit?

• The team chair consults with the review team and the institution’s leaders to develop a schedule. A typical visit includes:
  • Customary meetings and reviews, including with the institution’s leadership, board, and other key individuals and groups.
  • One or more areas of focus determined by the team as needing additional attention.
  • Open forum discussions on the Criteria for Accreditation with institutional stakeholders, including faculty, staff, and students.
  • Other evaluation as required or requested, such as multi-campus and embedded change reviews. (These additional reviews may be conducted prior to or as part of the visit.)

Who are these "peer reviewers" and how are they selected?

• The campus will be visited by a Peer Review Team of trained Consultant Evaluators. These are administrators, staff, and faculty who have been accepted to the Peer Review Corps by the HLC. All peer reviewers are prepared by HLC to ensure they are prepared for on-site visits and familiar with the criteria for accreditation.
• A number of weeks  prior to the visit, HLC sets the peer review team and sends the team roster to the institution. The roster includes information about each peer reviewer’s current institutional affiliation and position and areas of professional expertise. For information on the peer review team, see the letter sent to campus on 3/23/2023.

What are my responsibilities during the peer review team's on-site visit?

• If our peer-review team members ask you to meet with them, please accommodate them by answering their questions to the best of your ability. Ideally, your responses will communicate an awareness of the self-study process as well as reasonable familiarity with the report’s findings. The SNC leaders have provided several modes of support to help you with that.

How will the findings be reported?

• How will the findings be reported?
  • The peer-review team will write a report addressing the five criteria for accreditation and send a draft to the campus shortly after the visit. The team will note components that have and have not been met and any qualifications or concerns. After receiving the draft, the institution has a chance to correct factual errors, and the final report will be submitted to the HLC no more than nine weeks after the visit.

What are the possible outcomes of the visit? 

• The peer-review team may determine that all criteria have been met. If this is the case, there will be no recommended follow-up activities before the next scheduled visit. 
• If there are criteria SNC has not fully met, there is a range of possible actions. For example, SNC may be required to submit progress reports on how the institution is dealing with particular issues and/or monitoring reports that include additional visits by more review teams. This is a common outcome, but one we are trying our best to avoid!

What can I do to support the HLC review?

• Visit the Accreditation webpage
• Attend preparatory meetings 
• Know the SNC Mission Statement.
• Read the infographic criterion summaries and the executive summary. 
• Review examples of questions that the HLC review team may ask. 
• Be available when the visiting team is on campus.