New Peer Reviewers Selected

Thank you to all who applied to the Peer Corps during the fall 2023 application period! Selections have been made and more than 200 new members of the Corps will be trained to become active reviewers in 2024. Read about how the new reviewers were selected and what’s next for the Peer Corps. 

Recruitment and Selection    

As this was the first time HLC recruited for new peer reviewers in over a year, this application cycle generated a highly competitive pool of more than 500 applicants. Each applicant was initially screened by examining the minimum requirements as well as their cover letter, resume/CV and professional references. The applications were also screened with an emphasis on areas of critical need and the Diversity Initiative, as well as a focus on aligning new peer reviewers with underrepresented HLC membership Carnegie classifications. The screening resulted in 70% of the applicants moving forward in the process to the next stage.  

Various HLC staff members that interact with peer reviewers were assigned a group of applicants to review in detail. Applicants were selected based on feedback from staff members, meeting minimum requirements, responses from the applicants’ references, meeting any identified needs in the Peer Corps and trying to select new peer reviewers from institutions that didn’t already have an active peer reviewer. 

After rigorous review, approximately 44% of the original applicant pool was accepted. This was the maximum number of peer reviewers we can train in 2024.

Training 

Because of the size and quality of applications in this cycle, we selected new peer reviewers for both spring and fall training. Each training will consist of two virtual sessions and one in-person session in the Chicago area. 

The training, led by HLC staff members and experienced peer reviewers, will cover reviewing a fictional institution’s Assurance Argument, identifying evidence, writing solid evidence statements, engaging with members of the campus community during a site visit, and working successfully with the team and chair to meet deadlines in the process. New Peer Corps members will come out of the training process prepared to take on their first review. 

We also encourage active peer reviewers to attend the 2024 HLC Annual Conference April 13–16 in Chicago, including the Peer Review Updates and Training program on Saturday, April 13. While all trained peer reviewers are invited, the program is designed for peer reviewers who have some review experience. 

Applying to the Peer Corps

Our needs for the Peer Corps will continue to change over time as we strive to accurately reflect and represent our membership. The next opportunity to apply will be in fall 2024. Previous applicants that were not selected are eligible to apply again. 

Didn’t apply this time but think the peer reviewer role may be right for you? Learn more about the role and who we’re looking for. There will also be opportunities to learn more about the peer reviewer role at the 2024 HLC Annual Conference General Program.  

Be sure you’re subscribed to HLC’s Leaflet newsletter to get the latest information about the application cycle.  

Questions? 

 Contact [email protected].