Monitoring

Beyond regular institutional reviews, additional monitoring of an accredited institution may be required if HLC determines that an institution is in compliance with the Criteria for Accreditation, but there is a concern regarding the Criteria for Accreditation or other HLC requirements that requires additional HLC follow-up. This routine monitoring may take the form of a required interim report or focused visit.

The HLC president may also assign special monitoring to an institution, including an institutional designation, special monitoring report or advisory visit, as described in policy.

Note: See HLC’s Dues and Fees Schedule for costs associated with monitoring.

Personally Identifiable Information: Institutions should follow HLC’s Personally Identifiable Information Guidelines when submitting any reports or supporting documentation to HLC.

Routine Monitoring

Interim Report

HLC may require an interim report when its goal is to receive specific, important information from the institution, track how the institution is progressing in coping with certain changes or challenges, or receive evidence that the institution’s stated plans have come to fruition. HLC may require an institution to submit the interim report so that it can be reviewed through staff analysis, or HLC may embed the report in a previously scheduled comprehensive evaluation or focused visit.

Interim Report Procedure

Focused Visit

Focused visits occur between comprehensive evaluations and examine specific aspects of an institution. A focused visit is an evaluation of limited scope that reviews specific developments and changes or follows up on concerns identified by a previous evaluation process.

Focused Vist Procedure

Special Monitoring

Institutional Designations

Institutional designations are used to indicate when an institution is in financial distress or under governmental investigation. They allow HLC to respond quickly to developing situations at member institutions and to communicate to students and the public in a timely manner about situations that may affect an institution’s operations.

Institutional Designations Procedure

Special Monitoring Reports and Advisory Visits

HLC’s president may call for a special monitoring report or an advisory visit to an institution to investigate specific issues. Such issues may involve the institution’s governance, operations, finances or other concerns. See HLC’s Special Monitoring policy (INST.F.20.010) for a list of situations that might result in an advisory visit.

The advisory visit is conducted by a team of HLC peer reviewers, who may be accompanied by the institution’s HLC staff liaison or other HLC staff member.

The special monitoring report or team report is not reviewed through HLC’s regular review processes. The HLC president will propose an action in response to the report, which may include a recommendation to HLC’s decision-making bodies for a possible further action, which could include further monitoring, a sanction or other actions within HLC policy and procedures. The institution will have an opportunity to submit a response to the president’s proposed action.

Questions?

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