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.
Note: See HLC’s Dues and Fees Schedule for costs associated with a focused visit.
Institutional Report
Institutions must provide the peer review team and HLC with an electronic packet of information four weeks prior to a focused visit.
Required Materials
Please submit the following materials. Any additional items will not be reviewed. The information should be no more than 100 pages and must be submitted as a single PDF document.
- Institutional Focused Visit Report. The content of the report should demonstrate the institution’s progress in addressing the areas specified as the focus for the visit. Evidence and supporting documentation should be incorporated into the Institutional Focused Visit Report. The report includes:
- A brief description of institutional history and context.
- The institution’s response to the concerns raised by HLC.
- Evidence that the institution has addressed the issues raised by HLC.
- A list of additional evidence available to the peer review team.
- A list of links to Faculty/Staff Handbooks, Student Handbook and Institutional Catalog.
- Additional materials, as requested. HLC or the peer review team may request additional information during the review process.
Material Guidelines
All materials must be submitted in PDF format. Therefore, an individual with expertise in using appropriate PDF software, such as Adobe Acrobat, should prepare the materials for submission.
Documents should be bookmarked, indexed and searchable with links to internal documents that allow for ease of movement across chapters, sections and subsections. Include pagination and organizational strategies that make it easy for the reader to navigate within the document. Printed documents should not be scanned to create a PDF, as the document will result in a large file size that is not searchable.
Personally Identifiable Information
When submitting documents, the institution should carefully consider whether documents containing personally identifiable information (PII) must be included. If the documents must be included for evaluative purposes, please redact the PII where possible. If redaction of the PII will interfere with the evaluative value of the document, please clearly identify the document as containing PII (for example, through a cover page or prominent notation on the document). Institutions are not expected to redact or identify information or documents where the only PII included is employee or Board member names and work contact information.
PII is any information about an individual that allows the individual to be specifically identified. This includes, but is not limited to: name, address, telephone number, birthday, email, social security number, bank information, etc. A document does not include PII if personal information is de-identified (for example, student financial receivables without student names or bank routing information) or is provided in the aggregate (for example, data on faculty qualifications). See HLC’s PII Guidelines for more information.
Document Submission
Institutions should submit all materials electronically. Please do not submit hard copies of materials to peer reviewers or to HLC, unless directed to do so by HLC.
Documents for HLC
Upload the required documents to hlcommission.org/upload. Select “Visit Materials” from the list of submission options to ensure the institution’s materials are sent to the correct HLC staff member. In the message box, please include the institution name and specify the visit type (e.g. Narnia University – Focused Visit). Do not send any documents to HLC via email.
Documents for the Team
The institution should send each peer review team member the same materials it submitted to HLC. Documents can be submitted to the peer review team via email or using a secure link to a download site.
Note: If the team requests additional documents during the course of the review, the institution should also provide those documents to HLC through the process above. Documents should be provided in a single PDF named “Institution X Team Requested.”
Team Visit and Decision Making
Focused visits are typically conducted by a team of two peer reviewers for two days. Some unique visits may require several days and several team members. The team’s basic role is to evaluate the areas specified as the focus of the visit and to provide HLC with a report on developments related to those areas. If matters raising accreditation concerns outside the focus of the visit come to the attention of the team in the course of its evaluation, it notes them in its report and recommends additional follow up as appropriate. However, if clear evidence of noncompliance with the Criteria for Accreditation comes to the attention of the team in the course of its evaluation, regardless of whether such evidence relates to the focus of its visit, it can make such recommendations as appropriate under HLC policy, including the imposition of sanctions, the issuance of a Show-Cause Order and if circumstances warrant and, in very rare situations, withdrawal of status.
Focused visit recommendations go to the Institutional Actions Council for final action.
