Substantive Change: Branch Campuses

Prior HLC approval or notification may be required for substantive changes related to branch campuses. See HLC’s Glossary for our definition of branch campus.

Manage Branch Campus Records in Canopy

Chief Executive Officers, Accreditation Liaison Officers and Location Coordinators can view and update their institution’s branch campus and additional location records in HLC’s Canopy system. To access these records, click on “Location and Campus Update” in the Institution section of the main menu or under the Quick Links section of the Canopy homepage.

Canopy Login

Types of Requests

The following information is provided for general guidance. Institutions planning a change related to a branch campus should contact their HLC staff liaison to confirm that prior HLC approval or notification is required.

Opening, Relocation or Closure

Prior HLC Approval Required

How to Apply

Submit the Branch Campus and Additional Location Application. Institutions may request approval for one branch campus per application.

Possible Review Processes

Change Panel or Desk Review

Review and Decision-Making Timeline

Approximately three to five months from submission of complete application, depending on review process

Follow-up Evaluation

If the branch campus is approved, a campus evaluation visit will be conducted within six months of matriculation of students and the initiation of instruction at the additional location.

Prior HLC Approval Required

How to Apply

Submit the Branch Campus and Additional Location Application . In the application, indicate that the institution is closing the branch campus at the original address and opening it at a new address. The institution should include its plan for teaching out students at the campus’s original address in the application.

Possible Review Processes

Change Panel or Desk Review

Review and Decision-Making Timeline

Approximately three to five months from submission of complete application, depending on review process

Follow-up Evaluation

If the branch campus is approved, a campus evaluation visit will be conducted within six months of matriculation of students and the initiation of instruction at the additional location.

Prior HLC Approval Required

How to Apply

Submit a Provisional Plan for teaching out students at the branch campus. See HLC’s Teach-Out Procedure for instructions for creating and submitting a Provisional Plan.

Review Process

Desk Review

Review and Decision-Making Timeline

Approximately three months from submission of Provisional Plan

Reclassification

Prior HLC Approval Required

If an institution increases its operation at an approved additional location to the point where it would be considered a branch campus, the institution should apply for approval of the location as a branch campus.

How to Apply

Submit the Branch Campus and Additional Location Application.

Possible Review Processes

Change Panel or Desk Review

Review and Decision-Making Timeline

Approximately three to five months from submission of complete application, depending on review process

Follow-up Evaluation

If the branch campus is approved, a campus evaluation visit will be conducted within six months of matriculation of students and the initiation of instruction at the campus.

HLC Notification Required

If an institution decreases its operation at an approved branch campus to the point where it would be considered an additional location, the institution should contact HLC to change its location classification.

How to Notify HLC

Submit a letter explaining why the location no longer meets the branch campus definition and confirming that it has all the elements of the additional location definition. The letter should also include the exact name and street address of the branch campus in question. Submit this information as a single PDF file at hlcommission.org/upload. Select ”Change Requests“ from the list of submission options to ensure that the letter is sent to the correct HLC staff member.

Please note: Once a branch campus has been reclassified as an additional location, the action cannot be reversed. In the event that the institution wishes to reclassify that location to a branch campus, it will have to reapply for the branch campus designation and host a campus evaluation visit upon approval.

Questions?

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