Additional Board Procedures

Prior Notice to Member Institutions of Certain Intended Actions 

HLC will notify an institution of the following intended actions by the Board, prior to the Board taking action: 

1. Placing an institution on Probation, in situations where the process leading to the Board’s intended action has not included a recommendation for Probation, a Show-Cause Order, or withdrawal of accreditation. 
2. Issuing a Show-Cause Order to an institution, in situations where the process leading to the Board’s intended action has not included a recommendation for Probation, a Show-Cause Order, or withdrawal of accreditation.  
3. Withdrawing accreditation, in situations where the process leading to the Board’s intended action has not included a recommendation for withdrawal of accreditation.  
4. Withdrawing candidacy, in situations where the process leading to the Board’s intended action has not included a recommendation for withdrawal of candidacy. 
5. Denying initial accreditation to an institution that has candidacy status, except where HLC is denying an application for early initial accreditation prior to the end of the institution’s four-year term of candidacy with a possible extension for a fifth year for good cause, in situations where the process leading to the Board’s intended action has not included a recommendation for denial of initial accreditation.  

The notification from the Board will include the rationale for the intended action. The Board also will notify the institution when it will take the intended action, either at a regular meeting or through any means permitted by policy. The institution will have thirty days to provide an institutional response to the notice of the Board’s intended action. The Board will consider the institution’s response, if any, prior to taking any action. 

Board Committee Hearings 

HLC shall make a Board Committee Hearing available to a member institution, prior to a decision by the Board to: 

• deny initial accreditation to an institution that has candidacy status, except where HLC is denying an application for early initial accreditation prior to the end of the institution’s four-year term of candidacy with a possible extension for a fifth year for good cause;  
• withdraw candidacy, except where the withdrawal decision is related to a recommendation of the President regarding the Obligations of Membership, the institution ceasing to operate as an institution of higher education, or failing to maintain authorization to operate as an institution of higher education and grant degrees in HLC’s jurisdiction; or 
• withdraw accreditation, except where the withdrawal decision is related to a recommendation of the President regarding the Obligations of Membership, the institution ceasing to operate as an institution of higher education, or failing to maintain authorization to operate as an institution of higher education and grant degrees in HLC’s jurisdiction. 

HLC shall make a Board Committee Hearing available to an institution prior to a decision by the Board concluding a Show-Cause Order process.  

An institution may waive a Board Committee Hearing in writing according to a timeline provided by HLC. 

An institution may only have one Board Committee Hearing related to a single institutional decision. 

Board Committee Hearing Process 

A Board Committee Hearing will be conducted according to a timeframe and procedures established by the Board. A Board Committee will consist of three to five Board members and be selected by a vote of the Board members. 

A transcript shall be made of a Board Committee Hearing. This transcript will be provided to the institution, and the institution will be given an opportunity to provide a response to the transcript. The transcript and the institutional response, if any, will be made available to all members of the Board prior to their taking action. Moreover, members of the Board Committee will make an oral report to the full Board of the contents of the hearing prior to the Board taking action.  

Policy History

Last Revised: June 2022 
First Adopted: June 2006  
Revision History: revised June 2008, December 2009, February 2011, November 2019, June 2021, November 2021, June 2022 
Notes: Policies combined November 2012 – 2.2(i), 2.2(j), 2.2(j)1. In February 2021, references to the Higher Learning Commission as “the Commission” were replaced with the term “HLC.”