Southeastern & Institutional Accreditation with HLC

Accreditations and Program Review Schedule

What is the Higher Learning Commission (HLC)?

The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an independent corporation that was founded in 1895 as one of six regional accreditors in the United States. HLC accredits degree-granting post-secondary educational institutions in the United States. HLC is an institutional accreditor, accrediting the institution as a whole.

HLC is governed by a Board of Trustees elected by the membership and administered by a president selected by and accountable to that Board. The current president is Dr. Barbara Gellman-Danley, a former Vice-Chancellor for the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.

Southeastern Oklahoma State University’s current Statement of Accreditation Status with HLC can be viewed here.

The Higher Learning Commission
230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500
Chicago, IL 60604-1413
Phone: 800-621-7440/312-263-0456 Fax: 312-263-7462
Email: info@hlccommission.org

What is accreditation?

Assuring and advancing the quality of higher education by setting higher standards for higher education institutions. Accreditation reviews ensure that SE meets HLC’s Criteria for Accreditation and is pursuing continuous improvement.
Required to be eligible for federal student financial aid. Accreditation reviews ensure that SE follows the U.S. Department of Education requirements, ensuring that students have access to federal funding.
Validates Southeastern Oklahoma State University in requests for public or private support.
HLC affords faculty, staff, students, and other stakeholders the opportunity to submit comments regarding institutions that are undergoing a comprehensive evaluation for Reaffirmation of Accreditation.

Pathways to Reaffirmation of Accreditation: SE is on the Open Pathway—10-Year Cycle

Requires annual reports by the Institutional Research Office and the Chief Financial Officer.
Requires that we notify HLC of significant changes as those changes are made.
Requires a Quality Initiative Project (QIP) proposal and final report in years 5-9.
Requires an updated assurance argument with evidence in years 4 (2018) and 10 (2023-2024).
Requires a site visit in year 10 (Nov. 2023) by a trained peer review team.
SE’s first accreditation approval from HLC was in 1922.
SE’s last 10-Year Comprehensive Evaluation was in 2013-2014.
SE’s next 10-Year Comprehensive Evaluation is in 2023-2024, with a campus visit in Nov. 2023.

HLC’s evaluation includes a Federal Compliance Review, a review of the University’s Assurance Argument, a Student Opinion Survey, and site visit from the HLC peer review team.

HLC 2023 Criteria for Accreditation

SE’s October 2023 Assurance Argument

University Current Accreditation

HLC Reaffirmation Action Letter to SE 2024

HLC’s Multi-Location Review Report of SE June 2022

Individual Criterion draft links available above during SE community feedback period, through Sept. 29. Final draft will be linked here in mid-October

Frequently Asked Questions

When is SE’s Assurance Argument 2023 due to HLC?

Oct. 30, 2023

Who contributed to writing SE’s Assurance Argument 2023?

With the help of multiple offices, departments, and individuals across our campuses, the SE HLC Leadership Team 2023:

Will I have an opportunity to provide feedback on the Assurance Argument before it’s finalized?

Yes. The draft is available Sept 15 – 29 for feedback to improve it. Please submit corrections and further significant updates to the sections related to your area.

Please note that this is not a comprehensive report covering every aspect of SE. Within the 35,000-word count limit, it seeks to provide some highlights of updates since our last review, respond to HLC questions from our 2018 mid-cycle review, and “assure” reviewers that we are meeting the necessary criteria for renewing our accreditation.

When is SE’s campus visit from the HLC reviewer team?

Nov. 27-28, 2023 (Mon. & Tues. after Thanksgiving break)

What will occur during the HLC campus visit?

An external HLC peer review team of 4-5 members will conduct interviews with SE’s faculty, staff, students, and administration.
The team reads our Assurance Argument in advance of their visit and determines a list of questions and a schedule of meetings with university community members and one or two areas of focus.
Team members will seek to validate the evidence that was presented in SE’s Assurance Argument. The Assurance Argument addresses the HLC’s five criteria for accreditation.
During the interviews, the team members will be determining whether SE meets the standards for accreditation.
A report is due to us within two weeks of the visit for a fact check.

What am I expected to know or do to prepare for the HLC visit?

Review SE’s:

- Mission: https://www.se.edu/about/history/
- Campus Master Plan 2022: https://www.se.edu/campus-master-plan/
- Strategic Plan: Vision 2040: https://www.se.edu/strategicplan/
- Assurance Argument 2023

Consider how your office, department, or division contributes to one or more of the HLC criteria.
Consider how your office, department, or division contributes to achieving one or more of the five Focus Areas of SE’s strategic plan.
Review the list of possible questions the HLC Review Team may ask for your area.
- Questions for Students
- Questions for Staff
- Questions for Faculty
- Questions for Everyone
Provide feedback on the Assurance Argument draft when prompted for it, attend forums about preparation, ask questions, offer suggestions, and attend forums scheduled with the review team when they are here for the campus visit.
If you have questions, contact Dr. Susan Ronnenberg AVPAA- Undergraduate Studies sronnenberg@se.edu

SE’s Quality Initiative Project

The Proposal The HLC Review of the Proposal The Quality Initiative Project Report May 2023 The HLC Review of the QIP Report June 2023

University Past Accreditation

HLC’s Mid-Cycle (4-Year) Review Report 2018 SE’s HLC Assurance Argument 2018 (Mid-Cycle 4-Year Review) SE's HLC Assurance Argument 2014 HLC Reaffirmation Action Letter to SE 2014