HLC Accreditation

The goal of accreditation is to assure students, as well as parents and employers, that a college or university provides a quality educational experience. HLC accreditation assures quality by verifying that an institution meets standards and is engaged in continuous improvement. HLC’s institutional accreditation includes all degree levels as well as on‐site and online offerings. Accreditation provides current and potential students assurance that they are receiving a quality education which will be recognized as such by potential employers or licensing boards as well as by other colleges or universities in case of student transfers or pursuit of a higher degree. Also, employer‐paid tuition reimbursement programs often require that employee participants enroll in accredited institutions. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Education recognizes accreditation as a marker to allow the institution to disperse federal (Title IV) student financial aid (Source)

Internally, there are many reasons why the accreditation process is important and valuable work for Bowling Green State University to undertake. First, it is a chance for systematic institutional self‐reflection – an opportunity to look at the University in all its dimensions and operations for the sake of genuine continuous improvement more so than external compliance. Second, the process provides the opportunity to present ourselves for the judgment of our peers in the higher education community and, through them, to demonstrate to the public at large that we are who we say we are, and that we do what we say we do. We welcome that scrutiny in light of our commitment to quality programming – a promise BGSU has made to its stakeholders.

HLC conducts comprehensive evaluations of member institutions to confirm that the institution continues to meet the Criteria for Accreditation, is pursuing institutional improvement and complies with requirements sets by the U.S. Department of Education (Source)

BGSU's next re-affirmation of accreditation visit by the Higher Learning Commission is set for 2032-2033. 

Assurance Filing is an opportunity for BGSU to tell our story. The format of Assurance Filing is defined by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC):

The institution prepares an Assurance Argument and Evidence File as part of its Assurance Filing. Both of these pieces must be completed in the online Assurance System before the review is scheduled to begin. In the Assurance Argument, the institution demonstrates how it meets each Criterion and Core Component. For each Criterion, the institution offers:

• An articulation of how each Core Component within the Criterion is met.
• A summary statement regarding any additional ways in which the institution fulfills the Criterion that are not otherwise covered in the statements on the Core Components.
• Links to materials in the institution’s Evidence File for each claim or argument made. (Source)

HLC has established Revised Criteria for Accreditation which convey the standards of quality by which the HLC determines whether an institution merits accreditation or reaffirmation of accreditation. An institution must present reasonable and representative evidence of meeting each Criterion.

Revised Criteria Description

Terminology in the Revised Criteria for Accreditation and Assumed Practices

Mission is foundational to an institution’s curriculum, instructional activities and the success of its students. Mission further informs an institution’s research and innovation pursuits, its community engagement activities and services, its role within the higher education ecosystem, its student body, and its decisions regarding operations and resource allocations. When demonstrating that it meets the Criteria for Accreditation, an institution has the opportunity to reflect on the significance of its distinctive mission as well as across the wider higher education landscape. Against these backdrops, the institution is able to speak to its current state, aspirations and plans for the future. 

Watch the following videos for commonly asked questions about the Revised Criteria for Accreditation:

Revised Criteria 1 and 2

Revised Criterion 3

Revised Criterion 4

BGSU complies with HLC's Assumed Practices. 

As part of the reaffirmation of accreditation process, HLC will review BGSU's compliance with federal requirements -- specifically:

1. Assignment of credits, program length and tuition
2. Institutional mechanisms for handling student complaints
3. Publication of transfer policies
4. Practices for verification of student identity
5. Protction of Student Privacy
6. Publication of student outcomes data
   
7. Standing with state and other accrediting agencies
8. Recruiting, Admissions and Related Enrollment Practices

The Federal Compliance reviewer will determine how accurately BGSU meets applicable federal requirements. More information may be found at this link. 

On-site visits occur after the peer review team has reviewed the institutional report and student survey results. The team works with the institution to create the agenda for the visit, which typically includes meetings with the institution’s leadership and board, as well as open forums with faculty, staff and students. Visits typically last 1 1/2 days. The team will remain in the area for an additional day of deliberations after the visit.

Peer reviewers will visit a sampling of the institution’s branch campuses and inform the team conducting the comprehensive evaluation as to the quality of the branch campuses. This means that BGSU's Firelands campus will also be included in any Comprehensive Evaluation. 

The Higher Learning Commission requires that institutions with three or more active additional locations undergo a multi-location visit in Year 3 and Year 8 of the Open Pathway. The visit is conducted by an HLC peer reviewer and involves a representative sample of the institution’s additional locations. The purpose of the multi-location visit is to confirm the continuing effective oversight by the institution of its additional locations. More information may be found at this link.

On the Open Pathway, the Assurance Review is conducted in Year 4 and is a part of the comprehensive evaluation that occurs in Year 10.

BGSU will undergo a 4-year Assurance Review in 2026-2027.

HLC conducts an online survey of the institution’s student body two months prior to the on-site peer review visit. The purpose of the survey is to provide the peer reviewers visiting BGSU baseline data that may help them to form questions for meeting with faculty, staff, and students during the re-affirmation of accreditation visit. The results are aggregated and provided to BGSU prior to the visit. The survey is only meant to provide students with an opportunity to participate in the accreditation process and to inform the peer review team.

The institution submits a proposal for a Quality Initiative project to be completed in Years 5‐9. BGSU’s Quality Initiative was submitted and approved.

Bowling Green State University’s QIP titled Advancing Integrative Learning and Signature Work has the potential to have a significant impact on the institution and on its academic quality. The proposal is an effort by the University to develop cross‐curricular integrative learning practices across academic programs. It involves selecting pilot signature programs for specific academic programs and focuses on helping students with critical thinking, effective communication, creative and critical problem solving, and meta cognition for the transfer of knowledge. BGSU’s QIP directly aligns with the institution’s mission and strategic plan as well as efforts to redefine student success with an emphasis on integrative learning, communication in context, and signature work. The relevance of using integrative learning with signature work can be very important for students. Life is not a series of courses: all learning is connected. Through integrative learning, students can make connections among concepts and apply those concepts to issues or challenges in other fields. The relevance of this cross‐curricular approach is particularly important in today’s world where graduates will have to integrate, apply, and reflect what they have learned. Additionally, this effort may strengthen the general education students need to more fully develop their major academic area of interest.

The QI report will be part of the Comprehensive Review.

• BGSU Quality Initiative Proposal
  
• BGSU Quality Initiative Proposal Approval  

Click on the Quality Initiative link in the left navigation for more information.