Welcome to Shepherd’s HLC accreditation homepage!
Shepherd University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, which accredits colleges and universities in a 19-state region of the United States. Shepherd University last hosted a site team visit for a reaffirmation of accreditation visit on March 7-8, 2016. Shepherd University met all five criteria for accreditation. Using evidence-based data and data-driven results and continuous improvement outcomes from the university’s planning documents, Shepherd University’s 2016 Assurance Argument demonstrated how it complies with the standards of excellence set by the Higher Learning Commission in its criteria for accreditation.
As it moves forward for its November 2021 site team visit, Shepherd University is part of the Commission’s Standard Pathway process for Reaffirmation of Accreditation.
Campus Information Resources:
- SU HLC 2021 Student Opinion Survey – Topline Results
- Shepherd University 2021 Assurance Argument
- SU Assembly Fall 2021 HLC Presentation
- SU BoG June 2021 HLC Update
- SU Assembly Fall 2020 HLC Presentation
- SU-HLC Steering Committee
Introduction to Pathways (Adapted from the HLC Website)
Accreditation assures quality by verifying that an institution (1) meets threshold standards and (2) is engaged in continuous improvement. Both the Standard and Open Pathway feature: a ten-year cycle, a focus on both assurance and improvement, Assurance Reviews in Years 4 and 10, and the use of the HLC electronic Assurance System. All Commission Pathways require: annual filing of the Institutional Update, annual monitoring of financial and non-financial indicators, and adherence to Commission policies and practices on institutional change.
The results from the 2016 HLC Shepherd University Site Team Report and the framework of the HLC Revised Criteria for Accreditation will allow Shepherd to reflect on planning for current and future strategic priorities through continuous growth, improvement and development.
Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
Shepherd University has been accredited since 1950 by the Higher Learning Commission, which accredits U.S. colleges and universities at the institutional level. Accreditation provides assurance to the public and to prospective students that standards of quality have been met.
Thank you for being a part of the process!