Every ten years since 1958, the Higher Learning Commission has been visiting ONU to check up on the University’s progress. The progress made by both the pharmacy and engineering programs, more specifically, is reviewed. February 2015 marks ten years since the HLC was last in Ada during the 2004-2005 school year. Representatives will be visiting the campus next week for three days, from Feb. 23-25.
“Nearly 60 faculty and staff began work two years ago on preparing a self-study document to address the accreditation criteria established by the HLC,” said Dr. Brian Keas, Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs. “Input into the self-study was sought from a variety of constituents, including faculty, staff, students, alumni and community partners through a number of meetings and discussions. The self-study is provided to the HLC prior to their site visit so that they can begin to evaluate ONU against the criteria. Because the re-accreditation process occurs once every 10 years, it is an important event, but in reality, faculty and staff are always working to improve the quality of educational experience for students at ONU.”
The Higher Learning commission is the largest of six regional accreditors, based in the North Central region of the United States that currently has over 1,000 colleges and universities affiliated with their accreditation process. Accreditation is a voluntary measure taken by institutions to provide both public certification and an opportunity for self-improvement through
the accreditation process. The process of accreditation provides the institution with an opportunity for critical self-analysis, leading to improvement in quality and advice from other people within the industry.
ONU has been an accredited institution since the HLC first visited in 1958, and has no plans of discontinuing that service. Dr. Brian Keas added, “If there were any concerns about ONU meeting the criteria for re-accreditation, the HLC would make the concerns known to us and we would make any improvements necessary to maintain accreditation.”
The accreditation process focuses on five distinct categories, and how each member institution meets those categories: Mission, Integrity: Ethical and Responsible Conduct, Teaching and Learning: Quality, Resources and Support, Teaching and Learning: Evaluation and Improvement, Resources, Planning and Institutional Effectiveness
Besides assessing formal educational activities, the HLC evaluates things such as governance and administration, financial stability, admissions and student services, institutional resources, student learning, institutional effectiveness and relationships with internal and external constituencies.
In preparation for the HLC’s site visit this week, ONU officials have been diligently working on a self-study, which lists how and what Ohio Northern is doing to satisfy the above five criteria. Students are invited to view the report online. The visiting HLC team will be speaking with everyone from students and faculty to ONU and Ada community members and University administration. There is a focus on the 5-in-1 model, meaning both that ONU meets the five criteria of HLC accreditation, and tells the story of ONU’s five colleges within a single institution. Students should be prepared to be stopped while walking on campus for a few minutes to speak with one of four or five visiting members of the Higher Learning Commission.
Being an accredited institution is something ONU takes pride in. Dr. Keas stated, “Accreditation is an important recognition for the educational quality at ONU. Because ONU is an accredited university, prospective students know that we offer a high quality education. Additionally, only accredited institutions are allowed to participate in Federal financial aid programs and financial aid is important to most students when looking for a university to attend.”
This re-accreditation process, the University says, is not a once-in-a-decade task, but rather an ongoing reflection of what ONU does well. For more information on the HLC’s upcoming re-accreditation visit, please visit http://www.onu.edu/hlc to review the process.community on this serious issue.