HLC renews university’s accreditation

The Higher Learning Commission has approved St. Thomas for re-accreditation after 2 ½ years of preparation, which included a thorough self-study conducted by the university.

Re-accreditation means that the university is able to formally prove that it has met standards set by the HLC and is qualified to receive federal financial aid and research grants. Lucy Payne, accreditation liaison officer, said the university was accredited because of its high quality programs, faculty and staff.

“It’s the stuff we do everyday that allows us to keep the accreditation. It’s not just a one-time thing,” Payne said.

The lower quad at the University of St. Thomas served as the cover photo for the self-study conducted by the Academic Assessment and Accreditation department. The Higher Learning Commission renewed the university's accreditation in March. (Photo courtesy of Mike Ekern, University Relations) — The lower quad at the University of St. Thomas served as the cover photo for the self-study conducted by the Academic Assessment and Accreditation department. The Higher Learning Commission renewed the university’s accreditation in March. (Photo courtesy of Mike Ekern, University Relations)

Payne said that in the past, the accreditation renewal process was conducted every decade, but starting in the 2017-2018 school year, the HLC will be using a more interactive and frequent model called Pathways.

“Now they require an improvement project, so this year they wanted us to include additional information about assessment,” Payne said. “We have full accreditation, and they just asked us to provide some additional information.”

St. Thomas’ accreditation status allows students’ degrees and transfer credits to be recognized by regional institutions.

“We have policies at our graduate levels that say we only take students who have regionally accredited degrees, so there are other colleges around the cities who don’t hold regional accreditation,” Payne said. “If they applied to come to St. Thomas, we don’t acknowledge their undergraduate degree, so we wouldn’t accept them. So, this is a mark of quality for students.”

Sophomore Laurel Eyer said she expected St. Thomas to go above and beyond the accreditation standard.

“I’m really glad that our nation has education standards that are able to uphold each university,” Eyer said.

Payne said the HLC does multiple check-ins for the federal government to ensure the university has enough time allocated for classes and meets federal guidelines.

HLC representatives came to St. Thomas in November, and St. Thomas received the official report saying the university met criteria in March.

“The accreditation process is a very lengthy process. It’s an ongoing relationship with the commission,” Payne said.

Senior Lauren Valente said she is happy the university is doing its best to benefit students.

“Finding jobs will be easier because our school has this accreditation that stands for what employers are wanting to find: proper teachers, proper education,” Valente said. “All that does (is) benefit you more.”