Arkansas State University - Newport

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About HLC Accreditation

What is HLC?

The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an independent corporation that was founded in 1895 as one of six regional institutional accreditors in the United States. HLC accredits degree-granting post-secondary educational institutions in the North Central region, which includes the 19 states including Indiana.

What is accreditation?

Accreditation is formal recognition of the quality of an educational institution. Accreditation is granted by HLC as a result of a systematic evaluation of the institution as a whole. Their evaluation will include a review of educational activities, governance, administration, financial stability, admissions, student services, institutional resources, student learning, institutional effectiveness, and relationships with internal and external constituencies.

Why is institutional accreditation important?

Institutional accreditation provides recognition that an institution meets certain quality standards. Accreditation means that credits and degrees earned will be respected by employers and other educational institutions. Accreditation facilitates transferability of coursework and it provides access to student financial aid and certain federal funding opportunities.

ASU-Newport is continually evaluated according to the following five criteria: 

  1. Mission – Is our mission clear to our communities, students, faculty and staff? Does our mission guide our operations at ASUN?
  2. Integrity – Ethical and responsible Conduct- Do we act with integrity? Do we act in and ethical and responsible way at ASUN?
  3. Teaching and Learning: Quality, Resources, and Support – Do we provide quality education at all locations? Are our programs and courses consistent regardless of how or where we teach them?
  4. Teaching and Learning: Evaluation and Improvement – Do we demonstrate quality in our programs, environments, and support services? Do we evaluate and continuously improve our effectiveness at ASUN?
  5. Institutional Effectiveness, Resources and Planning – Are our resources, structures, and processes sufficient to fulfill our mission. Do we support the continual improvement and quality of our programs and courses? Are we equipped to respond to future challenges and opportunities we may face?