Soaring to Success: Our Reaffirmation Journey
Join us as we Soar to Success—exploring, learning, and growing together as we prepare for our next reaffirmation!
Accreditation is a continuous process that takes place throughout the Higher Learning Commission’s ten-year accreditation cycle. While this work happens every day across our institution, the time leading up to a reaffirmation visit provides an opportunity to deepen engagement, reflect on our progress, and prepare to share our story.
Soaring to Success: Our Reaffirmation Journey highlights how our campus community is coming together to build awareness, strengthen our practices, and celebrate the work that supports student success and institutional quality.
While many of our preparation activities focus on employee learning and engagement, we also want to share our journey with students, community members, advisory board members, and other partners. This webpage will provide updates and information about accreditation, and we will host additional events and outreach opportunities throughout the year to help our broader community learn more about our reaffirmation process.
Laying the Foundation
While our Soaring to Success reaffirmation journey officially launched during the Spring 2026 Convocation, the work to prepare began well before that moment.
In summer of 2025, the institution formed an HLC Core Team consisting of the Provost, the Dean for Assessment and Accreditation, and criterion leads. This group provides overall leadership and direction for our reaffirmation efforts. At the same time, a communications and engagement team was established to develop the theme for our professional development series, coordinate logistics, and support criterion teams as they planned campus-wide learning experiences.
Beginning in early Fall of 2025, criterion teams started meeting regularly. Their first priority was to conduct a SWOT analysis to identify institutional strengths as well as opportunities for growth related to each of the Higher Learning Commission criteria. This work helped guide both planning and future improvements.
These efforts build on the ongoing work of the Assessment and Accreditation Committee, which plays a central role in supporting accreditation across the institution. The committee began preparing for the upcoming reaffirmation as early as April of 2024 with a SWOT analysis focused on federal compliance requirements. In January of 2025, the committee continued this work by conducting a SWOT analysis of HLC’s Assumed Practices.
Soaring to Success
Soaring to Success is our campus-wide professional development series designed to prepare for reaffirmation with the Higher Learning Commission while building a deeper understanding of accreditation across our institution.
Inspired by our identity as the Aviators, we created a travel-themed journey that
invites employees to explore accreditation in an engaging and meaningful way. Throughout
the year, participants will “board” a series of flights during campus-wide professional
development sessions, each taking them to a new destination.
Each destination represents one of the Higher Learning Commission criteria for accreditation and provides an opportunity to learn more about how our institution meets expectations for quality, integrity, and student success.
As employees travel through the journey, they will not only gain a stronger understanding of accreditation but also see how their daily work contributes to these efforts. Together, we are building awareness, strengthening our practices, and working collaboratively to prepare for our next reaffirmation visit.
By learning together, we will Soar to Success.
Explore Our Journey
Soaring to Success is designed as a year-long, travel-themed professional development
experience consisting of two key components: campus-wide sessions and a personalized
learning experience in Canvas.
Throughout the year, employees will come together for campus-wide professional development sessions, each representing a new destination connected to one of the Higher Learning Commission criteria. These shared experiences introduce key concepts, highlight institutional practices, and build a common understanding of accreditation.
Between sessions, employees can continue their journey through the Canvas course “HLC Accreditation,” where tour packages provide opportunities to explore each criterion more deeply. These self-paced activities help participants connect accreditation concepts to their individual roles and daily work.
Follow our Soaring to Success journey by selecting a destination below to explore highlights, resources, and experiences from each step in our reaffirmation process with the Higher Learning Commission.
Each destination builds on the last, creating a shared journey toward understanding, engagement, and continuous improvement across our institution.
The Aviator Frequent Flier Program
As part of our Soaring to Success journey, employees can earn Frequent Flier Miles by participating in learning activities and engagement opportunities throughout the year in the Canvas course “HLC Accreditation.” Each destination includes a series of tour packages featuring a variety of excursions and activities designed to deepen employees’ understanding of accreditation and connect it to their daily work.
How to Earn Miles
Employees can earn miles by completing:
Solo activities such as self-paced learning activities
Group activities completed with departments or divisions
Bonus opportunities like surveys, events, and special challenges offered throughout the journey
Top Travelers
Top Solo Explorer
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Candace Gross Points: 9,790 |
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Top Travel Companions
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Finance & Administration |
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Progress updates will be shared throughout the year as we continue our journey.
Every mile earned represents a deeper understanding of how our work supports accreditation and student success.