University of Central Missouri’s Accreditation Renewed by Higher Learning Commission
The University of Central Missouri (UCM) has been informed by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), that HLC’s Institutional Actions Council (IAC), has “concurred with the evaluation findings” of the visiting team’s recommendations and voted to reaffirm UCM’s accreditation. The next Reaffirmation of Accreditation visit is scheduled for the 2033-2034 academic year.
There were no modifications to the visit team’s recommendations which means there will be no interim monitoring required. As the HLC Board of Trustees does not take separate action on the team’s recommendations, the decision is final.
This announcement comes after an HLC accreditation team visit to UCM’s Warrensburg and Lee’s Summit campuses March 18-19 this year. The visiting team, comprised of members from peer institutions, evaluated the university’s evidence that had been collected in response to the accreditation process and met with a broad cross section of faculty, staff, students and UCM’s Board of Governors as part of their evaluation.
The final report builds a clear picture of a student-centric and service-oriented institution committed to maintaining a pervasive standard of integrity throughout all its operations particularly relating to academic rigor. The report noted that the “high caliber of undergraduate and graduate courses and programs” are delivered consistently regardless of method or location. Further, the final report asserts that UCM “works hard and consistently to assure the quality of its academic offerings through program reviews, program-specific accreditations and an established process to assess student learning outcomes.”
The report also documented that students responded “very favorably” when queried about their overall experience at the university specifically identifying the “accessibility and helpfulness” of faculty and staff, alike. Moreover, the visiting team similarly noted that, “UCM provides support services suitable for its student population, including specialized services for the large numbers of graduate and international students it serves.”
“The university began addressing a stringent accreditation process over four years ago,” says Dr. Tim Crowley, Vice Provost for Academic Programs and Dean of Graduate Studies and Research and HLC liaison. “Collecting, organizing, and managing all the data to meet the HLC’s five criteria is a herculean task for any institution. If we conduct ourselves properly, we demonstrate our alignment with these criteria daily, and the accreditation process allows us to prove it. I was fortunate to work with dedicated colleagues, and this outcome reflects thousands of hours of work beyond our regular duties. It truly was a team effort.”
The steering committee for the HLC process, comprised of chair Tim Crowley, Dawn Anderson, Shari Bax, Sarah Craig, Janette Klein, Josiah Nyangau, Susan Smedley, and Stephen Terry led criterion subcommittees that collected, evaluated and documented the evidence supporting UCM’s continued accreditation.
“I extend my heartfelt thanks to Tim Crowley for his strong leadership throughout our HLC reaffirmation efforts,” says Dr. Roger Best, UCM president. “I also want to express my deep appreciation to all the members of the steering committee and criterion committees for their diligent work in preparing the report and executing the reaffirmation visit. Continuation of accreditation, particularly with no required monitoring reports, is a significant achievement and demonstrates the deep commitment of our faculty and staff to our students and their success. I am incredibly proud of our dedicated and selfless faculty and staff–they work every day to advance UCM’s mission and to redefine what’s possible.”
Accreditation guarantees that the University of Central Missouri offers a high-quality education recognized by employers, licensing boards, and other universities. It also allows UCM to distribute federal student financial aid and is often required for employer-paid tuition reimbursement programs.