Higher Learning Commission Site Visit Video Helps the Community Prepare

Governors State recently released a two-minute video that provides an overview of the upcoming April 27-28 campus visit by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), an independent corporation that reviews post secondary institutions to ensure quality higher education offerings.

The institutional accreditor looks at the university as a whole, from its mission to its outcomes, to determine if programs and initiatives meet the requirements for the 10-year accreditation.

The HLC stamp of approval is critical.

“Most public, four-year universities like Governors State are regionally accredited, which makes students eligible for federal financial aid and allows credits to transfer more easily from one college or university to another,’’ says the narrator in the Higher Learning Commission Site Visit April 2020 video.

The accreditation also helps ensure undergraduate degrees will be accepted in order for students to continue to the graduate level.

In preparation for the visit, the university has formed the Strategic Planning Committee, a 27-member strong committee to study and evaluate Vision 2020, the comprehensive plan that guides the university’s priorities and programs. Vision 2020 expires at the end of the 19-20 academic year and the planning committee has drafted a preliminary Strategy 2025 for the consideration of the Board of Trustees.

Provost Beth Cada leads the Strategic Planning Committee. She said it's important for the entire campus to be informed and engaged.

"This is an opportunity to showcase that Governors State University is living out our mission to offer an exceptional and accessible education that prepares students with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to succeed in a global society."