Although evaluators won’t visit the campus for almost an entire year, Northwest College is continuing to prepare for reaccreditation with the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).

In a voluntary peer-review process, the regional accreditation agency evaluates how well colleges and universities meet certain criteria.

“Accreditation indicates to other colleges and universities — and to the public — that we meet established criteria and will likely continue to meet them,” said NWC President Stefani Hicswa. “Without accreditation, we can neither ensure that transfer institutions will accept our students’ credits, nor can we administer federal financial aid to students — basic elements at the core of any institution of higher education.”

The HLC accredits degree-granting higher education institutions in the 19-state north central region of the country.

“The upcoming visit is a routine part of the accreditation process,” Hicswa explained.

Northwest College’s most recent HLC accreditation was awarded in March 2011. That seven-year accreditation came during former NWC President Paul Prestwich’s administration, much of which was marked by turmoil between faculty and administrators. It was shorter than the previous 10-year accreditation, awarded in November 2000.

Colleges and universities that the commission accredits are evaluated against five criteria, which must be met in order to receive and/or maintain accredited status:

• Mission

• Integrity: ethical and responsible conduct

• Teaching and learning: quality, resources and support

• Teaching and learning: evaluation and improvement

• Resources, planning and institutional effectiveness

“Critical self-analysis is a huge part of the accreditation process because it leads to improving quality,” Hicswa said.

The HLC’s 2011 accreditation report said Northwest College met the five slightly different criteria that were required at the time.

It listed numerous strengths at NWC, such as the college’s library, classroom technology, well-credentialed faculty, multiculturalism, workforce training, dual and concurrent enrollment programs at area high schools, professional development opportunities and local support through the Northwest College Foundation.

The report also identified a few areas where improvement was needed, such as shared governance, planning and student assessment.

A follow-up monitoring visit in 2013 reassessed the issue of shared governance — that is, the system through which opinions and input from constituent groups (faculty, administration, professional staff and students) are solicited and considered in college decisions.

Shared governance also was cited as a concern by previous accreditation teams in 1990 and in 2000.

The 2011 report also expressed concern over the number of experienced faculty members who had retired recently, or would soon retire, often to be replaced by faculty members with much less experience.

As the report predicted, faculty retirements since then have been significant.

This year, Northwest College lost or will lose a combined total of 311 years of experience when 19 people took advantage of an early retirement incentive, designed to help the college reduce its budget to deal with double-digit reductions in revenue.

In 2015, the college lost a combined 268 years of faculty and administrative experience through 10 employee retirements.

Another 11 employees with a combined total of 247 years of experience retired in 2014.

Five professors with 133 years of experience retired in 2013, while Northwest lost a total of 116 years of faculty experience through retirements in 2012.

Added together, those who retired over the past five years had acquired 1,075 years of experience at Northwest College; most were faculty members.

An NWC accreditation steering committee started work on the upcoming re-accreditation process almost two years ago, drafting narratives and gathering evidence to support assertions that the college meets HLC criteria. That writing, informed by input from the campus community, will flow into what the HLC refers to as an “assurance argument” that must be submitted early next summer. 

The public will have an opportunity to provide written comments to the HLC after the first of the year.

An HLC team of consultant evaluators will prepare its recommendation to the commission after visiting NWC on Sept. 11-12, 2017.