By Alex Greenwood,
June 14, 2024
The 欧美视频 (UCM) has been informed by the Higher Learning
Commission (HLC), that HLC鈥檚 Institutional Actions Council (IAC), has 鈥渃oncurred with
the evaluation findings鈥 of the visiting team鈥檚 recommendations and voted to reaffirm
UCM鈥檚 accreditation. The next Reaffirmation of Accreditation visit is scheduled for
the 2033-2034 academic year.
There were no modifications to the visit team鈥檚 recommendations which means there
will be no interim monitoring required. As the HLC Board of Trustees does not take
separate action on the team鈥檚 recommendations, the decision is final.
This announcement comes after an HLC accreditation team visit to UCM鈥檚 Warrensburg
and Lee鈥檚 Summit campuses March 18-19 this year. The visiting team, comprised of members
from peer institutions, evaluated the university鈥檚 evidence that had been collected
in response to the accreditation process and met with a broad cross section of faculty,
staff, students and UCM鈥檚 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 鈥渉igh caliber of undergraduate and graduate courses and programs鈥 are delivered
consistently regardless of method or location. Further, the final report asserts that
UCM 鈥渨orks 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.鈥
The report also documented that students responded 鈥渧ery favorably鈥 when queried about
their overall experience at the university specifically identifying the 鈥渁ccessibility
and helpfulness鈥 of faculty and staff, alike. Moreover, the visiting team similarly
noted that, 鈥淯CM provides support services suitable for its student population, including
specialized services for the large numbers of graduate and international students
it serves.鈥
鈥淭he university began addressing a stringent accreditation process over four years
ago,鈥 says Dr. Tim Crowley, Vice Provost for Academic Programs and Dean of Graduate
Studies and Research and HLC liaison. 鈥淐ollecting, organizing, and managing all the
data to meet the HLC鈥檚 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.鈥
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鈥檚 continued accreditation.
鈥淚 extend my heartfelt thanks to Tim Crowley for his strong leadership throughout
our HLC reaffirmation efforts,鈥 says Dr. Roger Best, UCM president. 鈥淚 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鈥搕hey work every day to advance UCM鈥檚 mission and to redefine
what鈥檚 possible.鈥
Accreditation guarantees that the 欧美视频 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.
Anyone wishing to further review accreditation information may do so on UCM鈥檚 website or .