Hesston College received official notification that accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools has been continued. The next comprehensive evaluation is scheduled for the 2020-21 academic year.

The recommendation for reaccreditation was made following a comprehensive three-day site visit by a team from the Higher Learning Commission in late March. College officials received a letter during the summer confirming approval of the team’s recommendation.

“The accreditation is an affirmation of our strong academic and student life programs and the learning environment provided by employees,” said President Dr. Howard Keim.

Although no focused site visits were requested by the Commission, the college will submit a report in the spring of 2014 on the progress made in the areas of planning and assessment.

Personnel attending the Higher Learning Commission annual meeting last spring learned that the granting of continued accreditation without a required focused visit is becoming less common as accreditation criteria has become more rigorous.

Institutions are assessed on five criteria for accreditation: mission and integrity; preparing for the future; student learning and effective teaching; acquisition, discovery and application of knowledge; and engagement and service.

Keim attributes the positive recommendation to a discerning self-study report, consistency between the report and the team’s findings while on campus and leadership from Vice President of Academics Dr. Sandra Zerger and faculty member Bonnie Sowers.

“The accreditation decision is wonderful affirmation of the quality of education at Hesston College,” said Zerger. “The process of the self-study allowed us to asses ourselves and plan for the future. The site team also provided good advice and counsel we can use in our efforts of continuous improvement.”

As the college evaluates the team’s concluding report and suggestions, campus leaders discuss ways to implement the improvements to enhance the overall student experience.

“Hesston College sees accreditation as our friend, not just a hoop to jump through,” Keim said. “We want to take the team’s suggestions seriously and learn from them.”