Accreditation
Highland Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and authorized by the Kansas Board of Regents. Following the HLC Open Pathway, HCC focuses on continuous improvement and quality assurance through a 10-year accreditation cycle. Explore HCC’s accreditation reports, Quality Initiative projects, and Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP) portfolios demonstrating the College’s ongoing commitment to academic excellence and institutional integrity.
Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
Highland Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and is authorized to operate by the Kansas Board of Regents. The HLC accreditation pathway the College has chosen to follow is called Open Pathway.
The Open Pathway is one of three options institutions have for maintaining their accreditation with HLC. It follows a 10-year cycle and, like all pathways, is focused on quality assurance and institutional improvement. The Open Pathway is unique in that its improvement component, the Quality Initiative, affords institutions the opportunity to pursue improvement projects that meet their current needs and aspirations.
- HLC Interim April 2020: Report | Appendices
- HLC Multi-Location Visit September 2021: Report | Appendices | Peer Review Report
Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP)
AQIP is an eight year cycle of improvement activities that include attendance at a Strategy Forum, having active Action Projects at all times, the creation and enhancement of an institutional Systems Portfolio which describes the operations of the College, filing a Federal Compliance report, a Comprehensive Quality Review, and Reaffirmation.
The College's first two portfolios were submitted in 2007 and 2011 and contained information relating to nine separate categories. That format has been improved to include six categories:
- Helping Students Learn,
- Meeting Student and Other Key Stakeholder Needs,
- Valuing Employees,
- Planning and Leading,
- Knowledge Management and Resource Stewardship,
- Quality Overview.
College personnel completed the third portfolio using the new Categories in November of 2016.
- Action Projects 2015
- Portfolio I 2007
- Portfolio Feedback Report I 2007
- Quality Checkup Visit 2009
- Quality Program Summary 2009
- Federal Compliance 2010 - missing
- Portfolio II 2011
- Portfolio III 2016
- AAS Degree and Certificate Programs
- Table 1.17 Students Outcomes Results for Math Courses
- HCC Campus Safety and Compliance Management Chart
- Table 2.13: Methods for Determining Stakeholder Groups’ Needs and Requirements
- Table 2.20: HCC Business Collaborations & Partnerships
- HCC Hiring Process for Permanent Employees
- HCC New Adjunct Hiring Process
- IT Department New Staff Hire Process
- Employee Performance Review and Improvement Plan
- Form is mentioned in the portfolio but is no longer used
- Employee Performance Review Form
- Current form completed by the employees as part of Performance Review
- Supervisor Performance Review Form
- Current form completed by the supervisor as part of Performance Review
- HCC Compliment and Complaint Process
- Online Feedback Form
- Table 4.2 Summary Results of Measures
- Table 4.3 Goals Related to Mission Comparison From 2013 and 2016
- Table 4.4: Strategic Plan
- Table used in the Portfolio document about our Strategic Plan
- 2016-2019 HCC Strategic Plan
- Strategic Plan as of 2018. The actual plan is an evolving shared document updated regularly by our Strategic Planning Council.
- Table 4.5 Climate Survey
Associate Degree in Nursing Accreditation
The associate degree nursing program at the Highland Community College Technical Center located in Atchison, KS is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), 3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400 Atlanta, GA 30326. (404) 975-5000
The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the associate degree nursing program is Initial Accreditation.