Higher Learning Commission Reaccreditation

HLC is a private not-for-profit company that is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to act on its behalf as an institutional accrediting agency. Higher education is overseen by the “Triad,” which is made up of an accrediting body such as the HLC, a state’s higher education regulatory agency and the U.S. Department of Education, each with a distinct role in higher education oversight.

The goal of accreditation is to assure students, as well as parents and employers, that a college or university provides a quality educational experience.

Additionally, the U.S. Department of Education recognizes accreditation as a marker to allow the institution to disperse federal (Title IV) student financial aid.

During the visit, the team of Peer Reviewers will meet formally with students, staff, faculty, administrators, Board of Trustee members, and alumni. As they walk across campus they will also engage informally with the Dunwoody community. The team will seek to verify the information Dunwoody provided in its Assurance Argument.

Throughout the coming year, Dunwoody will provide opportunities for its community to engage in preparatory sessions as part of the reaccreditation process. Information about these opportunities will be posted on this webpage, as well as in the DC Weekly/Dunwoody Observer.   

The team drafts its report within four to six weeks following the site visit. The institution may review the report and the team’s recommendations for errors of fact before the team submits its final report to HLC. The institution may also submit a response to the team report. The final team report and institutional response are then sent to the Institutional Actions Council for review and action.