IVAN HILTON SCIENCE BUILDING INFORMATION

Las Vegas, N.M. – Highlands University’s monthly accreditation forum Nov. 21 highlighted the new accreditation website and ways for the university community to volunteer with the accreditation process.

Highlands English professor Brandon Kempner is directing the university’s Higher Learning Commission accreditation and presented the forum. He and Highlands President Sam Minner are co-chairing the steering committee to resolve the HLC concerns.

Kempner said the university’s accreditation website is designed to allow the campus community to track our accreditation progress.

“The action plans on the website demonstrate how we will resolve each of the HLC concerns, with the necessary evidence provided,” Kempner said. “The website contains a wealth of information and is continually updated.”

The website is www.nmhu.edu/hlc.

At the forum, Kempner encouraged the campus community to volunteer to work on accreditation subcommittees that will work to develop the assurance report that will be presented to the HLC by Nov. 1, 2017.

“The accreditation subcommittees will be part of our open and transparent accreditation process, with a team for each area of concern. We’d like a nice cross section of the university on subcommittees including faculty, staff, administrators and students. This will make a strong statement to the HLC that we are committed to improving our university,” Kempner said.

Kempner added that the more Highlands University people involved in the accreditation process the better. He will be sending a global email with additional details about volunteering.

Those interested in volunteering may contact Kempner via email at bkempner@nmhu.edu.

The forum also included a discussion about the new Highlands budget process and how it is now tied to the strategic plan. In addition, details were provided about increasing financial reserves. The budget documents discussed are online for review at www.nmhu.edu/finance-and-administration/.

“In my view, this new strategic budget process is how we as a university move toward excellence,” Minner said.

Videos of the monthly accreditation forums are posted on the university’s accreditation website. In addition, all the forums are broadcast in real time using a live-streaming technology called Zoom with the university’s statewide centers, as well as others unable to attend the forums in person.

The Higher Learning Commission is Highlands University’s accreditor. On Aug. 31, 2016, the HLC placed Highlands on probation, noting areas that needed improvement. Highlands is still accredited with the the Higher Learning Commission while the university works to address the concerns the HLC identified.

An accreditation FAQs page for Highlands is online at www.nmhu.edu/accreditation-faqs/.

The Higher Learning Commission accredits approximately 1,000 colleges and universities that have a home base in one of the 19 states that stretch from Virginia to Arizona. The HLC is a private nonprofit regional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Faculty, staff, students, parents, and others from the general public with questions regarding the HLC’s work should contact the Higher Learning Commission by email at info@hlcommission.org or 312-263-0456.

For specific questions about Highlands’ accreditation, please contact us at hlcinfo@nmhu.edu