Preparing for UIC’s 2024 accreditation site visit from the Higher Learning Commission

Dear UIC community,

UIC will host its Higher Learning Commission accreditation site visit March 11 and 12, 2024. While the visit is a year away, the preparation process has already begun and involves many individuals across campus.

UIC has been accredited by HLC since 1970 and participates in the “Open Pathway” review cycle. For the upcoming site visit, UIC will have to demonstrate that it continues to meet five criteria in relation to mission, integrity, teaching and learning, evaluation and improvement, and institutional effectiveness and planning. This is done first via a written “Assurance Argument,” and then through a site visit, where reviewers will come to campus, meet with faculty, administrators, staff and students; participate in forums open to the campus; and finalize their evaluation. This is an excellent opportunity to showcase the UIC community, our innovative programs and initiatives and their outcomes, and our identity and mission as an urban, diverse, public research university.

Five dedicated teams of faculty, staff and administrators are working to update the Assurance Argument — a significant commitment that is deeply appreciated. As these teams continue to reach out to different colleges, units, offices, student groups and programs on campus, please give them your full support and responsiveness. We all have a shared interest in UIC providing the best narrative and evidence in support of the university’s continued accreditation. In this process, our goal is to engage the UIC campus through an inclusive, transparent and collaborative process. This includes the outreach and collaboration associated with the work of the criteria teams this spring, but there also will be ways for the campus to engage with the process in fall 2023 through forums and other mechanisms for providing feedback, and through preparing for the site visit.

A site visit process should be inclusive of the perspectives of all our stakeholder groups, including students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni, the UI System and Board of Trustees, and community members. Over the next several months, please consult the UIC HLC website for details regarding the process and timeline, and to stay updated on the progress made by criteria teams involved in the development of the Assurance Argument. You also may contact Director of Accreditation Ritu Subramony for more information on the process.

A site visit is always an opportunity to reflect as a campus on our strengths, our progress in the years since the last site visit and the ways we seek to meet any challenges. We look forward to a successful visit in 2024.

Sincerely,

Javier Reyes
Interim Chancellor

Karen Colley
Acting Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

Nikos Varelas
Vice Provost for Academic Programs and Effectiveness