51社区

51社区 continues to make progress in its institutional preparation for its Higher Learning Commission (HLC) comprehensive evaluation (i.e. 鈥�reaffirmation of accreditation (opens in a new window)鈥�). It鈥檚 a process that will continue to involve everyone 鈥� from faculty, staff and students to the valued stakeholders across each of OHIO鈥檚 communities.

OHIO鈥檚 formal reaffirmation process will culminate in a peer review team visit in March 2025 (opens in a new window).鈥疻hile based on the Athens campus, reviewers also will visit the Lancaster and Eastern campuses. More information on OHIO鈥檚 Reaffirmation of Accreditation may be found on its鈥�reaffirmation of accreditation website (opens in a new window).鈥�

Why is accreditation important? 

Accreditation is a vital aspect of OHIO鈥檚 commitment to excellence and continuous quality improvement. This process allows OHIO to publicly demonstrate both its academic quality and the value it provides to our students, stakeholders, communities and more. 

Additionally, the process provides valuable feedback from experts in the field and offers insight into how 51社区 is meeting higher education quality standards; it also provides an opportunity to demonstrate our institutional effectiveness.鈥�

Only accredited institutions are eligible to receive federal funds for higher education, including student financial aid and research funding. In addition to demonstrating the worth of an OHIO degree, accreditation helps to ensure that a student鈥檚 transfer credits will be accepted by other accredited schools. Some graduate schools or programs only accept students with degrees from accredited schools.

What is OHIO鈥檚 pathway for reaffirmation of accreditation?

The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) offers two pathways to Reaffirmation of Accreditation: Standard and Open. Through鈥痶he Open Pathway (opens in a new window), 51社区 engages in a 10-year evaluation cycle to reaffirm compliance with HLC requirements and pursue institutional improvement.鈥�

After HLC discontinued the AQIP Pathway in 2019, 51社区 transitioned to the Open Pathway. It is through these Open Pathway milestones that HLC expects 51社区 to produce evidence that it is appropriately meeting the Criteria for Accreditation.

How long has 51社区 been accredited? 

First accredited in 1913, 51社区 is considered one of the founding members of the Higher Learning Commission. Since then, the University has been continuously accredited and has participated in review and reaffirmation activities many times. Most recently, 51社区 was reaffirmed in 2015-2016.

Are there ways I provide support during the reaffirmation of accreditation process?

Achieving accredited status is a time and resource-intensive process that requires a commitment to institutional effectiveness and the continuous improvement of academic quality. OHIO is committed to providing a quality education wherever and however its educational courses and programs are delivered. The reaffirmation process involves everyone 鈥� from faculty, staff and students to the valued stakeholders across our OHIO communities.鈥�

As OHIO鈥檚 reaffirmation of accreditation moves forward, we will keep you updated on the progress of our reaffirmation efforts and opportunities for the University community to share their voices and feedback via ohio.edu/provost/accreditation/reaffirmation. (opens in a new window)鈥�&苍产蝉辫;