This time next year, the Higher Learning Commission will conduct a site visit to OSU Institute of Technology as part of the campus’s 10-year accreditation cycle.

Set for March 9-10, 2020, a team of peer reviewers from HLC will visit OSUIT for an in-depth evaluation of how the campus meets the five accreditation criteria, including: 

    1.  Mission
    2.  Integrity: Ethical and Responsible Conduct
    3.  Teaching and Learning: Quality Resources and Support
    4.  Teaching and Learning: Evaluation and Improvement
    5.  Resources, Planning and Institutional Effectiveness

OSUIT’s mission is to serve as the lead institution of higher education in Oklahoma and the region providing comprehensive, high-quality, advancing technology programs and services to prepare and sustain a diverse student body as competitive members of a world-class workforce and contributing members of society.

“The mission statement of OSUIT should guide everything we do as an institution,” said President Bill Path. “It’s a good thing to have outside observers visit our campus and evaluate how successful we are at fulfilling our mission.”

In preparation for this evaluation, the HLC Accreditation Committee, chaired by Associate Vice President of Technology Services Kevin Hulett, has been gathering information and documents through the assistance of faculty and staff with specific knowledge of various aspects regarding the accreditation documentation. 

“Over the last several years, the committee has been collecting documentation that will support the assurance arguments demonstrating our adherence to the Higher Learning Commission’s criteria for accreditation,” said Hulett. 

HLC accreditation is important to OSUIT for a number of reasons. In order to qualify for participation in federal financial aid programs, institutions must be accredited by a federally recognized accrediting agency. 

In addition to financial aid eligibility, the ability to transfer credits to another institution relies on accreditation. Most colleges and universities typically only accept credits from other accredited institutions. 

The Higher Learning Commission is an independent corporation founded in 1895 as one of six regional institutional accreditors in the United States. HLC accredits degree-granting, post-secondary educational institutions in the north central region, which includes Oklahoma and 18 other states.