As the fall semester ends and the spring session begins, NEIU draws closer to its accreditation.
Every 10 years, the university is evaluated by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (HLCNCA) to see if the university is meeting and following the standards that are required for any given university.
In preparation for this visit, the university has put into place a self-study group made up of 12 faculty and staff members that has been working since the spring of 2005 to produce a report for the HLCNCA to review.
“It is also a chance for us as an institution to evaluate what programs are doing well and what we need to change. We can also take this opportunity to look at where we’ve been and where we have yet to go,” said Kris Pierre, assistant to the vice president of student affairs and a member of the self-study group.
She explained that the commission will evaluate almost every aspect of the university to ensure that NEIU is fulfilling its mission statement as a university.
The school will be visited by a team of 22 to 24 people that meet with and interview faculty and staff members in efforts to measure the progress of the university.
The coordinator of this group is Shelley Bannister, and she works along with the group to help ensure a positive outcome for the university.
The NCACS was founded in 1895 for the purpose of establishing and maintaining close knit relationships among colleges and other secondary schools in a particular region.
The HLCNCA is one of six regional accreditation institutions in the United States. Their mission statement is “Serving the common good by assuring and advancing the quality of higher learning.”
Through this commission, the North Central Association accredits and grants membership to many educational institutions in North Central Association region from Arkansas to Wyoming. They are recognized by the U.S Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.