Public meetings were held at the main campus as part of the reaccreditation process which happens once every 10 years by the Consultant Evaluators from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association (NCA).
The consultant evaluators from the HLC of NCA arrived on campus Monday morning, Jan. 22. The evaluation of the reaccreditation process lasted through Jan. 23 in which they gathered information from the university community.
Their focus was to gather information directly from the student body and the faculty point of view toward the university and its self “Accreditation Self-Study Report” released and posted on the NEIU Web site in January.
Open meetings were held with two bodies, students and faculty, of the university community. The meetings were held Jan. 22 in the B-Building in two separate rooms.
The keynote speakers from the HLC consultant evaluation team in this meeting were Alisa Davis, who holds a position in accounting and business education from the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff (UAPB), and George Wallman, a former vice president of student affairs for the North Dakota State University (NDSU).
Davis explained why they are here in campus, to confirm the information from the “NEIU’s Accreditation Self-Study Report” and get feedback from the university community about it. The HLC consultant evaluation team will take those findings and make a report for the HLC of NCA for re-accreditation approval.
Davis expressed some concern about NEIU’s mission statement in the report and asked the audience their comments on it. The mission statement of NEIU stands for excellence, access, diversity and community.
Davis said “You already know this is one of the most diverse universities in the Midwest region”
One student who wished to remain anonymous said, “My experience with diversity in school is that diversity is separated, and they [stay] only in their groups and they are not interacting. What the school mission is saying that we are, that, we are not.”
During the meeting, troublesome issues that have been boiling up in the campus community were brought up. Low graduation rates and mismanagement of funds were the two examples brought up in the meeting.
Also the cost of building the statue base and placing a hill between the Science Building and the Library were mentioned. Lastly, not enough class section being offered was discussed.